Dear Wisconsin, 

Growing up as a kid in Wisconsin is full of memories, you get to experience everything, from the colorful fall, the bitterly cold winters, the disgustingly wet springs, and the torching hot summers. In the fall you get to make leaf piles, jump into them with joy, go to the pumpkin farm, and pick your favorite ones. In winter we make snowmen and throw snowballs at them, we make igloos and snow forts, we get snow and ice days, and best yet, waking up with a hot chocolate at the table. In the spring there is almost nothing, yesterday was winter, and tomorrow was summer, spring is actually a season. It's just Mother Nature trying to figure out if she wants to stay in winter or move on into summer. In summer, we go up to the lake house, and do nothing but sit in the water because it is too hot to do anything else. In summer we go to my dad's races and do our best to find shade, in summer we have a very short break from everything else.

Dear Wisconsin,

Thank you for all the different signature foods. Thank you for the custard on the warm sunny days, the sunny days where it's too hot to eat out of a cone, where you have to get it in a bowl. Thank you for the deep-fried cheese, who doesn't love cheese curds, especially the Delafield Brewhaus? Maybe my stomach, but my taste buds definitely enjoy them. Thank you Wisconsin for frying everything, especially fish, there's nothing I love more than a Friday night fish fry at Fox and Hound. Thank you, Wisconsin for being incredibly fatty when it comes to our delicious foods. 

Dear Wisconsin,

Thank you for all the lakes. The winters here are bitterly cold, but our summers are way too hot, and there is no better way to cool yourself off than a nice swim in the lake, and thank god we have lots of those! Devils Lake, Lake Metonga, Pelican Lake, Lake Keesus, Oconomowoc Lake, all these lakes are almost a part of me, the memories I have on each, Wakeboarding, surfing, tubing, and skiing.

Dear Wisconsin,

Growing up is coming to an end, I’m off to college in three months and my life has been full of memories, camping with friends, going to different state parks, and always trying something new. Activities like Hunting, and fishing, which I have never enjoyed, but still cherish, because it's a part of Wisconsin, which will forever be a part of me. 

Thank you, Wisconsin,

Thank you for all the memories, all the foods, all the wonderful seasons, all the lakes, and thank you for my entire childhood. The last eighteen years have been filled with joy and unforgettable experiences and places.