In general, I am kind of a snob that thinks the South (and yes, Kentucky is totally part of it) is superior to the rest of our fine country.

But I have a confession: I kind of sort of love the Midwest a little. I went to college in Michigan, and James is from northern Indiana, so I have spent some time there. While in the midst of my Midwest residency time, I mostly focused on how the winters were long, the accents were different, and the roads were straight.

But the Midwest quietly grows on you.

This past weekend I went up to Indiana to meet James for his best friend’s wedding and for a wedding shower in his hometown (where I ate myself sick on the best butter-cream frosting…). I was reminded of the unparalleled beauty of Midwest summer evenings, the bigness of the sky over the cornfields, the beauty of a sunset on a flat horizon.

I also got to be with some of my favorite people this past weekend, including my roommates from my senior year of college. These are friendships forged in the long winters of the Midwest, winters that force you inside and make you appreciate the people who make it pretty great to be cooped up with some puzzles and Bananagrams.

May you all find yourselves seated on a porch in the Midwest on some summer evening, because it really is the best.