I’m a Midwest B*tch

What to do with the pressure to leave after college

Zoë Meyer

I am a proud born-and-raised Midwesterner, a Midwest b*tch if you will. I love the weather (even the winter, as long as I have my layers on), the proximity to my family, the cities I grew up in, and now the city I live in. I also love the dad culture and the landscape. Yet the thing I love the most is the sense of community I have built.: My family is only four hours away, both of my siblings live in Minneapolis, and my partner and most of my friends are all in Minneapolis too, save a scattered few in Chicago. My home is within these few states. 

As graduation looms, I have felt this pressure to move, to experience life outside of Minneapolis and especially outside the Midwest. I’m torn. I know I want to move on at some point, but I feel comfortable, loved, and welcome here. Am I falling into complacency or am I just happy with the life I have built? 

This pressure to move after college is placed onto most college students, especially those that went to state schools or schools within their home region. Experiencing cities and places outside of what you grew up in is so essential. I know I will probably end up in the Midwest, so I want to get out for a bit before I settle. But what about my friends? My family? My partner? My connections? What about the life I have built? 

Community is the single most important thing in my life. The people I surround myself with bring me joy that no wealth or material good could ever replace. I have worked my ass off to build such a strong community here in Minneapolis, and I can’t get myself to leave that so soon. Community can be hard to build, I know that first hand. Am I just scared to rebuild? 

Should I hold on to my Midwest roots? Or is it time to go somewhere new?