On Dating a Midwesterner…

I haven’t lived in New York long enough to truly call myself a New Yorker. At least, I don’t think. Some have told me I have to wait a year, others have said five years, and one guy I went on a date with said if I didn’t need a map to navigate myself above 14^th Street I could call myself one. But, New Yorker or not, I can’t deny my Midwestern roots.

So, you can understand my excitement the other day when I stumbled upon a little gem from HowAboutWe.com about why you should date a Midwesterner. Now, I won’t lie to you, I have found dating in New York to be a little more exciting but that could just be from my newbie status. And, I (also) can’t deny that I think I have a little charm from spending 30 years in the Midwest.

You can check out the list yourself but here are the points that gave me the most “damn right” moment:

#5. We know where to get the best beer, cheese, or pizza in the country. Sometimes all three. (Yes. There’s no commentary needed here.)

#9. Oh man, can we hold our liquor. ( I once went on a date with a guy who said he’d never had a woman out drink him until he met one from the Midwest. I considered that the perfect time to remind him I was from the Midwest. I also considered that a compliment.)

#13. Cute accents. Sort of. (Check. Though mine has gradually changed over the years.)

#14. We can handle a tough winter. (True story. I can remember going to bed with no snow and waking up with feet. Also, I think I wore my winter coat all of three times in New York.)

#16. We laugh a lot. (I’ve been known to laugh more than the average person. Including during a few…ahem…inappropriate moments. Now I can say “it’s a Midwest thing.”)

#21. We can drive. (Though I think we need to define can here. I mean every Midwesterner I know has learned how to drive. Knowing how to do it well is a different story. But, nevertheless, we can.)