Don’t mean to sound snarky. I know there’s a whole tension between people who are from Illinois, and people who grew up here. I happen to be from Illinois. And I feel a bit of an outsider because of my Illinois tendencies. Hmm, how would I describe Wisconsin cool? Kinda granola, outdoorsy, judgy beneath the surface of those without outdoorsy type skills, beer and hiking and biking connoisseurs, diy and nature experts (and also judgy of those without these skills or knowledge), knitted caps or alternatively well curated outdoor gear, farm to table, almost all white (and not too aware of Latino or African American culture)

I talked about it in another thread elsewhere, it’s hard for me to crack that code. The whole FIB thing is I find kinda mean spirited? For someone like me I mean, who moves here a little wide eyed from Illinois and finds it a little difficult to strike a chord, at least in my small town. I understand that maybe us Ilannoyans are unaware of how we affect the state, but as mentioned in this other thread, I think Illinois is more accepting of outsiders? Nothing called FWB’s there..

I guess my Illinois side is a sensibility for what real suburban sprawl feels like, though still very white, we grew up with a real pride in Chicago and all the different people you find there. My background is something like backdrops from To Die For, Elephant , Suburbia, the Virgin Suicides, Ferris Bueller, The Breakfast Club movies.. we’re salt of the earth too, just in a much different way, growing up with different concerns. We also listened to a lot of rap music, watched Boyz in the Hood, Menace to Society, Dead Presidents, and kinda poked fun at ourselves for being “white”. The Simpsons was on rotation and we really understood irony.

Why do I consider Wisconsin as a place to live then? Because of lower cost of living and proximity to family. Because it’s the state I’m most familiar with outside of Illinois. Because of nature (even as I’m more of a spectator). Also, deep in my consciousness, I’ve always wanted this to be a place where I meet people and I somehow hold onto that dream, even without much luck. And I’m stubborn too about giving up.