We can hardly believe it but we have been Midwesterners for more than a year now – and it may come as a surprise but we absolutely love it here. We have experienced large cities, suburbs, rural towns, and many things in between that Indiana has to offer and appreciated them all. Here are a few reasons why we find ourselves enjoying life in Indiana so much:

1. People are friendly. Midwest nice is a real thing! Seriously! Our first day at our new home, it snowed about four inches. Arriving from Florida, we were not yet equipped with a snow shovel. But our amazing neighbors showed up with shovels to spare – and one even plowed our whole driveway for us!
2. The cost of living is great compared to many other areas of the U.S. We were accustomed to prices in Naples, Florida, which is quite expensive in many respects. Homes are far more reasonably priced in the Midwest, food costs lower, and a gallon of gasoline is similarly priced to South Florida.
3. People know how to drive. They know the rules and follow them. So learn them yourself and enjoy the pleasant driving experience. They do like to drive fast here.
4. Traffic circles, or roundabouts, are a way of life. And people drive into them quickly and with purpose. One thing that took me a while to learn is that if you intend to go straight in a traffic circle which has two lanes of traffic flowing, it is customary to stay in the left lane to keep going straight with the flow of traffic, versus heading right and across. Most people use the right lane for turning right and rarely pass everyone in that lane in the circle if the road narrows again after the circle.
5. Local ice cream stands are fantastic. While living in Germany and Europe as a whole, summertime ice cream stands were one of our favorite experiences to enjoy. Here in Indiana, these seasonal stands are also prevalent and serve a delicious array of homemade ice creams and other treats. One of our local ones has even stayed open into the winter season this year which we’ve been taking advantage of!
6. The big cities are only nice to visit. We spent about six months off and on in one of the major cities here and found it wasn’t for us, especially as a family with a grade-schooler. There are some nice attractions to experience but living in the city was not all it was cracked up to be. We much prefer the suburbs and even more rural areas which offer a high quality of life.
   
7. The Midwest has a lot of beautiful areas. Although there may not be the breathtaking mountains of the West or ocean expanses, it has beautiful seasons and some incredible state parks to visit.
8. The sunsets here compete with Florida. I never imagined that could be possible, but we get some of the most spectacular colors in the sky here at sunset. And the sunrises can be pretty amazing as well.