So you're just moving to Wisconsin, huh? Well, first off--welcome! We're glad to have you. But living in Wisconsin is not without its challenges. Here are ten things you better have if you want to survive in Wisconsin:
1. To avoid frostbite, you'll need some nice, warm winter accoutrements.
2. If you live in Wisconsin, you root for the Packers. If you don't rock that Packers jersey, we'll know that you're a rogue Bears fan. Scandal.
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3. With all the great meats we have up here, and because tailgating is such a part of our culture, a grill is a necessity.
4. If you have any desire to get to work or get out of the house during the winter, you better have a high quality shovel.
5. There's a reason you see a lot of pickup trucks in Wisconsin. Make sure you have a reliable vehicle to drive through all that snow.
6. Wisconsin isn't the place to avoid your neighbors. So break out the jello mold, knock on the new neighbors' door and put on a smile!
7. If you don't want to end up a popsicle, you'll need some heat source over the winter. But nothing beats a nice fireplace.
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8. There are plenty of bars in Wisconsin. But to get through those long winter months and stressful sporting matches, you want a home bar.
9. Don't get the cute boots. If you plan on walking in the snow, get yourself some heavy duty boots.
10. Jumper cables. No matter how reliable your vehicle is, you're going to want these on hand during the long winter months.
Got other tips for Wisconsin newbies? Be sure to let us know in the comments.
It takes a unique sort of person to take to living in Wisconsin. Once you get used to it, you wonder why you hadn't come here earlier, but it's understandable that newbies might find themselves a little off-kilter when they first change their address. We're a special brood up here in the Tundra and life as a 'Sconnie takes a little adjusting.
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Here are a few of the things you have to get comfortable with early on if you're going to hack it as a Wisconsinite:
1. Fridays are for a fish fry.
What started as a Lenten traditional has pervaded the end of the work week year-round. Sure, they're more prevalent during Lent, but you can get some fried cod and potato pancakes on a Friday in pretty much every part of the state. It's might be a Wisconsin stereotype, but it's right on the money.
2. How to pronounce Ashwaubenon.
And Oconomowoc. And Mequon. And Sheboygan.
There's a whole host of other ones, but if you don't want to immediately stick out as an outsider, you have to pick up the lingo. Moving to Wisconsin requires a bit of a change in vernacular.
3. Make friends with someone who owns a boat.
Yes you want to be out on the water. No you don't want the costs or headaches that come with owning a boat. This is the secret to your happiness. Wisconsin has 1,100 miles of Lake Michigan coastline. Combine that with Lake Superior and the 14,000 inland lakes and 7,446 streams and rivers and you see why this is on the list.
4. There are two seasons - Winter and Construction.
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This is an old joke but it also rings true. We don't have a lot of warm weather and the harsh winters are tough on the roads. That means any time we're not coating the roads in salt, we're fixing them up and repairing the damage.
5. How to dress in layers.
Just like the old joke about construction, the joke about waiting five minutes for the weather to change seems to hold true here as well. You'll never survive a Wisconsin winter without some really good base layers and any good 'Sconnie knows you need to be able to shed layers as the sun gets higher. The knowledge you gain in winter comes in handy for fall and spring cold snaps or those days where it starts off at 70 and ends around 40.
6. Your Bloody Mary will come with a lot of accessories - including a chaser.
We're pretty proud of our Bloody Mary skills up here, so learn how to make one if you ever plan to have folks over to watch the Packer game or if you tailgate before a Sunday Brewers game. The garnish doesn't have to be as ornate as some do, but even the simplest Wisconsin Bloody's come with a pickle, olive and celery. And you're doing to get a sidecar or chaser. Bonus points if it's a pony High Life. The beer is a perfect foil for the thick Bloody Mary. That other people don't do this baffles us.
7. How to measure distance in time.
Did you know that other people don't actually approximate road trips by time? It seems to be a strange Midwestern phenomenon that has to do with the fact that we probably aren't going to run into hours-long traffic jams. Whatever the reason, learn to understand that Madison is about 75 minutes from Milwaukee and not just 80 miles. We don't use mileage here.
8. What it means to go "Up Nort'"
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Much like the boat suggestion earlier, in my opinion the best idea is to have a friend or family member with a Northwoods cabin. In the summer, you'll notice a lot of half-day Fridays as folks pack up their cars and head out of the city for the Northwoods.
9. Why we hate Illinois drivers.
This one could well be an addendum to #8. Because it won't just be Milwaukee or Madison folks you see on the road up north - it'll be folks from down south driving like they're still on the Dan Ryan as they "escape" to the peaceful north while making driving more stressful for everyone around them.
10. If it can be deep fried, we've probably already tried it.
And we're not even talking about the Oreo or the Twinkie. Our State Fair has even had deep fried beer.
11. Sundays are sacred, but we're talking about a different kind of worship.
You'll notice a distinct lack of cars on the road in this picture. If you ever really need to get some grocery shopping done quickly, head to the store after kickoff. I wouldn't go so far as to say that things shut down - I'm sure there are some people somewhere in the state that don't watch football. But Packers Sundays are as united as this state gets. The stores are empty. The roads are clear. The Packers are playing. Wisconsin stereotypes die hard.
12. What we mean by cooler by the lake.
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It will only take one trip to the Summerfest grounds or Door County without a sweatshirt before you realize there's a distinct temperature drop when you're within a couple of miles of the Lake Michigan shoreline. When you're driving on I-94 east into downtown Milwaukee with the windows open, you can usually feel it around Miller Park or the Marquette campus. It rarely matters if you were sweating your patookus off during the day - when the sun goes down, things will get chilly.
13. Who makes the best cheese curds.
Listen - whatever cheese you had before you moved here pales in comparison. Embrace your newfound Dairy State resident status and realize you now have permission to sample ALL THE CHEESE to find out which one you like best. And when you're done with that, you get to try all the fried cheese curds. Welcome! Good decision moving to Wisconsin. Your tastebuds are going to be SO happy!
Did you have to learn any quick lessons when you first moved here? Tell us about it in the comments!
It never fails. The first time the thermometer hovers near 50, we Wisconsinites go a little nuts. There's still snow on the ground in much of the state, but that one warm day is like the beacon we needed. There may be some cold and snow yet to come, but Spring is officially something we can believe in instead of a mythical idea that exists somewhere on the other side of five or so very cold, very snowy, very long months. Honestly, it'll probably still snow in May, but we don't even care. The lone warm day in late February or early March is honestly really just a giant tease, but we'll take it. We're longing for the sun and to get outside without having to spend 20 minutes putting on layers of clothes before we do. That first sign of Spring and we're ready to pack away the long underwear, put the shovel in the garage and never wear boots again. It's a false hope, of course, but right now, it's all we've got.
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1. Drives with the windows down.
There's just something about the air through your hair and that freeing feeling of turning the music up and putting the windows down. Sure, I had the heat on at the same time and was wearing gloves, but the fresh air felt amazing and my dog was really happy.
2. Getting frozen custard.
Ok, the winter doesn't really stop us from doing this, but the lines at all the custard shops were pretty funny on Monday.
3. Takes out the motorcycle.
In the Southern part of the state, our snow was all gone, so this was more likely than up where there was still plenty of slop that a biker wouldn't want to deal with. But there was the purr of plenty of motors this week.
4. Busts out the grill.
Many folks don't let a little snow or freezing temperature stop them from grilling out, but for many, that first warm day is a beacon to the favorite cooking implement of Wisconsinites everywhere.
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5. Goes outside without a coat.
I absolutely hate a winter coat because while I need it outside, I'm warm and overdressed the second I step in anywhere. Running errands in winter is awful in all those layers. So the first thing that goes the second the weather warms up is my big coat.
6. Starts removing the winter essentials from your car.
Again, you'll probably totally need them again, but there's just something uplifting and symbolic about it. The ice scraper moves back to the trunk, the small closet's worth of clothes you keep in there just in case moves back inside. You're ready for summer!
7. Opens every window in the house.
By this time of year, all our houses need a good airing out and cracking that seal feels like the first time you've breathed fresh air in a year and a half.
8. Loses the winter footwear.
Our feet have been imprisoned for months and that first warm day is such an invitation to put on a ballet flat or loafer or run errands in sandals.
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9. Gets out in nature.
Plenty of Wisconsinites hike and explore the state during the winter months, but for a lot of us, it's a bit like hibernation. That first warm day is time to put the dog on a leash and get out and remember what the world looks like beyond our car windows.
10. Enjoys that last bit of snow.
I wouldn't say we "miss" snow when it's mid-July, but we don't actually hate it as much as we let on. We're just kind of fed up with it by the time March gets here. But as the weather starts to warm, we definitely take a moment to enjoy that last bit of winter.
11. Start planning our gardens.
We have great soil and a good growing season, so the coming of Spring means planning what flowers and vegetables are going to be planted this year.