Last summer, my friend Dan and I would talk on AIM a lot about this girl who was playing mind games with him. During every conversation we had about her, he would type "ooooo....I love/hate her so much."
That's exactly how I feel about Grand Forks. I love/hate this place so much. I love it because there's just so much potential. Downtown is charming and wonderful by day, with all the artwork and cute little shops. Dakota Harvest Bakers is the hippest bakery in North Dakota. By night, it's the hot spot. College students in Grand Forks simply can't go out to Joe Black's, Gilly's, O'Really's, or the Crosstown without running into someone they know.
The parks all over town are gorgeous. Nearly every Friday and Saturday in the summer months, you can see weddings happening, or wedding photos being taken, at University Park by the foot bridge. I've spent a lot of time wandering around the parks taking pictures, and I've got some great memories of grilling shrimp and drinking mojitos in the park on reading and review day this spring.
I love that in Grand Forks, the night before reading and review day in May usually means grilling out and drinking a few cold ones in a very laid back way. I love that it's perfectly acceptable to spend a day floating down a river in an inflatable tube. Where I grew up (150 miles away), tubing means being pulled by a boat or pontoon at water-skiiing speeds. It's just not the same as floating down a river tied to 20 of your friends.
What I hate about Grand Forks is the lack of culture. It's gotten better, yes, but it's still not great. It's not like other cities where there's a theatrical performance every night. My boyfriend and I cheered when L'Bistro opened -- finally, there's a classy restaurant in town besides Sanders 1907. Don't even get me started on how bored I've gotten with Applebees, Green Mill, etc. Even the Blue Moose is starting to lose its charm for me.
Don't even get me started on the shopping. Yes, the Gap is great. However, I can't afford their clothes. Old Navy is nice too, but not very good quality. While my college budget can afford $15 shirts, it can't afford $15 shirts that fall apart/fade/wear out quickly. I want H&M in Grand Forks, and I want it now. Maybe that's unreasonable, but I don't care. I just want to be able to buy affordable, quality clothing in the town I live in without having to order 3 different sizes online and pay return shipping on the two items that didn't fit me.
And I've forgotten where I was going with this....
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