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If you’re a non-American planning to visit the United States for the first time, you’re likely eyeing the big cities you’ve seen in movies or on TV. This short list would likely include New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. If you’re looking for a party, Miami or Las Vegas would probably be on your radar.

Unless you’re planning to experience the sights and sounds of Chicago, the Midwest may not be a priority for you. But as the following screenshots may show you, life down there can be quite colorful.

If you’re from the region, these posts will likely resonate with you. Scroll through and enjoy!

#1

A tweet from Midwest vs. The Rest joking about the Midwest and their preference for long drives over flying.

midwestern_ope Report

R Dennis
Community Member
1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yep. Everything is within a day's drive if you time it right... well, everything east of The Rockies.

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    #3

    A tweet from Midwest vs. The Rest, stating, In the Midwest we enter the home through the garage and save the fancy front door for guests.

    midwestern_ope Report

    Verena
    Community Member
    6 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is a general rural thing. You know you belong to the inner circle of friends when the first thing you see when entering a house is the washing machine. Rural regions in Denmark & the Netherlands.

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    Among coastal residents in the United States, the Midwest is commonly labeled as a “flyover country.” If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it simply means that this region is often passed over during flights from the East to the West coast, and vice versa. 

    But for someone who moved there, like author and University of Michigan lecturer Phil Christman, the Midwest has a lot more to offer than just cornfields and factories.

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    #4

    A Twitter post by @the_KATE_gatsby defining Midwest culture as using the garage to keep items cold. A unique place indeed!

    the_KATE_gatsby Report

    Trillian
    Community Member
    7 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Lived a year in MN. We had 'the little fridge' in the kitchen and 'the big fridge' aka the deck.

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    #5

    A tweet from Midwest vs. The Rest about Midwesterners getting offended when passed on the highway. Midwest culture insights.

    midwestern_ope Report

    R Dennis
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No... you slide up into the line and match speed. Chances are the cops aren't pulling you all over. So there is safety in numbers.

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    #6

    A meme comparing tumbleweed in the West (actual tumbleweed) versus in the Midwest (a damaged trampoline). The Midwest is unique.

    midwestern_ope Report

    UnclePanda
    Community Member
    Premium
    33 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We had no way to measure it but we could clearly see the 4-5 'touchdown prints' leading to an errant trampoline 200-300 yards from where it started.

    “Especially in a period when some of the more interesting art and music consists of similar procedures repeated on a massive canvas, you’d think we could learn to truly see Midwestern flatness as something richer than mindless repetition.” Christman wrote in an essay for The Hedgehog Review

    #7

    A tweet from Matthew J. Cordes, EA about hitting a deer twice, a common Midwest occurrence.

    cordes_tax Report

    UnclePanda
    Community Member
    Premium
    33 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Was the deer in the car from the first accident?

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    #8

    A social media post from microplastics rectifier saying, "It's jarring for me when there are British people in the Midwest." This image highlights the unique aspects of the Midwest.

    facetedcarapace Report

    Did I say that out loud?
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We're very, very lost.....or seeking refuge from Reform. Please take pity on us either way.

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    Christman, who moved to Michigan from Texas with his wife, recognizes the Midwest’s identity, tied to labor and industry. He pointed out that outsiders may have described it as “America’s breadbasket” in the late 19th and 20th centuries and “America’s foundry” during the Second World War. 

    But one thing Christman also brought up is how the Midwest “suffers from a burden of normality.”

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    “But even used and battered landscapes have their particularity. Detroit’s blight isn’t Cleveland’s blight, any more than Manchester’s is Birmingham’s. Nor are any two cornfields truly exactly alike,” Christman wrote. 

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    #14

    A house with a steep, winding driveway, highlighting a unique aspect of The Midwest.

    midwestern_ope Report

    Mike F
    Community Member
    8 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I always think about having to shovel the snow off them.

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    Ultimately, Christman’s essay is more about encouraging people to look past stereotypes about the Midwest. As he implies, most people simply fail to pay close attention, encouraging them to notice the subtleties in ordinary life. 

    “We should ask instead whether our story of the Midwest—this undifferentiated human place—contains any lovelier, more useful, or more radical possibilities. At the very least, we should try to name what there is in us for it to appeal to,” he wrote.

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    #16

    A stack of napkins and a Kwik Trip tumbler in a car console, revealing a unique Midwest habit.

    midwestern_ope Report

    Glen Ellyn
    Community Member
    Premium
    8 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I generally get gas at the gas station.

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    #17

    A Twitter post by Midwest vs. The Rest listing 4 stages of saying I love you in the Midwest. A unique place.

    midwestern_ope Report

    Sam Trudeau
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I've been to Wisconsin and had Culver's. It's like a Grill & Chill

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    #19

    A tweet by Gina Darling about The Midwest's unique place, detailing a man's confusion about North and South Korea.

    MissGinaDarling Report

    Glen Ellyn
    Community Member
    Premium
    8 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is not only in the midwest. Ignorance is common all over the US. Too many people just don't care to learn anything. I guess they cast out their curiosity bug.

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    #20

    A tweet from @holy_schnitt discussing ranch dressing and The Midwest. She states she would eat ranch on anything.

    holy_schnitt Report

    Glen Ellyn
    Community Member
    Premium
    8 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's a change from ketchup on everything, right?

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    #21

    An aerial view of a complex intersection with multiple roundabouts and highways, unique to the Midwest.

    midwestern_ope Report

    Geoffrey Scott
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    People here in Central Mich either love 'em or hate 'em. I like 'em because you don't have to sit and wait for a light. Now, diverging diamonds blow my mind(essentially changing travel side of the road and back).

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    #22

    A man frantically explaining details on a board covered with papers and string, highlighting the unique Midwest experience.

    midwestern_ope Report

    Geoffrey Scott
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Where's that?"..."30 miles west of (larger town)".."oh, ok"

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    #24

    A beautiful dining room with an antique table, chairs, and a red rug, showcasing the unique Midwest lifestyle.

    Eric_Erins Report

    Paul C.
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The main problem with hosting any sort of gathering, is that it involves people!

    #25

    A Midwest vs. The Rest tweet reads, "Nobody: Menards: save big money at Menards". This post relates to the Midwest.

    midwestern_ope Report

    Glen Ellyn
    Community Member
    Premium
    8 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Menards IS significantly cheaper than Home Depot.

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    #27

    A tweet from Midwest vs. The Rest discussing midwesterners saying "ope" and whispering "scuse me." A unique place indeed.

    midwestern_ope Report

    UnclePanda
    Community Member
    Premium
    16 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I use a light and breezy Italian sounding version of 'escuzee!' It seems to work well everywhere. NB - you have to leave out the 'excuse ME' attitude, which I never used anyway.

    #28

    A social media post about Midwest gatherings, stating 10 types of salad without lettuce, showing unique Midwest culture.

    midwestern_ope Report

    Geoffrey Scott
    Community Member
    4 hours ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If it's pasta salad? It stays right where it is. Ain't eating no chilled rotini!

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    #29

    A Midwest vs. The Rest tweet showing an Illinois license plate and a large pothole, representing challenges in the Midwest.

    midwestern_ope Report

    Lotekguy
    Community Member
    Premium
    8 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Drivers from every Midwestern state think drivers from the closest adjacent state are the worst.

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    #30

    A tweet listing the hardest jobs: brain surgeon, aerospace engineer, and teaching someone Euchre, a unique Midwest experience.

    midwestern_ope Report

    Verena
    Community Member
    5 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Is that connected with the half used pack of cards?

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    #31

    A humorous map explaining the Midwest, labeled with terms like Hot dish, Cheese, Corn, and Great Lakes. Unique Midwest characteristics.

    TerribleMaps Report

    Glen Ellyn
    Community Member
    Premium
    8 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I beg your pardon. North Dakota is WIND. Seemingly always windy.

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    #37

    A humorous image showing multiple speed limit signs (35, 55, 20, 70) and a police car, depicting the Midwest's unique driving experience.

    midwestern_ope Report

    Khavrinen
    Community Member
    6 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Speeding tickets are the town's sole source of income.

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    #39

    A humorous tweet from Iowa State University Police about excessive vaping on campus, making the Midwest view foggy.

    ISUPD Report

    ADHD
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    imagine a university or school needing a police dept.

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    #43

    A humorous tweet describing an awkward door-opening encounter, illustrating the unique Midwest experience.

    TFG870 Report

    Did I say that out loud?
    Community Member
    45 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Or you both say "after you " then you both try and get through the door at the same time.

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    #50

    A plate of golden-fried cheese curds with a side of dipping sauce, representing a unique Midwest experience.

    midwestern_ope Report

    Glen Ellyn
    Community Member
    Premium
    8 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The name is enough to turn me off. Curds = curdled = going bad, like milk.

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    #54

    A tweet discussing Midwest culture: saying it feels nice out when it's 30 degrees. Unique Midwest insights.

    c1aar Report

    Fred
    Community Member
    6 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "mid 30s" means a couple of degrees above freezing.

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    #55

    A hand inside a car making a gesture, captioned Let's confuse non midwesterners, about The Midwest.

    midwestern_ope Report

    Alder
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's pretty standard driving etiquette here in the UK!

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    #59

    A tweet from Djew Holiday asking why Midwest people pronounce caramel as "Carmel." Unique Midwest insight.

    fureelfureel Report

    Sam Trudeau
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm from Canada and I say "care-mel" as in "word care" followed by "mel"

    #60

    A tweet asking why Midwest households have beach-themed bathrooms, revealing unique Midwest quirks.

    emmakathleeennn Report

    emlab kerba
    Community Member
    7 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    the bathroom is the ocean, but the kitchen is a farm

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    #67

    A tweet about the Midwest, asking why people have a second fridge when their garage is a fridge for half the year.

    NotoriousBOG_ Report

    Helena
    Community Member
    8 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Keep the food warm in the winter, cold in the summer.

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