Now that you know where we're going, it's time for some myth busters. For some reason, Fargo seems to have some sort of--well stereotype. This post is actually written 90% by Steve, so enjoy the first ever Steve post!
Fargo: True or False
1 – It is a small town.
False. This was one of our big worries about applying to North Dakota State. Both Sarah and I would prefer to be in a middle sized town, and small towns are just not our thing. Fortunately, the twin city of Fargo-Moorhead has a population of about 177,000, which will actually be around the size of our past homes (Provo-Orem = 190,000; Champaign-Urbana = 120,000; Lawrence = 80,000). When we visited, this was the first thing we were most impressed with – it was a much bigger city then we thought.
2 – We will be moving to North Dakota.
Don’t know. Although this may be true, Moorhead is actually in Minnesota, and so one of the things we must decide is what state to live in. The cost of living is low on either side, so it will probably depend on what school system we prefer.
3 – It is cold.
I wish this were false. It will definitely be about 10 degrees colder than in Kansas. Unfortunately for myself, Sarah, Joshua, and Whitney all prefer the cold and snow, so really this will only be a test for me. But I think I can enjoy the 70-80 degree August days.
4 – There is no reason to visit Fargo.
False. As I mentioned, we are on the North Dakota-Minnesota border, which means that everyone in Fargo owns a second house or boat and enjoys the lakes in Minnesota. We’ve made it a tradition to head to Canada in August, and if you want to enjoy cooler temperatures over the summer, the lake scene, Mount Rushmore, the Roger Maris museum, Canada, the Red River (one of the few rivers in that runs north) or the South Dakota Badlands, come on up.
5 – The city is named after the movie.
False. The city is named after William George Fargo of Wells Fargo Bank fame. By the way, there is a movie called “Fargo” that won two academy awards and that everyone in Fargo hates. They made us promise to never watch it because of its portrayal of the city. Apparently it makes the city look pretty rural.
6 – We are pretty happy to be going to Fargo-Moorhead.
False. Pretty happy doesn’t say half of it. We are ecstatic to leave graduate school behind for this job. Don’t get me wrong, we have really enjoyed our student life. But I’m sure we will find a way to love post-student life even more :)
