If You Haven't Been There, You'll Never Understand.

So, here I be. Sitting in my house in Suburb-ia, USA. And its been almost 4 months since I last was in the Yoop. [and I mean on its land... not stuck in one of its harbour's.] And God, do I miss it terribly. I've traveled a decent amount. I've been to 5 different countries and done a decent amount of traveling within the US... and let me tell ya, I still would take the Yoop [the Keewenaw Peninsula in particular] any day over any other place. It gets in you. It snakes up your feet and legs like a vine, it takes hold of your arms and it infiltrates your blood until it takes over your heart. And it has mine. Here is the story of the UP... and then below is a video I took almost a year ago. The reason I love this video so much is because that nowhere else in the entire world would you find a scene like this. And that is a true story my friends. So without further ado, let me share with you my love for this beautiful place, this different world, this separate peace.

In da beginning dere was nuttin. Den on the first day God created da Upper Peninsula. On the second day He created da partridge, da deer, da bear, da fish, and da ducks. On da third day He said "Let dere be Yoopers to roam da Upper Peninsula".On the forth day He created da udder world down below. On the fifth day He said "Let there be trolls to live in the world down below". On the sixth day He created da bridge so da trolls would have a way to get to heaven. God saw it was good and on da seventh day, He went Huntin.

[I apologize for the unstable picture. So those who succumb to motion sickness easily, beware.]

Now, its hard to enjoy this land or these people if you don't have a heart for the outdoors and a mind that can appreciate those with a simple life and thought process. Because really, the UP is stuck in da 80's, their way of life is simplistic, they have an appreciation for nature in all its glory and wrath, they actually KNOW how to drive in the snow [because thats all they get to drive in], and frankly, I love every damn minute of it. The atmosphere, the slow, relaxed life style, the amazing scenery, being surrounded by water on 3 sides, cliff jumping, snow shoeing, spelunking in old copper and coal mines, backpacking pictured rocks, day trips to Tahquamenon Falls [the second largest falls in the US], Grey Wolves trotting down the side of the highway, Bald Eagles fighting off a murder of crows for dinner, crazy foxes running around campus, squirrels who have more diversity in color than an entire city, drinking not as sport, but as a survival technique in the winter, drinking cheaply [a gift from God for all college students] the serenity experienced on a clear night when you can see every star in the sky, and those you shouldn't be able to see, due to the lack of mass lighting for miles and miles, the amazing yooper accent, yooper-isms, pasties, Da Bridge, the Keweenaw Peninsula, The Dredge, The Gay Bar in Gay, MI, Copper Harbor, The Ambassador 'Tostada Pizza', Seeing "Canada on Fire" as you near the International Bridge, The Soo Locks, and so on.

My dear friend, please visit the Upper Peninsula of Michigan at some point in your life. Because honestly, if you haven't been there, you haven't lived. And if you need a tour guide, I would be more than happy to show you the best places.

Say Yah To Da UP, eh!