I <3 Detroit because ...

My last week in Detroit is about to begin and I’m so not ready to say goodbye. When I left my job three weeks ago, I made a list of all the things I wanted to do here before I left. While I enjoyed my private tour of the DIA (thanks, Matt!) and I’m glad I finally ate paczki in Hamtramck, what makes Detroit so hard to leave isn’t the places to go or things to see, but the people I’ll miss.



Last night, I had a going-away party with some friends from work and Downtown Runners. As part of my décor, I hung a big dry erase board and invited guests to say what they love about Detroit. For some reason, it seemed tougher than I’d expected to fill it up. What could I say in a phrase or two? Half-off martini nights at Proof? The fact that we have two country radio stations? Most of the stuff scrawled on the board was silly and fairly insignificant. And aside from eating Coneys and riding the People Mover, most things the Motor City has to offer can be done in Chicago, too.

But “What do you love about Detroit?” is not about stuff to do. It’s a feeling – and one that you have to live here to experience. It’s the deep-seated underdog pride. The DET ovals slapped on the bumpers of our Fords and Chevys. The embracing of blue-collar virtues by white-collar folks. The friendships that take on more meaning because they’re sometimes all you can count on. The banding together to make the most of what we’ve got: No room for whiners because it’s cold and dreary and the Lions lost another (OK, every) game – we’re all just happy to be hanging on.

To all of you who’ve touched me in some way over the past two and a half years, I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. From encouraging me to follow my dreams to listening to me vent about work; from supporting me through my injuries to helping me cover them up with excessive amounts of alcohol; from letting me crash at your apartment after a rough night to giving me a hug when I crashed into your car (you know who you are), I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

It might be time for me to move on, but I have no doubt I’ll be back, often. In the meantime, I’ll be cruising the streets of Chicago in my Mustang, with my new "DET" bumper sticker. Come visit!