You Should Consider Yourself Lucky To Be Living In Kalamazoo. Here’s Why:

When it comes to Kalamazoo, there’s no place like home. After being gone for so long, I promise I will never take delivery food for granted ever again. I recently moved back to Michigan after spending the last five years living in Springfield, Missouri. True, the Show-Me-State has lots to offer, and in some ways the two states are very similar.

Both Michigan and Missouri have sweeping landscapes and breathtaking fall foliage, and Missouri even has its own special place in music history much like Detroit’s Motown. However, I am beyond thrilled to be back home in the Mitten and here’s why:

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1. Delivery Chinese

Springfield considers itself a “foodie” town. The good news is that just about every Chinese restaurant in town has a drive-thru! The bad news is that because they have drive-thru windows, most Chinese places won’t deliver to your home. That’s one of the best parts of ordering Chinese food- the not leaving your house part.

Often I would find myself with a late-night craving of cashew chicken, but I was too lazy to go out and get it myself so I just…didn’t eat Chinese food. Thankfully in Kalamazoo we have places like Rice Kitchen, Great Wall and Hunan Gardens that offer delivery.

2. Ice Storms

Love the snow or hate it (I hate it), I’d much rather have snow than ICE. Simply mention the word in front of any Springfield resident and they will bore you to tears about where they were during the “Great Ice Storm of 2007”. To be fair, from what I can gather it was actually pretty traumatizing.

The entire town froze beneath two inches of ice, causing trees and power lines to crush homes and vehicles. Some 200,000 residents were left without power and heat for weeks. The entire town shut down with some locals even having to live in hotels (the ones that actually had power) for months until it was restored. As a Michigander, I learned to drive in the winter so I have no fear of snow. Ice however is a completely different story.

3. K-Wings Hockey

Growing up in Michigan, hockey is life. No doubt the Mitten is home to some amazing hockey teams and on any given Friday night you can find me at a K-Wings game enjoying a brew (or two) with some friends. Imagine my disappointment when I moved to Springfield, Missouri to find they have NO local hockey team.

To say I went through serious hockey withdrawals while living in Springfield is an understatement. Since moving back I have attended just about every K-Wings home game. It’s so good to be home.