I grew up in central Minnesota, a bit over an hour's drive west of the Twin Cities. Yes, I still wear a Minnesota Twins baseball cap from time to time here in the heart of Seattle Mariners fandom.
My slight midwestern drawl combined with the gradual acquisition of a northwestern accent has led to occasional accusations of being Canadian, but I have never even visited that relatively balmy and tropical nation. For those unfamiliar with the unique Minnesotan language and culture, I advise consulting the scholarly text How to Talk Minnesotan by Howard Mohr, or watching the documentary produced in 1993 by Twin Cities PBS. It's not too bad.
Photo by the author - The old family farm in northern Minnesota, June 2017
