#midwest

#midwest

There's something pretty charming about the Midwest's relationship with soda. Maybe it's the long winters that make people reach for anything fizzy and cheerful, or perhaps it's the region's talent for taking ordinary things like cheese curds or county fairs and turning them into cultural touchstones. Soda is no exception. In the Midwest, fizzy drinks aren't just refreshments; they're tiny time capsules of community pride, quirky nostalgia, and a very particular kind of regional stubbornness that insists, "No, actually, our version is better."

While the decision initially felt right, I entered months of self-doubt and indecisiveness. In retrospect, it's obvious to me that my lack of clarity was social media-fueled - after all, it can make life feel like a competition over who can look the coolest and most successful. My own desires felt clouded by what I saw through small, digital windows.

Steve Grove’s journey illustrates how deep connections with local communities and personal history can lead to profound self-discovery and understanding of life’s purpose.

According to Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst at Realtor.com, "Affordable Midwest markets and well-located Northeast markets continue to see strong buyer demand relative to the rest of the country."