|| Minnesota Born || Colorado Educated || South Dakota Bound ||

I love Minnesota – the trees, the lakes, the hot summers and the State Fair cheese curds.

I love Colorado – the trees, the mountains, the 300 days of sunshine, the Coors brewery.

… and now I’m falling in love with South Dakota.

Did I think I would end up here?  No.  I should have known the day I fell in love with my farmer and best friend.  Now, it’s finally lead to this: Digging (South)Dakota Roots.

Roots (ro͞ots), noun: 1. The part of a plant that attaches it to the ground or to a support, conveying nourishment to the rest of the plant; 2. The part of a thing attaching it to a greater or more fundamental whole; the end or base; 3. Family, ethnic, or cultural origins, especially as the reasons for one’s long-standing emotional attachment to a place or community.

But you’re at this page for a little information about me – not for a vocabulary lesson.

Well, I was born and raised in the ‘burbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota where I grew up trying every sport imaginable (gymnastics, karate, soccer, lacrosse, volleyball… you name it), spent the large majority of the summers swimming in lakes and catching frogs, and learned how to shop like a champion at Mall of America.

When college came around, I sped off to Colorado to attend the University of Denver for a degree in Real Estate & Construction Management.  I spent my days enjoying the strong sunshine; attempting to ski; going hiking; and learning to eat vegetables and sushi; all while taking full advantage of everything DU had to offer for classes and nannying for a fantastic family.

The housing market took a turn for the worst during my college years, which lead me back to Minneapolis after graduation.  There I landed a position in the Affordable Housing industry working to develop apartments for the working class.   It was here that I spent the first three years of formal ‘adulthood’, bought a condominium in the heart of downtown, and adopted my pup Vinny into my life – all while dating my farmer.

What changed? In July of 2014, after five years of dating (did I mention the 4 years of long distance?), and with the pending move to South Dakota the next day, the love of my life got down on one knee and proposed, so we can officially start this journey together (cue the romantic symphony of music).

So may I introduce my little family to you

Since I’ve started this site, we’ve kicked off our life as newlyweds with an incredible wedding in Saint Paul, Minnesota in August of 2015 surrounded by all of our friends and family; we located a house in town and have started to put our own personalities into the design; and this all while adjusting to our new lifestyle.

I invite you to explore my blog; laugh at my pitiful attempts to shake city-life; learn from my gardening missteps and victories; and enjoy the recipes inspired by my garden.

So get your hands dirty and eat extraordinarily. Dig in.