I moved from Wisconsin to New York City over a decade ago. Here are the biggest culture shocks that surprise me when I return to the Midwest.

• I moved from Wisconsin to New York City over 10 years ago.
• The Midwest still surprises me with its lower prices, larger stores, and emptier airports.
• The Midwest’s friendliness, passion for football, and strong accents also feel novel to me now.

Since moving from Wisconsin to New York City over 10 years ago, I don’t get to travel back to visit friends and family as often as I’d like to.

The longer I go without visiting the Midwest, the more novel it feels when I do return.

Here are 11 aspects of life in the Midwest that now surprise me after over a decade of living in New York.

The airport I fly to in Wisconsin is much emptier than any New York travel hub.

When I fly out of New York City, the airport is always packed, with long security lines and crowds by the gate. When I land at General Mitchell International Airport in my hometown of Milwaukee, the airport seems empty in comparison.

Compared to New York City’s 8.4 million residents, Milwaukee’s population of around 577,000 people means that the city feels less crowded overall.

Midwestern accents are stronger than I remember.

Upon landing in the Milwaukee airport, I often hear locals talking about picking up their luggage at baggage claim, pronounced “bay-gage claim.” When referring to the wholesale retailer Costco, Wisconsinites call it “Cah-stco.”

I’ve lost my Midwestern accent after living in New York City for more than a decade, but I still recognize it immediately when I visit home.

Plastic carry-out bags are still available in some Midwestern states.

New York banned plastic shopping bags in 2020 — one of several states to do so. I’ve become so used to bringing my own reusable bags on errands that I’m surprised to find plastic bags available at stores in Wisconsin.

Stores are much larger outside New York City.

For example, my New York City neighborhood features a “small-format” Target store designed specifically for urban areas with 25,000 square feet of space. By comparison, the Target in my Wisconsin hometown spans 104,000 square feet, making it more than four times larger.

Midwestern grocery chains are also much bigger than New York City’s corner stores and bodegas.

Nationwide retailers like Costco stock locally made products that aren’t available elsewhere.

Most Costco stores stock the same items at locations throughout the world, but shoppers can also occasionally find local specialties. While visiting Costco in my home state, I’ve spotted Wisconsin cheese curds and coffee beans from a company based in Door County, which I haven’t seen sold in stores in New York or abroad.

I’ve grown nostalgic for Midwestern brands that used to be routine trips.

I never used to be excited about shopping at Menards or Meijer, but you know what they say: Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

When I visit the Midwest now, I jump at the chance to accompany my family on their day-to-day errands at retailers that are exclusive to Midwestern states.

Some Midwestern grocery stores feature walk-in beer coolers.

As the home of famous breweries such as Miller and Pabst, Wisconsin takes beer seriously. At Piggly Wiggly, a grocery chain largely serving the South and the Midwest, I’ve encountered walk-in beer fridges with dozens of varieties to choose from.

I’ve never seen a walk-in beer cooler in New York City — most grocery stores there wouldn’t have the space.

While many New York City stores keep items in locked cases, I’m pleasantly surprised when I can shop more freely in the Midwest.

When I want to pick up a tube of toothpaste or pint of ice cream at Target in New York City, I have to wave my hand over a sensor to summon an employee to unlock the item for me.

At my local Target store in Wisconsin, not even items that sometimes face limited supply, like baby formula, are kept on secured shelves, which makes for a different shopping experience.

Prices for things like gas and milk are significantly lower in the Midwest.

At the gas pump and the checkout counter, I’m shocked by how much lower prices are in the Midwest compared to New York City.

In September, regular gas cost $2.86 per gallon at the local corner station in Wisconsin compared to $3.13 at the closest gas station in New York.

Grocery items like gallons of milk were also less expensive in the Midwest — $3.29 versus $3.99 as of my last visit.

Football season is a big deal.

Football hasn’t come up much during my years in New York City, so I wasn’t expecting to find Green Bay Packers banners and branded products at nearly every Wisconsin grocery store during football season.

I’d forgotten about how football games serve as both a cultural touchstone and popular topic of conversation in many parts of the Midwest.

Midwestern friendliness can feel like a culture shock.

After a decade as a New Yorker, classic gestures of Midwestern friendliness like smiling at strangers and making small talk feel odd to me. In New York City, even making eye contact with someone you don’t know can be considered a breach of etiquette.

The culture shock makes me realize how I’m constantly on guard as a resident of one of America’s largest cities — just one of many ways I’ve changed since moving away from the Midwest.

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