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Dear Harry and Meghan:
I know this letter is futile. When you said you were moving to North America, you meant Canada, not the United States. Understandable. Meghan, you filmed Suits in Toronto. The Queen is the country’s sovereign. It has Ryan Gosling, Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Mendes, and maple syrup. I get it.
But, in case you are looking for a home—or vacation hideaway—in the U.S. of A, I have a suggestion for you just south of the Canadian border:
Idyllic Wisconsin.
Now, you may not know a lot about our fine state. Perhaps your knowledge of it is restricted to farms, our renowned cheese, and of course, Green Bay Packers—also known as Harry Styles’ favorite football team. In that case, let me blow your crowns off with all we have to offer.
While you’re in Canada, Harry, you might find yourself longing for the beauty of the English Countryside. No need to take a 7 flight. Cut your time in half and you’ll still find rolling hills of green—from late spring to early fall at least.
That’s only one of the many natural wonders Wisconsin can boast. We have sparkling rivers and picturesque lakes, forests which offer a new kind of gorgeous with each season change, and miles of cliffs called the Niagara Escarpment. On farmland, you may even be able to catch a glimpse of sheep.
Ignore the accents and you could be right at home!
Outside of the landscape, another selling point is its culture. Yes, many people bleed green and gold for the Packers, but that doesn’t mean that football is all Wisconsinites care about. The state has a creative soul, welcoming everyone from artists in small-town galleries to tour Broadway touring companies in large theatres.
Musician Bon Iver hails from Eau Claire; artist Georgia O’Keefe spent her early years in Sun Prairie; and Hollywood favorite Mark Ruffalo grew up in Kenosha.
Also, very random fact, we’re home to some of the world’s biggest things, such as: the world’s largest music festival, Summerfest; the world’s largest carousel in the eccentric House on the Rock; and the world’s largest Fondue Pot. So, if you have a Guinness World Records sight-seeing checklist, or just have a strong attraction to ginormous items, you do you. Wisconsin has you covered.
If that’s not enough, the state and its people have a history of being progressive—particularly the women.
The state was the first to ratify the 19th Amendment and give women the right to vote in 1919, and that’s just one of the ways Wisconsin women were at the forefront of the nation’s firsts.
Olympia Brown was the first woman to become ordained to be a minister. Helen Farnsworth Mears had first the woman-made statue put in the National Statuary Hall. Kate Hamilton Pier was the first to receive judicial powers, and—maybe even cooler—she voted in an election before women were allowed. Ardie Clark Haylard co-founded the first saving and loan association owned by an African American. Tammy Baldwin was the first openly LGBT person elected to the House of Representatives and United States Senate. And those are just a handful of them.
Meghan, you would fit right in!
One thing that will be hard to come by in Wisconsin: paparazzi. Now, I’m not saying we won’t have any. I’m sure there will be plenty of people clamoring to take your picture wherever you are. But in comparison to major cities like Los Angeles, or New York City, or London, I can say with a pretty high degree of certainty that Wisconsin, even with our big cities of Milwaukee and Madison, wouldn’t produce as many photographers of the rich and famous. Case in point, the singer, Ciara, was in Green Bay a couple weekends ago and the only way people knew was because she posted it to social media.
There’s a lot more that I could add to this, but I’m not here to be the state’s tourism department. I’m not paid for that. So, I’ll leave at this: As you settle into this new part of your lives, and find yourself needing a short trip out of Canada, just hop on over to Wisconsin. We’d be happy to have you—with or without a royal title.
Sincerely,
Sarah
P.S. – If you could give me a heads up you were coming, that would be awesome. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.
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