I know something you don’t. After moving to Holland from Homewood, Illinois, I can say you are all jaded. 

   “How could you not want to live here?” said my best friend as I was driving her down Ottawa Beach Road for the first time. With her sitting right there, I felt obligated to say something about how much I missed her, which I still do. But honestly, she was saying what I was thinking. And to my surprise, everyone who lives here disagrees. 

   I arrived in Holland on July 15. Coming from the Chicago area, you could imagine how different it is. Not only is the landscape completely unlike suburban Chicago, but the people and culture are just not the same. 

  Every time I mention I’m from south-Chicago, I get a different response. “Don’t you hate it here?””Why would you move?” “Holland is so boring””That’s my dream city.” But for me, the negativity is distasteful. 

   Look, I get it. Downtown Holland is no big city, but there are things here that I never would have thought to appreciate. And clearly you haven’t either. 

   To start, Lake Michigan is a game-changer. Having access to the beach is electric. Being able to jump in the shiny blue water with the sun shining on my face or watch the sky fill with colors of pink, orange, red and purple at sunset, it’s all just soul igniting. How many times have you taken a step back to truly observe the body of water that is RIGHT in front of you? 

  Also, the lack of concrete is refreshing. After a constant view of houses, apartments, skyscrapers, and sidewalks, the trees are so nice. Living under a canopy of leaves is calming, especially compared to the hustle and bustle of a city and its suburbia. I always had the buzz of cars and trains in my ear, but now my mind is quiet. 

  Now let’s talk about West Ottawa. West Ottawa is honestly just a normal high school, at least compared to my previous one. And there are countless examples. At my old school, there were no football Fridays. And the student section? Non-existent. As you might’ve guessed, when I went to the stadium opener game and sat right in the middle of The Black Hole, I was utterly shocked. The energy and hype was on another level. Jumping, screaming, cheering, chanting; it was all so much fun.

   Another thing about West Ottawa is the lunches. Fro-yo? Yes please. My old school was far from interesting and the lines to get food were insanely long. But here, everything is much easier. The food tastes a million times better and there are countless options. 

   West Ottawa’s food is one thing, Holland’s cuisine is another. In Chicago, I was used to the best pizza and hot-dogs. Honestly, I’m disappointed that I have yet to find pizza that I love in Holland. But on the other hand, the Mexican food here is just exquisite. There are too many restaurants to count, and each one is better than the next. Back home, my experience with Mexican food was limited to one fantastic local restaurant. 

   On top of that, downtown Holland is packed with restaurants that I already love. I’m a Asian food lover, so Mizu Sushi is at the top of my list. And of course, Bowerman’s on 8th is my first choice pick for all things lunch related. 8th Street is full of treasures. 

   Something I didn’t expect to appreciate about Holland is the sheer convenience of everything. In Illinois, the commuting and traffic was aggravating. I constantly hear people complain about the construction happening on River, but that’s nothing compared to grid-lock traffic I’ve experienced at rush hour. You will never know real frustration until you’re being honked at for simply doing nothing. I can count on one hand the amount of car horns I’ve heard while living here. 

   In Illinois, my parents both worked at Trinity Christian College, and their ride to work was nearly 30 minutes one-way. But now, they work at Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, where their drive is 10 minutes. That time cut can make the biggest difference. For instance, they can both come home for lunch or drive back home if they’ve forgotten something, which they could never do before. Look, all I’m saying is this traffic isn’t so bad, plus it’s only temporary.

   Okay here’s the deal, all of you need a major wake up call. Holland has everything you’d ever need, and more. So next time you consider bashing it, think twice.  

   Finally, I do have one complaint. Holland isn’t Chicago. Holland doesn’t have that feeling of home, or my friends. So, I urge you to appreciate what you have and where you are, because at any moment it could disappear.