Planning a family vacation is one of my favorite methods of escapism. But I always come back to this question: what if you lived somewhere you didn’t constantly feel a need to escape from? What if you actually loved where you live? For me, that’s Midland.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love creating experiences for my kids and allowing them to explore new places. When you’re young, traveling is like an infusion of wonder and inspiration. Whether it’s Disneyland or a children’s museum, the magic is inescapable.

But my favorite part of traveling? That will always be coming home.

For all the glitz and glamor of Michigan’s major cities, I still think Midland has them beat. A lot of my out-of-state friends think I’m joking, but I’m totally serious. If you have even the slightest inkling that you might want to move here someday, consider me your personal cheerleader. I love this city, and I love sharing it with people. Honestly, where else can you find a total of 77 pocket parks?!

Something that the casual observer might miss is that Midland was strategically designed for diversity. Almost every neighborhood boasts $200k homes on one street and $500k homes on the next. Give us your retirees, your newlyweds, your Californians yearning for six inches of space on the highway! There’s plenty of midwestern beauty to go around.

One of my favorite neighborhoods to show off is Midland Country Club. It has one of the highest walkability and bike scores in the area. As a mom, this is huge for me. My kids certainly aren’t unacquainted with screens, but I want them to spend as much time outside as possible, running and playing and getting dirty. It’s becoming a cliché, but sedentary is the new smoking. If you want to live a long, healthy life, physical activity is essential, and your location plays a critical role in that.

Country Club is within walking distance of Dow Gardens, City Center, and America’s longest canopy walk. You can also bike to Downtown, which always has something fun going on. Concerts, balloon festivals, marathons—our city has it all in spades. And the best part? You won’t need to fight anyone for parking. Yes, really. We have plenty!

A couple of other neighborhoods I love are Hawks Nest and Countryside Estates. Both provide easy access to the Rail Trail, which is kind of a big deal around here. It’s 30 miles of pure Michigan scenery, totally paved and perfect for bikes and strollers. (Dirt roads are fun for some things, but walking with your sleeping toddler? Not so much.) These neighborhoods offer newer homes, and they recently approved another development that will create even more opportunities to experience Midland.

Of course, you don’t have to live in town to participate in the community. Just north of Midland are two of my favorite townships: Larkin and Lincoln (has a nice ring to it, amiright?). Most of the lots out there boast at least an acre of land, and even though they rely on city water and natural gas, residents pay township taxes. That means more money in your pocket to turn your new home into your personal sanctuary.

Because yes, I think coming home is one of life’s great pleasures. If your city doesn’t welcome you with open arms from the moment you cross the border, you’re missing out. If your house doesn’t feel like a haven, maybe you haven’t found your home yet.

As a realtor in Midland, I’m definitely biased, but in all my travels, I haven’t met a city quite like this one. I’ll be bragging about it long after I’ve retired. And until then, you can find me reveling in the opportunity to raise my family in a place we all love so much.