- Sunrises and sunsets over the vast rolling prairie
- Hikes with a free-roaming bison herd in Wind Cave National Park
- One stoplight towns
- Deer in my backyard
- Spring thunderstorms
- Kitsch: life-sized dinosaur replicas, the world’s largest prairie dog statue
- Big skies
- Main streets that look like the set for an old Western
- Wildlife: pronghorn, coyote, prairie dogs, bald eagles, golden eagles
- The feeling that the land is sacred
This slice was inspired by Ms. Chen’s 10 Things I Miss About New York City.
the dirigible plum 
I love all of these and especially the last line. We were very lucky to experience South Dakota.
Gosh, I like lists! So much can be packed into 10 short lines. I’ve visited South Dakota a couple of times, and your list brought me back to my travels, “One stoplight towns” and “Big Skies”. Love the contrast.
Yes lists certainly do say so much in such few words, they are easy to read yet full of information! I can see why you miss those things!
So often we don’t realize how much things mean to us until we no longer have them. I have never been to South Dakota, but the vast openness appeals to me even though I live in a rural area.
Great list of things you miss. The wildlife and those big skies attract me. Now you need ten things that you love about Detroit.
Wow. What a list. I can see why you miss South Dakota. I always love reading (and writing) list slices- so much information shared in so few lines.
I’m with Margaret – I feel the things you miss & I wonder what you’ve come to appreciate about Detroit. It’s an awfully big change in the middle of a pandemic!
Oh my, I love this. So lovely! I swear your posts inspire me every day! I feel a # things I miss about Michigan post coming VERY soon.
What a great idea for a slice! This makes me want to visit South Dakota. Maybe you will be nudged to write a 10 Things I love about Detroit?
So unique. Each thing. Hoping you do Detroit nest. Seeing the contrasts— big sky to big city. What a wonderful perspective it gives. How we live and love places.
All of those things sound like things I would miss if I lived in South Dakota as well! Thank you for the wonderful post!
This was lovely, especially #s 1, 5, 7, and 10. It’s hard to leave a place with love. All the places I’ve lived are places I’ve loved.
a place “we” love
That last item on the list is so striking. I don’t tend to think about people having different connections to the land in different parts of the country–but of course they do. And I do think there’s something special about the land out west that feels particularly sacred. Now I’m thinking about things I miss about my childhood home!