As of Tuesday, I am now an official Minnesotan. I had a shockingly easy time transferring everything over (other than the $180 check I had to write). In an hour and a half -- an extended lunch break -- I got a PO Box, took the written test, and got my new license and plates.
Yes, you read right; I had to take a written test. In Minnesota, they have extremely high standards. Their teaching license is one of the hardest to get in the country, and they don't stop there. If you've never had a Minnesota license, you have to take their written test before you can transfer over. I was quite nervous going into the test. I'd only read half the rules booklet the night before, and there was no wait and therefore no time to read more. When I was 15, I failed my very first written test ever, and I begin to have horrible anxiety flashbacks. But I didn't need to worry, as the test was simple and I breezed through it.
Perhaps the most exciting thing is that I now have a chickadee plate. For an extra 30-some donation to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, my car is sporting a cute green plate with a little black-capped chickadee. I was torn between that and the loon, but green went better with my car. Plus, Matt is planning to get the loon in December when he re-ups, and that way we won't be license twins.
I'm thrilled to be legal here. I had renewed in Michigan way back in October, right after I first moved here, since I intended to return to Michigan for this summer. But paths lead in strange directions, and I think I'll stay in Minnesota for awhile (with the exception of this little sojourn in Maine). It's good to be getting settled again.