A warm friendliness, trust and safety, good education and a distinct lack of panic made an impression on visitor Chuck Simmons.  From his post:

All of the body language and behaviors we learn in other parts of America are missing on this part of the prairie. You won’t be assaulted for looking someone in the eyes on a street. You can leave your doors unlocked most places and your children run free. Gang colors refer to John Deere green and International Harvester red. The Fargo-Morehead area schools graduate 86-96% of their students compared to Rochester’s sad 55% rate.

I also realized that there are far fewer emergencies. When your hospital is 30 miles away and the nearest trauma center is 75, you balance your decisions better. Not everything needs an ambulance or a doctor. 

North Dakota’s people make the difference.  They find creative solutions to their problems (and the world’s problems–read about how two North Dakotans have found a clean way to recycle tires here).  They have a strong committment to doing as much for themselves as they can, they help the people around them as often as they can, and they refuse to panic when life gets out of control.