Visit a place for a day and you can write a book; visit for a week and you can write a magazine article; stay for a month and you don’t know what to say.

– Unknown

Detroit is beautifully intricate and complex. I’ve spent the last month and a half transitioning across the border, being introduced to movers-and-shakers, settling into a picturesque loft, and attending talks by city experts. I’ve gone on tours, indulged in delicacies, conversed with locals, and supported non-profits.

And frankly, I don’t know what to say.

There is so much going on in this city the rest of the world doesn’t know about—so much life, depth, passion, and energy that makes this city unique. How do I adequately convey what I’ve seen?

What I do know is this: I’ve been moved to tears by the way Detroit has been misrepresented. I am angered by the one-sided treatment Detroit receives through media headlines and the slights it endures by word-of-mouth.

So I will do my best.

As my life in this city unfolds, I will try to encapsulate the unquenchable spirit that keeps Detroit alive and thriving. Perhaps, in some way, Detroit will change you too.