There's just an underlying sense of trust that the East Coast doesn't have

North Dakota reels in a New Jersey native

While in North Dakota, Lasky acquired a motorcycle and began exploring the state. He fell in love with the Badlands, and he has a ready answer for friends in New Jersey who ask about the cold and question what there is to do. His parents came to share his appreciation for North Dakota after paying a visit.

"The people are just amazing in Minot and North Dakota in general," Lasky said. "When I moved here, Mac told me the people here are different. That's why people stay. It's just true. It seems like there's just an underlying sense of trust that the East Coast doesn't have."

Lasky also found compassion, through such examples as the city's eight soup kitchens, all run by churches.

"They care," he said. "You can just clearly see that in the way they talk and the way they act. That encouraged me to give it my best."