Maine, the way life should be…vacationland…a tourist’s favorite destination…a summer haven and a winter, well…, not for the faint of heart. Steadfast, stoic, at times chilly and seemingly difficult to warm, often private, Maine and its people may appear on the surface to be molded of the same elements. Powered by a history of people who know the value of their beautiful, yet sometimes hard earned state, Maine is a place where natives often struggle to survive, and folks "from away" come in the summer when things are rosy and warm and spend the money they earned in another state on our lobsters, blueberries, and maple syrup. Only a real Mainer like me could write this respectfully and truthfully and get away with it. What can I say? They love us. They really do. And our economy is grateful.

Melanie Hyatt is an editor at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine .