Nonetheless, throughout the past 60 days, I have noticed little differences between the corn lavished fields of Iowa and the vast expanse of farming land in Texas. Because both states hold an importance on farming, they share many qualities. For instance, Iowans are just as polite and Friendly as Texans, however they are a bit more private. Our first few weeks here, the snow was still falling and the temperatures were far below freezing. No one ventured outside of the house during these times, and I don't blame them. In Texas, when new neighbors move in, it is very customary for the fellow residents on the street to come out and greet the newcomers. But, when it's 10 degrees outside and northern winds are gusting above 20mph, I'm with my fellow Iowans and agree to stay in the house and greet them once Spring comes.
Once the warmer weather arrived and the sun came out, our neighborhood came to life. I had no idea there were this many families residing in our little suburb! Hundreds of elementary aged children, young couples, and plenty of pets. Kids here seem to live the type of childhood I had growing up. Running around barefoot with the bare essentials, water guns, bikes, etc. while the parents sit in their fold-able chairs on the lawn drinking ice cold beer or tea. Jordan I went on a walk one beautiful Saturday afternoon and were constantly greeted with smiles and young children running up to admire Jake. It was nice and pleasant, and I can't wait for more of those days.
The grass here is very different, and I quickly learned what "de-thatching" meant.
Apparently, in the north, you have to remove all the dead grass from the lawn, like as if you're combing the yard with a special brush, and then re-fertilize it. Some have even hired a company and treated their lawns with a special nitrogen spray. We did not. Thus, our grass is still brown and gross while the rest of the neighborhood is covered in a luscious green hue. I hope these Iowans know Texans are not used to pampering our grass. Jordan finally gave in and we headed out to Menard's (which is basically a Lowe's on speed, this place is awesome) and got some yard care essentials. The past two days have greeted us with a nice steady rainfall, so hopefully this does the trick.
Furthermore, upon moving to Iowa, I was relieved to think I would not have to deal with the numerous and big scary insects of the south (ahem...roaches). Less humidity and heat = less scary insects thriving in the home = happy Shirley. In the end though, my dreams were squashed. I should have known better than to assume this, because every region has their own pests. Iowa is no exception. For here, in the lovely corn state, apparently we have problems with Wolf Spiders. An insect that has the name "wolf" in it does not sound pleasant. Not. At. All. Not a single thing about hearing this type of spider made me feel comfortable, so why should I Google and freak myself out more? I don't know why, but I did.
I regretted it immediately.
These things are scary. They are big and hairy and THEY CHASE YOU. They don't spin webs, so these arachnids hunt for their food. And yes, that means us humans too. If they are hiding in your cupboard, or pantry, and you open the door to grab a cup or bag of chips and see this 8 legged creature staring back at you...run! But it is most likely too late, because in that instance, instead of the animal getting frightened and running from the light (like most normal insects of the devil), wolf spiders will JUMP AT YOU AND ATTACK!
Gah.
Pretty sure I killed one of these already earlier this week while I was digging up the dead plants in our garden. Good news is, even though they jump at and chase humans around, they still have a weakness against shoes.
Phew.
So, living here as been pretty great so far. Sure, Iowa has its downfalls. Such as...oh I don't know...little things, like: tornadoes, wolf spiders, blizzards, high maintenance grass, poorly paved roads, windy days, and did I mention tornadoes? Just to name a few. Nonetheless, it has great benefits. Jordan loves his job to death. He travels a lot and will be making numerous trips overseas this summer, but in the end it's ok. It brings us closer and forces us to make more out of our time together. The lifestyles and personalities of the residents are very similar to Texan values, which is awesome. The pretty days in Iowa are about 100x more beautiful than the prettiest days in the south. I can't even begin to describe the freshness of the air up here. Plus, the low humidity makes for great hair days. However, I know this will never be Texas because there is no place like home. I know I've said we'll make our way back to the Lone Star State, and we will eventually, but in the meantime I am enjoying life experiencing something new.
Before I go, I'll leave you with a few more tidbits about life here in Ankeny:
- there is no traffic...literally. Rush hour? Please....
- No one knows what "tanks" are, other than them thinking of the military vehicle. Everything is either a lake or a pond. We seriously baffled our sponsor couple when we kept referring to the body of water on Jordan's land as a "tank" instead of a pond. T'was quite comical.
- Ducks have the right of way.
- Geese are loud.
- They have a store here that's like a Cabela's and an Academy combined. A super awesome place to kill a few hours.
- Contrary to previous opinion, Ankeny is pet friendly.
- They LOVE spending times outdoors here.
- Tornado sirens never sound awesome. They will forever be eerie.
- Drivers here are soooooooo much better than Texan drivers. Like, a light-year of a difference. It is definitely gonna take some time to get used to driving like a responsible, safe driver who minds the other vehicles on the freeway as opposed to the "everyone for themselves" 80mph mentality.
Til next time,
Shirley
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