Same Country, Different Life–May 10, 2017

May 10, 2017

Before I arrived in Iowa, I expected to see lots and lots of fields completely filled with 6 foot tall stalks of corn. I also expected the climate to be chilly, cloudy, and windy, especially since I am from South Carolina and am used to hot, humid weather in the springtime. However, my expectations of this state were a little off, not because I wasn’t properly prepared, but because the farming lifestyle in the midwest region of the United States is a little unfamiliar for me. I can safely say however, that I packed enough clothing for every type of situation, so my attire was not affected by my slight misjudgment in temperature and weather.

When we first arrived in Des Moines, Iowa on May 10, 2017, I was surprised by the unusual amount of people who showed great courtesy and politeness to me and my fellow classmates who were on the same plane. Even on the plane ride, the man who sat next to me currently works in Iowa as a nurse and he was one of the most social yet kind strangers I have met during such a brief encounter. This type of respect was unexpected to a southern girl such as myself. I had always believed that South Carolina was a state of kindness and friendliness, whereas more northern states had those that were less social when it came to meeting new people. I can gladly say that this surprise was relieving and lifted a weight off of my shoulders because I knew that the family I would be staying with, would most likely be just as friendly and welcoming as those on the plane. In fact, this family, the Knutsons, are indeed extremely hospitable and immediately made me feel welcome as soon as I entered their home. Not only the Knutsons (Ben and Carin), but also Diane Schwartz (our wonderful cook), as well as Morris Stole, may be my favorite humans who live outside of South Carolina!

The other big change that I noticed when first arriving in Iowa, was the change in topography. In Greenville, South Carolina, I am used to waking up to the sight of Paris Mountain as well as the Blue Ridge Mountains right outside my window. Trees surround my house and a very steep driveway connects it to my neighborhood road. This is not true for Iowa’s land. As we were driving down the road towards Radcliffe, I could look out the van window and see land for miles and miles. Trees and mountains were not blocking my view and unlike what I had imagined, the 6 foot tall corn did not exist yet because harvest time occurs in the fall. Occasionally, there are some slight, rolling hills that gradually rise and drop, but as for the majority of the land, it is completely flat and foreign to my eyes. At first, I wasn’t quite sure how to interpret my feelings towards this new scenery. Did it scare me because it was different? Or did I enjoy having a new sight of atmosphere? It wasn’t until later that night that I realized the new topography wasn’t something to be afraid of. A beautiful sunset could be seen just above the land and there were no trees or mountains to block the transition of blue and orange colors. This type of sunset is not seen in South Carolina and it will be something that I will surely miss when my 3-week long journey comes to an end.