Why Iowa might be heaven after all

In the middle of a cornfield in the small town of Dyersville, Iowa, sits a baseball field. The field, which is still in danger of being torn down to support the corporate greed affecting many Iowa farmers today, was the filming location of “Field of Dreams,” released in the spring of 1989. In the movie, Kevin Costner utters the three most remembered words in the state of Iowa – “No, it’s Iowa.”

As an Iowa City resident that chose to go to the University of Iowa over thousands of other colleges in the nation, I get asked pretty often why I never left home for school. Sure, as a senior in high school, I gave some thought to going out of state, but in the end, I only applied to Iowa. Some people think I’m crazy, but my 20 years in the state to this point have showed me all I need to see, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Below I’ve highlighted some of the reasons Kevin Costner may have been right after all.

The weather

Cedar Rapids, located roughly 15 miles north of Iowa City, calls itself “the city of five seasons” – fall, winter, spring, summer, and a season to enjoy the other four seasons. Through my 20 years in this state, I’ve found that to be pretty true. From building snowmen in the winter, to watching the green come back to those rolling hills in the spring, to swimming in warm lakes through the summer (yes, we swim in lakes), and capping it all off with sweatshirt-and-jeans weather in the fall, there’s no place to experience and enjoy all four seasons quite like Iowa.

If you ask Iowa residents their favorite season, I can promise you that 99% of them say fall. In Iowa, fall means much more than shorter days. It’s orange and red leaves, football and spending up to 14 hours a weekend doing fun outdoor activities. While most start to collect food for winter hibernation, you’ll find Iowans in flocks enjoying some of the best weather you’ll experience on this planet. If you’re planning a trip to Iowa, I’d certainly recommend stopping by between September and November.

The scenery

Born and raised just outside Iowa City, I never thought the grass was greener elsewhere. A large chunk of the out-of-staters that I talk to in college say that the first thing they wanted to do after graduation was leave the state, seeking a new, fun life anywhere else but here. For me, that was just never true, and a big reason why is how beautiful of a state I live in. Jason Aldean might have said it best in ‘Fly Over States’ – “Like a watercolor painted sky, you’d think heaven’s doors have opened, and you’ll understand why God made those fly over states.”

Aldean couldn’t have painted a better scene, and Iowa fully captures that moment every second of every day. Even as I write this article in the middle of booming Iowa City on a Sunday afternoon, I can look across the street to city park and see 30-foot yellow and orange trees far beyond the horizon while the cool and crisp smell of fall air seeps through my window. I’ve been stuck in a lot of traffic in my day, and I haven’t regretted a single second of it while driving through Iowa.

The people

When there’s a specific level of niceness given to the people of your state, you know you’re doing something right. “Iowa Nice” is more than a phrase, it’s an attitude. In all 99 counties of this magnificent state, you’ll find strangers that treat you like family. We’re farmers, teachers, bankers, and factory workers; no matter where you’re from, we’ll treat you like one of us.

You’ll hardly hear us honk in the worst of traffic, you’ll never see us laugh at the pain of another, and you’ll never get a bigger wave from a stranger on the street than you do driving through residential Iowa. Iowans will never tell you this, but for the sake of this article, I will: Iowans are truly the best. Don’t believe me? Ask Ashton –

I’d like to think that I’ll stay in Iowa for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, my career could easily take me elsewhere. If there’s one thing I know for sure, though, it’s that no matter where my life takes me, home to me will always be Iowa. I wouldn’t have it any other way.