Over a couple of beers with a friend last week, she said “I’ve never been more in love with Iowa than I have this summer.” Strange brew talk I suppose, even for a couple of chicks, but it was somewhere between talking about how fast the summer went and the kids going back to school and the weird but awesome weather we’ve been having and we were only on beer one, so …
“YOU TOO!!??” I said, a little loudly (we were in a bar, mind you), but I was also excited to hear that I wasn’t the only one.
Honestly, all summer long, there wasn’t a day I didn’t marvel at the beauty of our fair state. It’s the green.
SO. Much. GREEN.
As a native of Iowa, it’s no wonder that green is, and always has been, my favorite color, but I never thought it was because of Iowa. When I was a kid, I thought it was because it was also the color of my eyes ( i know … loved myself a little much … let’s just go with healthy self-esteem). And then I saw pictures of Ireland, and fell in love with its color. And then along came Brett Favre and so did my love for the Green Bay Packers. It is the core color of my closet and my chosen fashion accessories. But this summer, I found myself saying more than once, THIS is why I love the color green.
With all the voluptuous hills and the deep valleys, the crisp, cool streams, the fertile land and the wavy fields of green, Iowa is straight up sexy. Even Grant Wood thought so. Just look at his paintings … how do you not fall in love with that?
If you’re not from Iowa, or ever visited Iowa, it’s possible that this love affair is hard to understand. But trust me, all it takes is once.
As long as the “once” is in summer. Between May and October. The rest of the year is tolerable because you know what happens when the snow melts .. and that something is beyond words most days and truly the miracle of rebirth at it’s finest.
This is my invitation to you, you nay-sayers, you who think Ohio, Iowa, Idaho and Utah are all the same, or are unsure which is which. A tour through Iowa is certain to be memorable and you’ll never confuse us again. And if you ever need a place to stay or a recommendation of where to go, eat, drink, camp, hike, etc., I can give a long list of friendly natives, including myself, willing to help you out.
I’m excited to hear about your Iowa adventures and what you love about where you’re from!! Please share below.
“Is this heaven? No it’s Iowa.” ~ Field of Dreams
an unlikely fairytale 