Iowa is the Hawkeye state, the land of corn and pigs, and much more. Whether you have lived here your whole life or just moved here recently, there are some things that set Iowans apart from the rest of the country.
Here’s our list of things that distinguish you and your kids as being from Iowa or Des Moines:
You have run the heat and air conditioning in the same week
You know what a Maid-Rite sandwich is
You run outside to watch the sky when the tornado sirens go off
You call carbonated beverages “pop”
You celebrate May Day (May 1) by leaving baskets of treats on your neighbors’ door steps
You go trick-or-treating on Beggar’s Night (October 30) instead of Halloween, and your kids have to tell a joke before they get candy
You have been known to put bacon on everything from ice cream to tacos
One of your first jobs was detasseling corn
Your childhood vacations included trips to Adventureland, Lake Okoboji, or The Iowa State Fair
You can’t imagine a summer without going to the Iowa State Fair to see the butter cow, eat fried food on a stick, and people watch.
Your favorite movie is “Field of Dreams”
You grew up in a house divided: Cyclone vs Hawkeyes. This was especially difficult during football season
Sweet corn trucks also sell tomatoes, melon, and other summer produce
You have strong feelings about which tulip festival (Orange City vs Pella) is better.
You think bicycling across the state of Iowa in July sounds fun (RAGBRAI)
People assume if you live in Des Moines you either work in the financial or insurance industry.
You call an outdoor restroom a Kybo vs porta potty
When you travel outside of the Midwest and tell people where you’re from, they ask if you’re Amish, if you grow potatoes, or they refer to your home state as Ohio.
If you cook food on a grill you call it a cook out or grill out rather than a barbecue