Outsider on the Inside: Ways to Cool Off
Jun 24, 2009
Since I moved here from California three years ago almost to the day, I have learned how, when living in Iowa, not only does the weather dictate your life, but also you must plan ahead. That means, hourly checking of the weather online. And, even when the weather.com icon shows clear skies in the current forecast, it could be raining outside in real time.
Editor’s note: We at Insider Iowa have been having a discussion about why more young professionals are not interested in living and working in Iowa. We have published two columns about it, with one having to do with some things on the education front, and the other, discussing the lack of variety in entertainment choices. In the column below, Shoshana Hebshi, who is visiting Iowa for about a 4 year time frame before returning to California, talks about something we can all probably agree on: Sometimes Iowa has harsh weather. We wonder how much of a consideration this is when young professionals are deciding what part of the country to settle in? We are happy to say that Shoshana will be writing a weekly column about her observations and experiences in Iowa from a perspective she describes as an “Outsider on the Inside.” She has a unique sense of humor that we know you will enjoy.
Outsider on the Inside
Ways to Cool Off
By Shoshana Hebshi
It is 88 degrees, and it is 10:34 p.m. I don’t believe the temperature will dip below 80 before the sun again rises and cooks Iowa for yet another day in a row.
Since I moved here from California three years ago almost to the day, I have learned how, when living in Iowa, not only does the weather dictate your life, but also you must plan ahead. That means, hourly checking of the weather online. And, even when the weather.com icon shows clear skies in the current forecast, it could be raining outside in real time.
Such is the unpredictability of this state’s weather.
It has caught me off guard. I don’t think I will ever get used to this.
Growing up in San Diego was constant—meaning I knew what to expect. No surprise thunderstorms creeping in from the west. No tornado sirens blaring at 2 a.m. No wind chill factor whatsoever. Nice, even-keeled weather from birth to 18 years of age. It’s in my DNA. I can’t get used to this.
In San Diego on a day like today, in mid- to late-June, it would be hot. There is no doubt about that. Inland temperatures can easily crest the triple digits. That’s just the beginning, however. Summer carries on until early October, sometimes later. At times it would get so hot we would get out of school early. Iowa has snow days; San Diego has hot days. Yet, we San Diegans have ways to cope with the heat.
We go to the beach.
The act in itself is a cooling mechanism. The twenty-minute drive westward from my house promised hours of pure enjoyment. Waves, sea breeze, sand in the toes, volleyball. I grew up digging tunnels in the sand deep enough to stand in. As I got older going to the beach was not just a pastime, it was a routine.
So when it gets hot like this in Iowa, I wonder how I will be able to cool down.
There’s the local pool, which helps, but lacks a certain sense of relaxation. There’s the river beach, but it lacks a cooling ambience. There’s the lake, which I recently discovered. This option comes in at a close second to the beach, but it still comes in second.
I am open to suggestions, however. I realize the beach is about 1,600 miles from here, much more than a day’s worth of driving.
I’m not so sure my DNA will change. But there has got to be relief somewhere out there. I so far have not seen anyone melt into the pavement, so there is hope.
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Shoshana Hebshi is a freelance writer and editor living in Des Moines. She will graduate with a master’s degree in journalism from Iowa State University this summer (if she doesn’t melt first). Read her blog at http://shebshi.wordpress.com
Outsider on the Inside
