If you’ve ever waited for the ice to melt from your eyelashes or have been to a party in a cornfield, bought sweet corn on the honor system or waved at complete strangers as a daily habit, then you know you’re a true Iowan. Here are 12 bizarre experiences that every true Iowan has had at least once (but probably more).
- You’ve had frozen eyelashes.
Flickr/Henrik Djärv It’s no secret that Iowa winters are cold, sometimes dropping to below zero, bone-chilling temperatures. If you’re an Iowan, you know that one side effect of being out in these kinds of temperatures is frozen eyelashes. Yikes.
- You’ve been to a party in a cornfield.
Flickr/regan76 Whether you gathered with your friends in high school, joined or hosted a RAGBRAI party or maybe even attended a child’s birthday party, if you’re an Iowan, you’ve definitely been to at least one party in a cornfield.
- You’ve seen a butter sculpture of a cow up close.
Flickr/Timothy Every year at the Iowa State Fair, there’s a new butter cow sculpture to admire, along with other amazing butter sculptures.
- You’ve experienced the pre-caucus craziness before a presidential election.
Flickr/DonkeyHotey Suddenly your phones are ringing off the hook and your T.V. stations have been taken over by political ads. You’ve probably become a pro at screening calls and not answering your door, too.
- You’ve stopped at a farm to buy sweet corn and just left your money in a box.
Flickr/brian.abeling The honor system still works here. Farmers can trust us to take what we paid for and leave the money box alone.
- You’ve experienced a mob of cyclists taking over when your small town hosts RAGBRAI.
Flickr/Channone Arif Every year, RAGBRAI chooses eight host communities, six in which cyclists set up camp and spend the night, taking over the town for general merriment. If you’ve lived in a small town in Iowa, you’ve probably had some people camp out in your yard, or at least have joined the party on Main Street.
- You’ve eaten puppy chow.
Flickr/Chriso The delicious homemade snack, of course, not the dog food.
- You’ve hit a deer with your car (or a deer has hit you).
Flickr/Christina Xu You know you’ve been driving on one of those dark, rural two-lane roads when a deer darted out in front of you when you least expected it.
- You’ve waited in the basement during a tornado warning, or waited on the porch, hoping to see it in person.
Flickr/NOAA Photo Library You know that moment, when the sky turns that creepy yellow color and the tornado warning siren goes off and you head for the basement with a portable radio and the Monopoly set. Or, if you’re a thrill seeker, you camped out on the porch, hoping to get a glimpse of it in person.
- You’ve worn shorts one day and a winter coat the next.
Flickr/Doug Chapman You know how it goes. It’s April, and just when you think it’s safe to bust out the spring wardrobe, bam, it snows.
- You’ve waved at strangers that you’ll never see again.
Flickr/Jenny Addison We Iowans are friendly, and we’re not going to let not knowing someone stop us.
- You’ve tried to explain the awesomeness of Iowa to a clueless out-of-stater and they just don’t get it.
Flickr/Carl Wycoff We secretly don’t want them to get it, either. We like to keep the awesomeness of our state a well kept secret, so everyone else doesn’t figure it out and come and ruin it.
Did we miss anything? What truly bizarre Iowa experiences have you had? There’s so much that’s unique about being an Iowan, like These 15 Undeniable Ways You Know You’re From Iowa.
Flickr/Henrik Djärv
It’s no secret that Iowa winters are cold, sometimes dropping to below zero, bone-chilling temperatures. If you’re an Iowan, you know that one side effect of being out in these kinds of temperatures is frozen eyelashes. Yikes.
Flickr/regan76
Whether you gathered with your friends in high school, joined or hosted a RAGBRAI party or maybe even attended a child’s birthday party, if you’re an Iowan, you’ve definitely been to at least one party in a cornfield.
Flickr/Timothy
Every year at the Iowa State Fair, there’s a new butter cow sculpture to admire, along with other amazing butter sculptures.
Flickr/DonkeyHotey
Suddenly your phones are ringing off the hook and your T.V. stations have been taken over by political ads. You’ve probably become a pro at screening calls and not answering your door, too.
Flickr/brian.abeling
The honor system still works here. Farmers can trust us to take what we paid for and leave the money box alone.
Flickr/Channone Arif
Every year, RAGBRAI chooses eight host communities, six in which cyclists set up camp and spend the night, taking over the town for general merriment. If you’ve lived in a small town in Iowa, you’ve probably had some people camp out in your yard, or at least have joined the party on Main Street.
Flickr/Chriso
The delicious homemade snack, of course, not the dog food.
Flickr/Christina Xu
You know you’ve been driving on one of those dark, rural two-lane roads when a deer darted out in front of you when you least expected it.
Flickr/NOAA Photo Library
You know that moment, when the sky turns that creepy yellow color and the tornado warning siren goes off and you head for the basement with a portable radio and the Monopoly set. Or, if you’re a thrill seeker, you camped out on the porch, hoping to get a glimpse of it in person.
Flickr/Doug Chapman
You know how it goes. It’s April, and just when you think it’s safe to bust out the spring wardrobe, bam, it snows.
Flickr/Jenny Addison
We Iowans are friendly, and we’re not going to let not knowing someone stop us.
Flickr/Carl Wycoff
We secretly don’t want them to get it, either. We like to keep the awesomeness of our state a well kept secret, so everyone else doesn’t figure it out and come and ruin it.
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