The Chronicles of IC: It was the Worst of Times, It was the Best of Times

Oh, Iowa City. In Iowa State. Divided by the Iowa River. Home of Iowans. 

And now, my home sweet home.

The hardest thing I’ve encountered since moving to Iowa City hasn’t been living alone. It hasn’t been moving a desk by myself in my tiny two-door Ford Escort and taking almost 2 hours to put said desk back together again. It hasn’t even been trying to get to know my new family of 24 PA students on a crash-course timeline of 2.5 days before the intensity of coursework begins. The hardest thing I’ve encountered has to do with the worst thing about Iowa City.

The Iowa City public bus routes.

The worst thing about Iowa City is its lack of parking...which in turn means figuring out the bus system. Now, never living in a town where I’ve had to rely on public transportation, I’ve had to embrace a steep learning curve in this area. Give me a road map or a subway route any day. I feel like all the knowledge and intelligence in my life flees when it comes to figuring out bus schedules. How to read the route? When the bus stops? Is the intersection listed where the bus stops or just passes? And once I get to my final destination (preferably on time), how in the world do I get back home? Do the buses run at the time time each day? How late do they run in the evening? Which buses run on weekends? Can I take more than one bus for the same route? How do I remember when to transfer if I need to switch routes? And the questions go on and on...

It’s a little overwhelming for me. But, after walking to the Campus Transportation office (since there was nowhere to park I had to walk) and talking to the employees there (who in turn talked to the city public transportation people), I finally bought a pass and figured out how to get home from that location. Two days later, I was headed to the bus stop at the end of the street hoping that a bus would stop when the internet said it would so that I could make it to my first day of orientation on time. It did.

The awesome text message system that tells you when the next bus from a
certain route will be at the stop you request in formation on.

Once on the bus, there are even more confusing issues. Like where to sit. On the side? (Which I've found doesn't help motion sickness in the slightest.) Facing forward in the front? On the platform in the back? And then you have to deal with pulling the rope to signal that you want to stop. But not too soon or you get the stop ahead of you. Not too late or they won’t stop. And at that point I had no idea where the stops even were. Aagh! Fortunately, I was able to stop where I needed and made it to class on time. When I left at the end of the day to catch the bus back home, it was pouring down rain. At that point, I was certainly thankful to have my bus pass and to not have to walk home drenched, even though I still acknowledge a love-hate relationship with this part of my new life.

Since Wednesday, I’ve ridden the bus to and from class two more times. However, Friday on the way home, I grabbed the first bus that came by that I thought was on my route. A stop before the one I needed to get off, the bus turned in a direction not toward my stop. Unfortunately, I had remembered the route incorrectly. The bus driver was kind enough to drop me at the next intersection though and I had a pleasant walk home in the beautiful sunshine. I guess 2 out of 3 times isn’t too bad.

The bus that didn't get me home.

In relation to the worst thing about Iowa City is the best thing about Iowa City. If I had to pick two words to describe Iowa City they wouldn’t be Hawkeyes and hospitals (although those two things are huge here). It wouldn’t even be young and educated (which is true – Iowa City is one of the most educated population percentage-wise in the US and there are 30,000 students at the University). The two words I would choose are active and diverse. And I especially love how active the city is. Right from the start, I noticed the large number of people out running, walking, biking, and skateboarding. I’ve never lived in a city this friendly to people traveling by foot. There are endless outdoor opportunities. Sidewalks and bike paths traverse the city. Pedestrian walkways cross the river. The nature trails, parks, and wilderness trails serve to foster and embrace the city’s activity. 

Trails like this one run through the city and surrounding areas.

I went for a 4-mile run/walk yesterday and got to really know the city. There’s nothing quite like getting to know somewhere than to travel those miles by foot. I’m putting my mark on this place. Letting the paths become part of my history here. Getting the dirt in my treads, sweating up the hills, breathing in the oxygen, pounding the pavement. IC is becoming home. I can’t wait to explore more of it in the weeks and months to come. Although the coming days will be filled with intense coursework and studying, I’m determined to not completely lose myself in academic learning. I’m wanting to take time to develop friendships, try new things, and explore the cool places this city and region have to offer.

Overhead view of the University part of IC. In the right foreground is the Hawkeye Stadium,
which I pass everyday on my way to school. Can't wait for game day traffic!
Haha! Actually I can.

Hopefully when I look back on my time here, I’ll have no regrets about living.