Exported

I once lived in Iowa.

I'm not unusual.  There are tons of people who were born in Iowa who grew up and left.

Iowa's chief export is people.

At times I consider myself an expatriate living abroad.  Florida is simply not the same place as Iowa, it's got a completely different vibe.

There were tons of things about the place I used to live that I considered normal until I moved here.  There are things I miss terribly.

Winter is not one of them.

I am chided by friends that I have hurricanes here.  I have the possibility of a hurricane.  In 16 years just three tropical storms.  Iowa had 16 complete winters!

Of course, the reason I left was the harassment by the local police because I had the temerity to stand up at a city council meeting and ask the police to justify their purchase of full-auto MP5's.

Everyone who did that meeting suddenly was a speed demon or some other minor transgressor; but constantly.  After my fifth ticket for 37 in a 35 zone in three months I knew the writing was on the wall.  It made me suicidal in fact.

My mental well being was not aided by the abysmal job situation in and around Ames.

It was mere happy happenstance that landed me here.