Posted by Ten years ago, me and my wife made a decision that have changed our lives. We chose to live in Iowa.
Where? Iowa what? Why?
After residing in New Jersey, New York City, California, and Florida, we finally settled in the vicinity of Des Moines, Iowa. It was a decision that was questioned by friends and family, and we may have second guessed if it was the right decision at that time as well. But after 10 years here, we have never looked back.
When we are vacationing or visiting other states, we still get a ‘funny’ look if we tell them where we’re from. Ohio? Idaho? No. Iowa.
I am glad though that some experts are confirming what we and others who have moved here have discovered. Here’s a recent feature of Des Moines, Iowa, in Today show.
But I guess, I don’t need others’ opinion (expert or not) to tell me what I already knew. Moving to Iowa was the right decision all along.
Now excuse me, I got to go. I have to clear the snow in my driveway. And about the cold and the snow? It builds character, you know.
Pinoy Transplant in Iowa 
Never before has the saying, “Home is where the heart is” resoundingly true. When we told our friends in Toronto we were moving to California, they all expressed their sympathy for our misfortune. It is the land of the “fruits and nuts” they told us. Well, its been 18 years and we’ve grown to love the San Francisco Bay Area. You can’t beat the weather or the fresh produce. It helps that the Stanford community and even CAL are nearby. It elevates the conversation here several notches compared to the botox-addled lives of Southern California. I promise to put Iowa in my bucket list. How’s that?