Ode to Des Moines (French for "The Moines")

If you had told me 5 years ago that I would be happily living in Des Moines in my late twenties, I would have laughed at you a bit scathingly.  Consequently, this is a blog post about the limits of our own knowledge and the grace of the universe.

I originally lived in the Des Moines area while I attended college at Simpson for four years, and then for another additional year when I completed a year of service with AmeriCorps. I did not technically live in Des Moines during these years; I lived in Indianola. However, I went to Des Moines at least 3-4 times a week for one reason or another. I enjoyed Des Moines while I went to college, but by the time I was finished with my year of AmeriCorps, I was beyond ready to leave. Everything felt so tired to me- I was done going out in the downtown, I was done running into classmates from high school and college all the time, and I was done with the Midwest. In hindsight, I have the wisdom to realize that it wasn’t the city itself that I resented; rather, it was simply that I needed a change of scene so that I could have space to grow after college. However, at the time, I was beyond ready to leave the city of Des Moines behind.

And so I moved to Nashville, TN for three years while I completed my Master of Divinity degree. And afterward, I was once again faced with the decision of where to live. I had originally thought that maybe I would move somewhere glamorous, such as Seattle. I could get certified as a pastoral counselor there, and I had visions of myself living a cosmopolitan life filled with organic food, coffee, and the ocean. Another option…maybe I would pursue further academic work with a PhD!!! I could live in Dallas, Boston, Denver or Atlanta. All of the cities that offered a PhD in my field were some of the most well known in the country; they would certainly offer new, exciting adventures.  Or…worst case scenario…maybe I would stick around Nashville for a bit longer. I could continue to live in the country music capital of the world, and my imagination turned to visions of myself wearing the requisite cowboy boots that I had since neglected to purchase.

 None of those options happened. I have no doubt that if I had wanted any of them badly enough, or if they had been a right fit for me, that they would have easily transpired. But they didn’t. A series of events during my last year or grad school changed the opportunities available. (A story for another day, perhaps!) It’s hard to explain without going into extraneous details, but moving back to Des Moines just felt like the only feasible option available after graduation. I wasn’t necessarily dreading it, but it definitely was not what I had dreamed or planned for myself. Nevertheless, I had received a one-year job offer as a chaplain resident for Methodist Hospital, and so I decided to take it. I would live in Des Moines for a year, collect my bearings, and I would decide what to do from there.

In the end, moving back to Des Moines was a unique combination of a “breath of fresh air” mixed with the comforting feeling of “home.” And after living here 2.5 years as an adult, I have grown to absolutely adore and love this city.

I love the size of the city. On the one hand, it’s small for a city, and this means that it’s relatively simple and quick to travel from one side of the city to the other. For me, this actually means I can take advantage of more of the city’s opportunities because I have the time and ease to travel to them. For example, I can go to hockey games at the downtown Wells Fargo arena, and it doesn’t take a significant time commitment to do so. Additionally, it doesn’t take me long to get to and from work, and this means that I have more energy and time to commit to social engagements after work. And I love that three of my closest friends live within walking/biking distance of my own apartment, and I can run over and say “hello” whenever I like. 

And yet. Des Moines is also large enough that it has some amazing cultural resources. I still maintain that Des Moines has some of the best Indian and Mexican restaurants that I have ever had. We are one of the regional sites for the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament. We actually have a pretty amazing aerial/circus arts entertainment industry; we are the host for the 2015 aerial exposition and competition. Oh, and of course, we always have the Iowa State Fair, which is on the coveted “1000 Things to Do Before You Die” list. J

And for me personally, it has provided me with professional opportunities that I could have never imagined. I’m finished with the original chaplain residency that led me to Des Moines, and I’m now the bereavement coordinator/chaplain for UnityPoint Hospice. This job is a perfect fit for me for so many reasons, and it was through my original experience as a resident at the hospital that I was led to my present position. And…I’m also an adjunct instructor for my alma mater, Simpson College! This is an opportunity that I’m fairly certain that I would not have come by in another city. I happened to run into one of my former professors, and she asked me about doing it. I did not have to go through a crazy interview process or much hassle in order to do it. Ironically, I always thought I would have to pursue my PhD to be able to teach, and then I ended up having the opportunity presented to me primarily through connection and happenstance.

I think that I have a couple of main points from all of this:

1)   I’m not saying that everyone should move to Des Moines, or that I couldn’t necessarily find some of these elements in other cities. My point is that I have had some amazing connections in this city, and I feel very invested in contributing to the flourishing of the community. I want that for myself, and I want that for others as well. For me, that community happens to be Des Moines. I love that I feel so fulfilled by my two careers. I love that I have many good friends here, and that if I had the energy, I could have social plans every night of the week. I love that I play in a weekly volleyball league. I love that I joined TGR and I’m doing circus fitness now. For whatever reason, the universe came together for me here, and it enabled me to have meaningful social and professional connections.  I don’t mean to sound like I’m bragging. Believe me, if you were one of those individuals that had seen the wreck I was 3 years ago, you are probably clapping your hands right now as you read this post. I was due for some synergy.

2)   I think that this brings me to my overall second point. Many of the best things that have happened to me in my life were those that were either accidents OR things that I didn’t even realize that I wanted. My college self could have never imagined finding fulfillment in Des Moines, and I probably couldn’t have found it at that point in my life. I always thought that I wanted my PhD because I loved intellectual engagement, and I wanted to teach. However, it turns out that a life pursuing academia is not fulfilling for me, and I did not even realize it. I didn’t know this, however, until I was led past academia into living professionally in Des Moines, and I realized how much more fulfilled I was by a more well-balanced life.  It turns out that while I still value and enjoy intellectual stimulation, I prefer to spend my time with friends and hobbies as opposed to writing papers. And ironically…I still have teaching opportunities, even without my PhD. Life, God, and the universe can speak to us fairly loudly sometimes. And I think it’s great when we open ourselves up to things we had never imagined, and we let them speak.

If you live in Des Moines, what are your favorite things about the city? Have you ever had to eat your words before? Have you ever been surprised about where you were led in life?

P.S. Worst thing about Des Moines? The weather. I despise winter here. Although, to be fair, that would be my answer for any city above the ol’ Mason-Dixon line. J