The First Week in Iowa

My team and I arrived in Urbandale, Iowa last weekend! While our two days of driving were long and exhausting, we did stop for delicious (and gluten-free!) food at the very least. Already, in the first week of inhabiting Iowa, I have discovered people, grocery stores, and restaurants in the area that actually understand what “gluten-free” means. What a huge relief! Mississippi was an unrealistic representation of the rest of the United States, thankfully.

Last weekend was the first official weekend of our deployment…and my goodness was it hard for me. My team is finally hanging out (without me urging them to) so I was incredibly grateful…but I was also incredibly lonely. Unlike the majority of FEMA Corps Southern Region teams, I am one of the two teams that were deployed alone. As I’m sure you all recognize from past posts—the group of Team Leaders (Team Green) is my undying support system…and now I am entirely without them. Yes, each and every one of them is just a phone call away (and yes, I have already abused that), but there is no longer someone welcoming me home with a “How was your day? Do you want to talk about it?”

My first night in Urbandale was a lonely one and significantly more challenging than I expected it could possibly be. I longed for a Team Leader to talk with, to distract me, to make me laugh, to remind me that being a Team Leader isa challenge, that I will be lonely, and that I can get through it. Maybe I didn’t have someone comforting me in the flesh in precisely my moments of doubt, but a few Team Leaders reached out shortly thereafter, and I am eternally grateful. So yeah, the first weekend was hard, but I have my Team Green support no matter where I am and no matter where they go. It was so refreshing to confirm that already, first weekend out.

The first weekend of loneliness taught me two very important things: 1) I’m not invincible and 2) I need to come up with productive, consuming, alone-time activities. The day after I learned these lessons my team and I attended the last day of an awesome book sale. I bought eight books for only $4.50! So not only did I get to splurge on books (my favorite)…but I have plenty of hours of reading materials now (alone time activity!!).

So now we’re nearing the end of our second weekend in Urbandale and let me tell you, I haven’t had even a second for loneliness in this past week. Between the 8-hour work days, post-work one-on-ones, grocery shopping trips, campus check-ins, daily chit-chats with mom, physical training, team meetings, volunteering at local events, and reading my new psychology book (totally nerdy, I know)…I hardly have time to sleep let alone think about how I’m the only Team Leader in Iowa.

So after one week here, I can say this: I think I am going to really like it here. I am consumed nearly all the time, my rare alone time is precious and used wisely, Urbandale/Des Moines has a heck-of-a-lot more to offer than I would have ever expected, my team agreed that morale this week is “good” and I get my own room for five more days. I’m happy, the team is happy; all is well here in Urbandale.

Until next time…