Iowa isn’t too different from Buffalo. Both are certainly slower paced than my hometown in NYC, but still filled with plenty of life. I was pleasantly surprised to see horses on my walk to campus. The only horses I see in the city lack the freedom to roam like they do here. I am so grateful that I get along with my roommate Nadya. Our hectic trip to Walmart was guided by our prepared shopping list of shared snacks and other apartment needs. One of my mentors, Imtiajul, gave me and my roommate the warmest welcome when picking us up from the airport. Surely the warmth of his energy is similar to the friendliness of Iowans.
Imtiajul rocks!
The horse barns are one of my favorite places on campus. They host several foaling mares in the spring. It’s fun to see the new babies prancing around the yards and lets me reconnect with my rural roots. When my kids were younger, we would take baby carrots down there to feed them. Did you know there are two student apartments in those barns? I’ve heard it is a competitive interview process to live there. I don’t know that they have AC, they are on call 24×7 for horses getting out and health emergencies, and you’d better love the smell if you want to live there.