Only in Iowa: Rural Things You’ll Remember If You Grew Up Here

There is something special about growing up in rural Iowa. I moved to a rural portion of the state when I was in my 20s, but my wife is a rural Iowan born and raised.

We were recently talking about our childhoods and reminiscing. I, a big city boy, had a very different upbringing than she did.

It made me miss the time when I lived away from any big city. Away from constant traffic and car horns. It may also help that I met my wife while in rural northeast Iowa.

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While we were talking, we put together a list of things only people who grew up in the same type of setting would appreciate from childhood!

Only in Iowa: Rural Things You’ll Remember If You Grew Up Here

There are a lot of jokes made at the expense of people who live in small or tiny (or unincorporated) towns.

It's not for everyone.

Some people aren't into farm equipment being all over while you're driving, dirt roads, not having much to do on a winter weekend.

But for those who love it, they wouldn't trade their upbringing for the world!

READ MORE: Check Out This Historic Iowa Barn [PHOTOS]

We came up with a list of 12 things every rural Iowan can relate to from childhood.

12 Rural Things You’ll Only Understand If You Grew Up in Iowa

Tell me if you can relate, because I know you can if you grew up in rural Iowa!

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Here is my wife and my list of things all rural Iowa kids will remember.

1. Waving at every car that passed. It never mattered if you actually knew them or not. Everyone got the two-finger wave from the steering wheel.
2. Getting stuck behind a combine. As mentioned above, tractors and combines dot Iowa roads in rural communities. Depending on the season. If it's fall, harvest comes first. Always. Sorry if it makes you late.
3. Driving before you were technically legal. Whether it was a tractor in the field or a beat-up old truck on a gravel road, you were steering before your feet could reach the pedals.
4. Knowing the smell of fresh manure (and Being Weirdly Okay With It). My wife is big on this one. Complain about the smell around her farm, she'll say you don't like the smell of money.
5. Running out to “walk beans” or detassel corn in the summer. The only job where you'd be soaking wet from both dew and sweat by 7 AM... but mighty proud of it.
6. Counting deer instead of cars on the drive home. I mean, honestly, sometimes you'd go 10 miles and not see another person... but the deer are everywhere!
7. Getting “town” clothes and “farm” clothes confused. Ope! One had mud, grease, and possibly blood on it. The other was mostly clean. Mostly...
8. Your town’s population sign was a punchline. My wife went to school in Jackson Junction. Population... 39.
9. You gave directions based on landmarks, not by map (or GPS). "So, you turn right at the red barn, then left where the Casey’s used to be..."
10. School closing because of a snow drift, or a windy, wintery day. No joke. There are a lot of snow days in rural Iowa!
11. Town festivals are a family reunion. You might’ve skipped Christmas, but you never missed Czechdays in Protivin.
12. The sound of grain dryers running all night. It's actually pretty soothing, white-noise hum that meant it was harvest time. Also, it means someone in the family wasn’t sleeping for the next month.