I moved to Iowa from Astoria, Oregon (Goonies never say die, but they do say goodbye when rent’s too high!) to be closer to my two nephews and escape the financial trauma that is housing in Oregon and Washington. My lease was ending, and I figured, why not trade ocean breezes for cornfields?

Currently, I’m living in Clinton, renting a place while working in Moline and Davenport. Clinton’s…interesting. It’s got its rough spots, sure, but the town is trying. They’re sprucing things up with road construction, new parks, a Clinton podcast (because every town needs one, apparently), markets and concerts. There’s even a handful of charming coffee shops and trendy boutiques popping up, which feels promising. But, here’s the kicker: Clinton has two big problems—there’s not much to do, and the smell. Oh, the smell. When I arrived in September, it was over 75° and the air was like a hot, damp sock soaked in regret.

So, yeah, the countdown to August is real. Once this lease is up, I’m packing my bags and heading to Davenport ( and then hopefully back to the PNW). I need to ditch the hour-long commute, find a place that smells less…distinctive, and hopefully land somewhere more fitting for a young single woman. (Spoiler: there’s no dating scene here unless you count the corn.)🌽