Twitter reacts to California man moving to Iowa: Buy a good winter coat, eat gas station pizza
If you’re curious what advice Iowans have to offer about their home state, look no further than Matthew Andrews’ Twitter account.
Andrews, a lifelong Californian, took to social media recently to ask what he should know before moving to the Hawkeye State. His questions — "What do I need to know? How do I prepare?" — drew more than 1,200 replies.
Andrews said the response, which included tips about the weather, tenderloins, corn and more, was as unexpected as it was overwhelming.
“It was funny because you hear about the ‘Midwestern nice,'" he said. "I legitimately got close to 10 invitations to have beers and pizza. People were DM-ing me inviting me to go to a brewery. One guy offered to do a poetry reading for me in Dubuque."
I've lived in California my entire life. It's the only state I've ever known.
In 36 days, I move to Iowa.
Midwesterners, what do I need to know? How do I prepare?— Matthew J. Andrews (@2glassandrews) May 24, 2022
Andrews and his wife, who are set to start their 1,700-mile trek from Modesto, California, to Ankeny at the end of the month, said the move is something they have considered for more than a year. They'll be closer to his wife's relatives and the relocation significantly lowers their cost of living.
As a director of operations for a private investigation firm — and his wife, a marriage and family therapist — Andrews said they would continue working remotely while adjusting to life in Iowa.
"(California) feels like a rat race," Andrews said. “We can move and we don’t have to kill ourselves for what it costs to live comfortably."
Many tweets told Andrews to brace for brutally cold winters.
Winter. Be prepared for winter. Hats, gloves, shovels, good coat, boots. Remember in town driving in the winter is very different from highway driving. Winds out on the highway can be blizzard level but it looks fine in town. Always run on upper 1/2 of the gas tank.
— jmwiebke (@jmwiebke) May 25, 2022
Keep an ice scraper in your car; get a nice warm coat and gloves, don't start your car in a closed garage; it's really hot in the summer and really cold in the winter and there's a few absolutely glorious days in between; people love Casey's pizza but Kum&Go is great
— SquigSoup (@SquigSoup) May 25, 2022
Well. You’ll need several winter coats. Mild winter usually around 30-40 degrees, first winter 15-30 degrees, real winter -10 to 15 degrees, wtf winter -50 to -10 degrees. And false spring where it snows in late April then 18 hours later you crank on the ac.
— Randy boldt (@randyboldt24) May 25, 2022
Lived in Nebraska for 5 years, also from Cali. My advice: Buy winter gear NOW, when it’s cheaper. Buy a snow scraper for your car windshield. Gloves and hats are a must, not an option.
People are so friendly, it will surprise you at first.
Wishing you the best.— Dr. Danielle Slakoff (@DSlakoffPhD) May 24, 2022
Some took the time to hype up gas station pizza.
Start eating pizza at a gas station and get ready for some of the dumbest weather you’re ever going to see
— JMJ (@JMJinIowa44) May 25, 2022
Casey’s pizza is the best pizza. You will need to buy one within 48 hours of entering Iowa. You will also need to pick between the Hawkeyes and the Cyclones and then dress accordingly. You will have to end every sentence with “then” and occasionally throw an r into the word wash
— Mindy Carlson HER DYING DAY 6/7/2022 (@MindyRCarlson) May 25, 2022
My advice as an Iowan: Be sure to try Casey's breakfast pizza. There are definite weather dividing lines in the state. The sight of the corn starting to grow in the field is magical.
— Beth Heller (@beth_heller) May 25, 2022
Casey's General Stores took the opportunity to chime in.
We can't wait to see you, Matthew! 🍕 Welcome to the Midwest!
— Casey's (@caseysgenstore) May 25, 2022
Some Iowans made it clear: You're either a Hawkeyes or Cyclones fan. There’s no in-between.
1. You'll be stunned by how genuinely nice and hard-working people here are.
2. Buy a really good winter coat and some quality sunscreen, you'll need both.
3. You'll need to choose between the Cyclones and the Hawkeyes. If you can't choose, remember we all hate Nebraska.— Derek Powers (@CyclonePowers) May 25, 2022
Pork tenderloin sandwiches are a must.
Pork tenderloin sandwich is a glorious Iowa culinary offering
— Chad Bell (@ChadwickBell) May 25, 2022
I guess we drink ranch dressing?
We say “ope!” a lot when we make a mistake.
Ranch dressing is a beverage.
Instead of earthquakes and wildfires, our natural disasters are tornadoes and flash floods.
It might take a while to distinguish people who are genuinely nice and those who are “Midwestern” nice.— Katy Geppert (@KatyGeppert) May 25, 2022
You may want to start taste testing Ranch dressing and pick your brand to stand by.
— Kyle W Buchanan (@KyleWBuchanan) May 25, 2022
And corn is, well, abundant:
You will see more corn than you have ever before seen in your life. Imagine the most corn and then add much more corn. Nothing on earth smells like a pig farm. Nothing. Early summer is divine. Become a birder immediately. Buy ALL OF THE WARM CLOTHES. Buy a house with a basement.
— Dr. Kate Perry (@drkateperry) May 26, 2022
"Sweetcorn" is what you might just call "corn," like corn on the cob. It is in contrast to "field corn," which is for animal feed. There are some great state parks and some great county fairs. Go to as many regional events as you can to get a sense of the history & culture.
— KirinN 🐝 🌊 🐈🏳️🌈🍁🎶🌻 (@k17nielsen) May 26, 2022
The corn thing seems so real. I met my friend's parents from Iowa, and within minutes they were all sitting around talking about the corn the way that Parisians talk about baguettes.
— Eric Brignac (@EricBrignac) May 25, 2022
Virginia Barreda is the trending and general assignment reporter for the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Twitter advises man moving from California, from pizza to Cy-Hawk