Before I came to the United States, I asked some of the Nigerian alumni to tell me some fun facts about Iowa. The first thing everyone told me is that it is so cold, as in freezing. My coordinator told me that there are some similarities between Iowa and Nigeria like Iowans grow a lot of corn just like in Nigeria and that I would get to taste some sweet corn during my exchange year. But she told me that the best part of Iowa is that I would get to see snow, make snow angels and build a snowman. Even though I’d be cold, she told me I’d at least have fun and see something unique and it could be the best part of my exchange year.
When I first came to Iowa, it was a little bit cold for me, but it was hot for people here. I was not surprised to hear that because I was already told how cold it will be. I started to feel like it kept getting colder and colder every day, keeping in mind though the coldest days were awaiting me. I was so excited for it to come not because I wanted to get cold, but because I wanted to see snow for the first time ever, build a snowman and make a snow angel. Slowly, I started to get kind of used to the weather, because I wanted to experience something that is so unique about Iowa. For my whole life, I lived in a country where the lowest temperature is 60°and now I am experiencing a temperature under 0°! But with winter comes fun winter activities!
I wouldn’t imagine myself ice skating, but to my own surprise I did it. On December 21st, I went ice skating in Des Moines and it was really fun. I was excited I got to skate for the first time in my life and I can’t wait to go skating more. During the first week of January, we had 8 inches of snow in my community and my host mom and dad took me out to go sledding. I was freaking out the first time I tried and I fell off the sled so my host dad had to go with me the second time to show how to and I finally did it myself which was so exciting.
On January 6th, my friends invited me over to build a snowman. I got really excited about the idea and I was allowed to go. That was my first time building a snowman, but my hands were literally freezing before I could even get half of the snowman built. But I continued until I finished it and I thought I did an awesome job for building my first one even though it doesn’t look like its a snowman!
I am so excited I am in Iowa and I am looking forward to more snow to have fun with friends and family!