Hasta Luego, Des Moines

I left the condo for the last time today. Closing is tomorrow, but I had a package delivered so I stopped back and worked for a few hours in the (mostly) empty place. The new owners kept a decent amount so it was never fully empty. I'm not flying out until December 19 so I chose to stay at a hotel in downtown Des Moines for five nights. I could have stayed with friends and it was a little weird staying so long in a hotel in Des Moines, but I just wanted to start my journey early and take the airport shuttle straight to the airport on the 19th.

It was emotional leaving the condo on December 14 to go to the hotel but when I left on the 16th, I felt at peace. When I moved back to Iowa after the 2008 campaign, it was only supposed to be a few week stay as I plotted out my next political job outside of Iowa. I had no intentions on staying in Iowa but here I was for the next 16 years almost to the day (not working in politics, thankfully). I kept a few totes and pieces of art, but other than that, nothing was put into storage and the lease was up on my Jeep so I turned that in and no longer have a vehicle! I left with two suitcases, a duffle bag, and a backpack.

I fell in love with Des Moines, had a great life there, and have a chosen family that has been through it all with me. I'm grateful for the people, the city, and everything it gave to me personally and professionally. My company is headquartered out of Des Moines so I'll be returning a couple of times a year for work and will look forward to those trips. I'm grateful for a company that allows us to work wherever is best for us as this wouldn't be possible for me if we had in-office work requirements.

So what's next? I'm off on a nomadic journey. It's time for new places, new faces, and new experiences. I currently have plans through mid-January and then some plans for February into March. I'm looking forward to being flexible and letting events or activities guide my travels.

I will be leaving for Puerto Vallarta on December 19, then a quick stop in Houston, and then off to Nashville for the Hawkeyes Bowl Game and New Years. I haven't been to Nashville before and thought this was a perfect opportunity during a quieter time of year and when there will be thousands of Hawkeyes in town. After Nashville, I'm heading back to Puerto Vallarta where I'll be on PTO and will celebrate my 40th birthday while there. In February, I'm planning to spend some time in Las Vegas and Palm Springs later in the month into March. I'd like to catch some Indiana Fever games around the country when the WNBA season starts in April along with other sporting events throughout the year.

I'm not sure how long this journey will continue; I don't have a time frame in mind. I anticipate finding a city where I'd like to spend some significant time or maybe I'll get tired of living out of suitcases and try to land somewhere sooner than later. I have never been one for posting much on (or looking at) social media regularly, but I'll try to be better about posting on Instagram more regularly along the way.

My last few days in Des Moines were spent eating at my favorite places and one last Sunday Funday with some great people.


Thanks for reading and please send me any questions you have or recommendations on things going on around the country that may be of interest!

Location: Des Moines, IA, USA

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