It’s happened to all of us. We get introduced as “visiting from Idaho” or find ourselves explaining that we don’t actually have livestock just because we live in the Midwest. Here are 11 awkward moments that happen to Iowans. Maybe a few of them sound familiar.

1. You run out into the snow to get the mail and the neighbor wants to talk.
Shawn D. Ashley/Flickr
Hello.....my feet are freezing.
2. You say something disparaging about Minnesota.
Andira Pramanta/Flickr
....to someone from Minnesota.
3. You think a 4x4 is invincible.
Cathy Stanley-Erickson/Flickr
...and then you have to ask a stranger to help you get your truck started.
4. You've lived here all of your life.
bradleypjohnson/Flickr
...you still slip and fall after the first snow every winter.
5. You have to correct people who don't understand that we don't all live on farms.
John Carrel/Flickr
Yes....we have "real" bathrooms. Most Iowans also live in towns and cities.

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6. You can't seem to figure out what the weather is doing.
Paula Satijn/Flickr
...dressing in layers is key.
7. You have to explain (again) that there's more to Iowa than corn fields and hog farms.
John W. Iwanski/Flickr
...we have our own Pike's Peak for goodness sakes!
8. You don't trust the person trying to wave you through the stop sign.
The Tire Zoo/Flickr
...so you pretend like you don't see them flailing their arms about trying to get you to "just go" ahead of them.
9. You go for a drive.
John Lillis/Flickr
...and GPS loses you somewhere the Iowa countryside. Nope, we don't have cell service everywhere.
10. Someone refers to Iowa is a "flyover" state.
Bill Aldredge/Flickr
What? Fine. Fly right over. We don't want you here, anyway.
11. When someone from out of state asks where they can find morel mushrooms.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/Flickr
....no idea.

It’s important to try to be patient with people that aren’t “from here” and remember…after the first snow, try to walk like a penguin to avoid a fall.

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