Over the Hills and Through the Woods

By: Lindsay Carter

Is there such thing as a non-alcoholic hangover? After the whirlwind that was last night’s debate, I could have sworn this morning that I had been hit by each and every candidate’s bus. To be a student in the debate hall surrounded by celebrities I had only envisioned meeting in my wildest dreams was easily the best experience of my life, but left me drained socially and emotionally. The candidates needed a day off, and quite frankly, so did I. Luckily, there was plenty of time to fall asleep on our two-hour bus ride to Iowa City. When we were dropped off in the middle of the University of Iowa’s campus with no clear itinerary, I became really worried about how I would spend the next three hours battling the below-freezing temperatures. However, Aileen’s grandma happens to live right down the street in Iowa City and was more than willing to provide stories and shelter for us.

And so off we went over the hills and through the woods to grandma’s house. Well, our Lyft went over the hills and past some shrubs, but it’s close enough for the purposes of this story. Dorothy Bell is not only the wife of Iowa’s first Poet Laureate Marvin Bell, but also an incredibly kind woman with many experiences from her travels across the country. Dorothy was so proud to show us her historic home, including a jealousy-inducing clawfoot bathtub, and all of the work that she and her husband have put into it (reference the picture below of her refrigerator). After chatting about my life plans and family traditions, Dorothy shared with us her experience caucusing in the 2008 election. Unfortunately, Dorothy has contributed to the greater narrative I have observed of Iowans choosing not to caucus this February. I don’t blame her for her decision, because she tends to be in Florida during the colder months. However, Dorothy explained to us that the caucus in 2008 was a fantastic experience because it was held at a local high school and every candidate’s voters brought in different types of food. Overall, she agreed with Aileen and I that caucusing allowed her to feel a greater involvement in the democratic process of electing a new president.

Seeing Dorothy’s enthusiasm for Iowa and the Caucus gave me some hope that Iowans truly recognize the political efficacy that they have. Nearly every native Iowan that I have met on this trip is choosing not to caucus for various reasons, but Dorothy understands. Perhaps the most surprising thing that I learned today was that Dorothy gets by just fine without a cellphone or technology. What must it be like to not read the news or be politically influenced by the computer in your pocket? Upon arriving back to our trusty driver Tim and the warm bus, I could only imagine not being able to listen to my favorite songs or browse twitter while I fell asleep on the ride back.