We Moved From California to Iowa to Retire however Solely Stayed 20 Months

• Wendy and Kurt Meyer moved from Mission Viejo, California, to Washington, Iowa, in 2021. 
• They thought the Hawkeye State could be cheaper than it was and missed California’s sunny climate.
• The couple moved again to Mission Viejo in December 2023 and so they by no means need to go away once more. 

This as-told-to essay relies on a dialog with Wendy and Kurt Meyer, a 65-year-old manufacturing supervisor and 59-year-old toolmaker, who moved from Mission Viejo, California, to Washington, Iowa, in October 2021. They stayed 20 months earlier than shifting again to Mission Viejo in December 2022.

Wendy: I am a local Californian, born in Los Angeles. My mother and father have been from Iowa and moved me to Iowa after I was in highschool. That is the place I met my first husband and had two youngsters.

After I acquired divorced, I got here again to California and met Kurt.

Kurt: I used to be born in Germany. In 2001, I used to be despatched to Lengthy Seaside for enterprise by my firm. That is how I met Wendy.

Wendy: We’ll have been married for 22 years this 12 months.

We deliberate on retiring and spending 50% of our time right here in California and the opposite 50% in Germany. However Kurt simply beloved California a lot that in 2019, we offered our residence in Germany. The intent was to remain right here in California.

We lived in Mission Viejo in Orange County. Our lives have been superior. We had nice jobs. My daughter and grandkids have been right here. We had a superb pal group and a fantastic church.

The climate was good. I do half-marathons, and I might practice year-round on the seashore. On Sundays, Kurt and I’d go for a stroll within the water. Every part was in place for us.

Kurt: The one factor we did not like was the site visitors.

We began considering a transfer in 2021

Wendy: My daughter and her husband and two children traveled to Iowa to go to household. When she got here again, she introduced they have been shifting there. She’s a local Iowan and wished a greater life-style for her children.

My son additionally ended up shifting to Iowa. He retired from the Air Pressure and moved again there.

We had no intention of shifting. None. We had even talked about how we’d by no means dwell in Iowa.

However then we noticed their shifting truck pull out. I might nearly weep, even now.

Inside every week, I contacted a real-estate agent. In October 2021, we began getting ready to maneuver.

Kurt: I used to be nervous.

Wendy: I used to be, too. There are as many individuals in Orange County as there are in your complete state of Iowa! Solely about three million folks.

However my cup is at all times half full. In the course of the pandemic, I had began lacking Iowa, the place I raised my children. I missed that life-style, with the farmers market, the 4 seasons, the simplicity of every part.

So, we purchased a house in Iowa. We acquired a utility trailer and hauled all of our stuff ourselves throughout the nation.

The city we picked was very small. It is referred to as Washington, Iowa, about half an hour south of Iowa Metropolis.

We instructed ourselves earlier than we left that we’d give it one 12 months. After one 12 months, Kurt and I’d sit down and do a professionals and cons listing.

Our plan was to retire as soon as we acquired to Iowa. That is what we instructed ourselves. And we tried. However we did not actually need to retire.

Kurt: It is boring.

Wendy: I feel we have been each so concerned within the leaving course of and the beginning over course of that we by no means considered what would occur as soon as these processes have been performed.

We found retirement was so boring that my husband went and acquired a job at The College of Iowa Hospital within the engineering division. It was the very best job.

We acquired this stunning ranch-style residence on half an acre. We discovered a fantastic church. I labored part-time.

We beloved how a lot house there was in Iowa.

Kurt: There was loads of house.

Wendy: I additionally felt extraordinarily patriotic there. Folks put on their patriotism proper out within the open, and I beloved that. I beloved seeing the farmers within the discipline.

It ought to have been good, proper?

Kurt: Nevertheless it simply wasn’t our cup of tea.

We knew Iowa wasn’t proper for us

Wendy: I did not really feel like, “Oh my god, I like this!”

Folks have this notion — and we did too — that Iowa is far more inexpensive. It is not. There are specific issues which can be extra inexpensive, like the price of a home.

However the utilities weren’t extra inexpensive, as a result of Iowa has such excessive shifts within the climate. I used to be shocked on the excessive fluctuations within the climate. The seasons roll proper into one another. I do not even bear in mind Fall.

Kurt: And our property taxes have been twice what they’re in California.

Wendy: Fuel is cheaper, however you must drive additional. We needed to drive 40 minutes to get to a Costco.

In Mission Viejo, we had live shows we might go to each summer time. They do not have that in Iowa. I like to hurry stroll and do races and there have been hardly any races there.

Kurt: And we had moved half an hour’s drive from the place Wendy’s daughter and her household lived, however we did not see them fairly often.

Wendy: They’re busy with their very own lives.

I saved really saying to myself, “Why cannot I like this extra? What’s it?” After which, someday, I bear in mind telling Kurt, “I do not need you to really feel caught right here.”

Kurt: I felt very uncomfortable.

Wendy: I did not notice I felt that very same approach till someday, I acquired a textual content from my boss at our outdated jobs in California who mentioned coming again was at all times an choice. It made me notice we severely had the chance to get our jobs again. I could not flip my again on how I felt in that second.

And I swear, as quick as we mentioned we have been going to Iowa, we determined we have been going residence. In whole, we have been in Iowa for 20 months.

California simply appears like residence

Wendy: We got here again to the place we had beforehand lived in Mission Viejo, actually inside two miles of our outdated place.

It is simply loopy how we have been capable of choose proper again up. I began a part-time job this week. We have been very blessed.

We miss the youngsters. However we Zoom with them. And so they come to go to. I am going there too and hang around with them.

We’re younger at coronary heart. We weren’t able to retire. We’re very lively — far more lively in comparison with others. We now have a variety of life left in us, and we actually admire every part California has to supply.

Kurt’s favourite saying is: Day-after-day is paradise. We by no means trip as a result of why would we?

Kurt: I see California with new eyes after this expertise.

Wendy: We see ourselves staying right here in California for good.

Kurt: Till the bitter finish.