Classes have started and so has the semester routine.

Those of us who left Iowa are back now, and complaining about it will not change reality nor the fact that our present life takes place in this state.

You might transfer out of Iowa State next semester, or you might be one of those graduating seniors who will take the next plane out after obtaining that long-expected diploma, but for the next four months, your home will still be Iowa.

Instead of whining about the erratic Iowa weather or complaining because Iowa is “boring,” this might be a good time to realize that there is something you like, maybe even love, about this land-locked, snow-covered state.

It’s OK to sit down and think about Iowa as well as your life here.

Probably the most difficult part of getting used to Iowa is the weather. Snow, ice, rain, sleet and hail are expected any time during the spring semester because Iowa is all about long, frozen winters.

But after a wicked snowstorm has ended and the sun shines above the scenery, its beauty cannot be ignored. Snow sparkles like diamond dust over the ground and trees.

Iowa’s beauty doesn’t end there. Although no one can deny that Iowa is flat-land, the Iowa plains are gorgeous — especially during sunrise and sunset. The different shades of red, yellow and orange are very different from the ones I was used to seeing at my home island when the sun dropped into the ocean.

If nature-watching is not one of your hobbies, there is more to Iowa than farmland scenery. Although there might not be a lot of people, Iowa is not uninhabited. I have met many kind and hospitable people in Iowa.

For those Christmas or Thanksgiving breaks that I have not been able to travel home, people who have talked to me no more than four times have invited me to their homes for the holiday, something that I found extremely strange and was extremely scared of at first.

Not even in the relatively small town where I lived in Puerto Rico, would people invite what I would call “almost-a-stranger” to their homes or leave their houses and cars open while they are not there.

Many might say that Iowans are naive or just simply weird. Still, I am glad that Iowa is this way; it is a break from the cruel and jumpy lifestyle found in overpopulated towns and cities. If this doesn’t convince you, and you still prefer cities that never sleep, there are two more things that might spark some love in you for Iowa; those are your friends and life experiences.

In a semester you can start a very valuable friendship with someone.

Friends help create memories and will help you walk through life. Together you learn and you grow.

After my first winter here, I told everyone that I hated Iowa, but now I realize I only looked at the surface of this state.

As another semester went by, I made new friends and experienced college life, and the phrase changed to “I love Iowa State, but I don’t know about Iowa. I don’t really like it.”

Finally, this summer I realized that a big part of my life has been spent here in Iowa and that this is home too. I have friends and have found love here.

Although I am not an expert on Iowa, what I know is enough for me to say that I like Iowa. All that was needed for me to do was to look deeper and learn more about it.

A couple of special friends helped me see it, and now, I can admit that I love this place.