Ames may not be some big metropolis, but for many it’s an intimidating monster to experience for the first time. The transition from living in a rural area to a larger city is a turbulent thing, and with it comes many things to handle and get used to.

I grew up on an acreage north of a small town not far from Ames, so I was familiar with this particular city. Other people from rural areas probably aren’t so lucky. Regardless, there were some things I needed to acclimate to in order to abide by laws and make city life comfortable.

We’ll start with things that have to do with city roads. Holy crap, the goings-ons and regulations can be complex.

Who’da thunk that there are actual rules to follow when crossing the street? My first time using a crosswalk was a total mess. I didn’t know to push the little button deal to signal that I wanted to cross the street. I seriously stood there for a good five minutes, just waiting my turn. I finally realized the (very obvious) sign instructing me what to do and I crossed the street to campus, thank God. Back where I come from, you cross the street at a whim, often with no need to look both ways before making your way across the pavement. Small town probs.

With this comes the signs of the road. Back in my hometown there are no “no right on red” or “yield to pedestrian” signs. It was difficult to start paying attention to these important notices and think about my driving more, especially with the outrageous swarms of students crossing the roads on campus.

Also, there are parking meters. These blew my mind when I first came to Ames. I had used a couple before, but I didn’t have too much experience. I used to park wherever I pleased, but now I have to pay in most cases and that’s kind of sucky.

Buses were another thing I had to get used to. I’d never used a city bus before coming to Iowa State, so I was at an utter loss when it came to procedures, fees, etiquette, whatever. It took me a good length of time to figure out bus routes and times and how to open the back doors. CyRide is great, but it can be a real b**ch to get used to.

Traffic. OMG traffic. This was one of the hardest things to get used to. I’d made trips to the cities in the area while in high school, but nothing compares to having to deal with it on a daily basis. Ames really isn’t that bad in comparison to the bigger cities, but it’s still a huge change from the traffic (or lack thereof) back home.

A final trouble spot with roads was on-street parking during snow seasons. Like I said, I grew up on an acreage and when it snowed, you dug your car out and went about your day. Here in Ames, when you live in an apartment or house and have to park on the street, you need to move your car when it snows (if you live in a designated snow route area) or get a ticket. And, yeah…I’ve received plenty of tickets. It’s so easy to park and forget, but now I’m more wary of the consequences.

Moving to the city also affected my ability to get a job. I have one – and I have had one since I moved to Ames – but at first the jobs I was qualified for were hard to come by. I was only 18 when I came to Ames, so I wasn’t ready or skilled enough to have a serious job. I knew food service and that’s about it, so naturally I sought a bartending job like I had back home. Yikes. Talk about competition in that area. I eventually found a small town bar that met my needs and job aspirations, and I’m actually working there to this day.

When I came to Ames, I lived in the dorms for the first year, all the way out in the Towers. This was obviously a change, from having to share a bathroom to sleeping in a twin bed and having to park a mile from the front door when I got off work. The dorms were a pain, especially after leaving my comfy house where I was the last of my siblings living there–the privacy and open space used to be awesome. It really blows my mind that some people from the city live in apartments all through their childhood.

I think my complaining is done. I didn’t mean to sound too whiney, but the transition from the open country air to a city was overwhelming at first. Nowadays I’m used to Ames, but I still miss the simplicity of back home.