Jeff's Midwest update

Returning to daily walks after arctic conditions

Hello, dear friends.

It is February in Des Moines, Iowa. January has been very cold!! A couple of weeks of sub-zero. Brrr! The above photo was taken on my first outdoor walk in two months. I was so happy to be back outside!

Update

It’s been a hot minute since you’ve heard from one of us. We’ve been getting things done and making things happen.

Since returning to the States in May, we’ve been working hard at creating an income stream that can support us while traveling. At the same time, we’ve applied for various jobs in our field here in the city.

No small task! Both of us have gone through multi-stage interviews that took months to complete. Deana in healthcare, and me in AI and data. I’m sympathetic to anyone looking for work. It’s tough out there!

I’ve also met multiple local businesses, unions and political campaigns to pitch AI data services. Sales is new to me, but I’ve taken to it like a fish to water.

Holidays 2025

Last year in Albania, I found myself longing for family during Christmas.

Granted, three years ago, we were in Prague. And last year, we watched fireworks with a friend on New Year’s Eve at the Colosseum in Rome. Pretty amazing times, so don’t cry for me, Argentina.

But there’s something about Christmas with my parents, sister and adult children, that I didn’t know I would miss, until I’d spent two winters in Europe and one in Des Moines.

So this year, we made it a priority to get back to Washington for Christmas for the first time in three years.

Viva la difference.

We went from this:

To this:

Our visit with family and friends was wonderful. On Christmas morning, I realized it was the first time since college that I’d woken up on Christmas day with my parents at their home. We visited our sons in their homes, and spent a few nights with my sister and her husband.

It cemented my committment to what I call my intended migratory pattern. Many animals move around seasonally. You can find deer trails. And geese and other birds stop at the same ponds and lakes every year as they find their way south for the winter and north in the spring. My goal is to spend 2 months with family in America and 10 months in Europe.

If we closed our eyes and pretended Iowa was Europe (spoiler alert: it’s not) we actually lived that pattern this year. We took a month in the summer to travel by train to see our children and family in Texas, California, Oregon and Washington. And now we have done it again for Christmas.

This feels right. And as I said earlier, there are tons of lessons I’ve learned about myself that came from getting out of my normal routine and doing something crazy. It took moving to Europe to discover how important Christmas with family is. And it took a few month long trips to cement that I can live somewhere else and affordably travel to spend time with them.

More US Rail Travel

Speaking of train travel. Here we are in our happy place. On the move!

It’s a common mantra between us, that I’ve really screwed myself up. I don’t know many people who contentedly sigh when they enter an airport terminal, or board a bus or train.

But I love, love, love the journey.

As soon as I enter the terminal, I’m at home again.

The return to Iowa was no exception. We boarded Amtrak on a late cold January evening, and wound our way through the northern states.

The most beautiful portion was Montana. Here’s a taste.

After two nights, we arrived in St. Paul, Minnesota. Our city transportation skills served us well. We quickly found the city bus route to Minneapolis, and once again had that feeling of familiar. After a delicious breakfast, we camped out at a Starbucks and waited for our bus to Des Moines.

But not before seeing this famous site. First Avenue is the famous concert venue where Purple Rain was filmed!!

Deana’s New Job

We left Des Moines in December without clarity about Deana’s work. But she was thrilled to learn she’d been hired! Back in Des Moines, she had a mandatory physical and was given a clean bill of healthy-work! Next step: Onboarding! She’s still training for the position, even though the work is very similar to her job in Moses Lake. Yesterday was her first 12 hour shift, and boy was she sore. She is loving the job, the hospital and the people.

Two of Our Nomad Churches

As a teenage Christian in a small town, we were cautioned against the bad habit of church hopping. “Grow where you’re planted,” was the mantra that kept the faithful in this pew and presumably put their offering in this plate.

This idea does not exist in Orthodoxy. If your city had ten Orthodox churches, you could attend each one in succession and take communion with no issue.

This makes our American nomadic life exciting! My godfather and his wife attend this church, Prophet Elijah Antiochian Church, where our dear friend serves as a priest.

Prophet Elijah Antiochian Orthodox Church

Deana’s godmother is at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox in Spokane. And we have close friends at Three Hierarchs Antiochian Church in Wenatchee. We definitely hop when we visit Washington.

When we first visited our daughter in Des Moines, two years ago, we made it a priority to visit the Greek church: St. George Orthodox. After a few Sundays, we became dear friends with a couple there and stayed in touch.

We surprised them last spring when we returned, and have grown closer to the church ever since. Deana learned from our priest’s wife how to make bread for communion. And a friend who loves Greece loaned us this book about Corfu!

When we left for Christmas, we weren’t certain when we would return. I was so surprised to hear people tell me they hoped I was returning. And it was a joyful reunion when we showed up the second Sunday.

What’s Next?

Stay tuned for more. I’m busy at work on a new endeavor that I will be sharing.

In the meantime, thanks for Zigzagging Along!!

~ Jeff