Des Moines

I’ve been working in Des Moines, Iowa for about three months now on the typical, out on Monday, back on Thursday schedule.  After being there for three months, I’m beginning to feel ready to leave, but at the same time, there are some things about Des Moines I’ve really enjoyed.

The Small City

The nice thing about Des Moines being so small, is that it really is pretty easy to manage.  I can drive most places without getting lost (quite the accomplishment for me) and it wasn’t hard to start feeling like I fit in there.  In a city this size, it’s pretty easy to get to know the different restaurant, hotel, and airport staff to make you feel a little more at home.

But, after 3 months, I am beginning to feel a little of the small town squeeze.  I’m starting to get a bit tired of the restaurants near me, and am still a bit nervous about venturing out to the suburbs where it’s quite uncommon for someone to eat dinner alone at the bar (making me self conscious about doing so).  I am quite thankful though that the downtown restaurants do have a bit of variety to their menu, so even when I repeat locations, I can still try something new.

Working Alongside the Client

In Des Moines, I’ve had the pretty awesome opportunity to work with the IT department at the client site.  Our team has about 8 developers, 3 QA staff, 2 business analysts, 3 subject matter experts, and 2 managers – only 2 of which are consultants/contractors.  At first, it was a bit intimidating that so many people with years of IT experience were working so close to me, but, over the course of the project, it’s gotten incredibly empowering.  Not only have I been able to learn more about their company and the IT world in general, but more importantly I really feel like I’m making a difference there.  Whenever I’m feeling a little uninspired, I think back to my first day on site where everyone felt a little clueless and reflect on how far we’ve come.  From things as simple as showing some one where a particular feature was or how to use it, to devising a solution for complex concepts that initially went right over my head, the team as a whole is accomplishing things I was worried weren’t even possible at the start.

So, while packing up for another trip to Des Moines on a Sunday night isn’t necessarily the most exciting weekend activity, I’m excited for what new challenges and accomplishments I might cross this week.