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Christie Vilsack's avatar

Thanks for sharing. Our kids got lots of large washing machine boxes for backyard forts. Some of the best play equipment is foraged.

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Julie Gammack's avatar

such a fun story!

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Suzanna de Baca's avatar

Christie: I love this column. As an Iowa who lived in NYC for quite a while and loved it, I can relate. I didn't meet Dustin Hoffman but I did meet many celebrities. I was awestruck and impressed with those talented and interesting people - musicians, performers, artists, business titans. Now, while I do miss the city, I am equally awestruck by the fireflies (they were out in full force last weekend), the farm to table bounty, and all the talented and caring people here in Iowa -- maybe fewer famous folks with faces on billboards, but truly astounding and inspiring. Keep on writing!

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Mary Swander's avatar

Thanks for this good column and insight into your early adult life.

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Kathi Zimpleman's avatar

Thank you for this story, Christie, and for sharing your New York City summer adventure. One can tell it is a cherished memory. However, on that note, thank you for coming home to Iowa and bringing Tom along with you. The two of you have made a big difference in so many lives.

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Tej Dhawan's avatar

A movie for each year of your lives so far... what a neat idea, one that needs repeated. I am going to begin curating my list :)

I also loved the reminder (She had to learn it for herself) that experience is an influential teacher.

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Linda Boatman's avatar

The only superstar I met face-to-face was Barack Obama. Re/growing up in a small town, I recently was able to hand off the DCCPF to new leadership in Davis County. I still yearn to go to New York.

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Joseph A Toubes's avatar

I remembered after reading, the many times, as kids, we'd go up to the piano store and lug home piano boxes to make a fort in someone's backyard, or up to Jewett Lumber, to the scrap lumber pile, where bad lumber lived and get the best looking to complete the fort. Things were great, we'd sleep in those boxes, until it rained and they would collapse and a parent would have to get rid of our fort, until a new piano box was spotted. I didn't meet any actor, but did meet Barb Bush when I taught GED at the Des Moines Register Learning Center. My single claim to fame. My thought was she would have made a great football half back , considering her kids, she probably did.

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Loretta F Ross's avatar

Oh, you took me down memory lane with you. I loved Rain Man. One of my daughters fell in love with NYC and lives there with her husband. Our family will gather there in December to celebrate my birthday.

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Sarah Orngard's avatar

Such great examples of lifestyle differences. Glad you chose Iowa.

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