If you’ve gone outside in the last week, you’ve probably realized it’s been insufferable. The combination of heat and humidity is sure a killer. There’s something absolutely charming about opening the door, having your glasses fog up right away, and finding that the simple act of breathing is more difficult than it was 10 seconds prior.

As someone who loves his share of yard work, running outside, and enjoying nature, this week has been an interesting one. But when you really think about it, how we handle Mother Nature’s adversity is simply baked into who we are as Iowans–it’s part of our culture.

Our culture as Iowans is something I’ve become fairly interested in lately. In my line of work, as someone who mows lawns for a living, I get a lot of time to listen thanks to the luxury of Bluetooth headphones. Recently, I found myself gravitating toward podcasts about Iowa, from politics to history to even an episode on our county fair system. There’s a lot to take in if you’re interested.

I’ve also been enjoying listening to Iowa Press interviews with Kay Henderson. This weekend, as I weeded a flower bed, I listened to interviews with several well-known voices from around Iowa. They have such an interesting charm and a countless number of things that I, as a 21-year-old, still have to learn.

Growing up, I never went to the State Fair. But for the past few years, I’ve enjoyed attending. After all of my recent listening and learning, I’m excited to get back to Des Moines in August and experience what I view as the cross-section of Iowa culture–where agriculture meets popular musical performances, where politics meets everyday Iowans, where creative food meets farm towns, and where we see some of the brightest young people our state has to offer.

Sometimes just sitting back and taking it all in is one of the best ways to learn about who you are and where you’re from. I suppose that might be a good trait for someone who writes for the newspaper.

Regardless of the heat and, frankly, horrible conditions, I’ve been pushing through as best I can, even while sweating my butt off.

Until Iowa returns to a more manageable temperature, I’m Just Jonathan.