My name is Alli Parker, and I was Iowa IPL’s program associate from 2021-2022. I moved to Boise, Idaho in the summer of 2022 to support my partner through medical school. We’ve been here for just shy of two years now, so when Ren reached out about writing for Iowa IPL’s March newsletter, I was excited to update readers on what I’ve been up to and where I’d like to go next.
Every move is difficult, no matter the circumstances, but this was a big one – neither myself or my partner had lived outside of Iowa – our home state. We said farewell to all of our friends and family, overpacked a U-Haul, and took a cross-country journey with both sets of parents in tow. I cried leaving my last day working with Irene. She was truly an amazing boss, and it was hard to imagine finding any job as enjoyable, collaborative, and fulfilling as the program associate role felt for me. I am incredibly lucky to still keep in touch with Irene, and to know she is a friend and mentor I can turn to.
It took a lot of courage to decide to follow my partner here. I had to find a new job, new friends, and new favorite coffee shops. The first event I went to by myself where I truly felt lonely was Boise’s Pride festival (they celebrate Pride in September here). I missed my Des Moines friends who I went to Pride with the previous year terribly. But we persevere, we do hard things, and I quickly found that Idaho held incredible beauty and many wonderful things for me in the near future.
About 63% of Idaho’s land is public, making it one of the largest public land holders in the nation. Idahoans are extremely appreciative of the outdoors and protective of their open spaces – as they have every right to be. The views of the mountains here are breathtaking. Boise is the City of Trees, and when the fall colors shine through in the valley, it lives up to its name. I’ve taken some incredible hikes, visited beautiful mountain towns, soaked in random hot springs in the middle of nowhere, and shredded some nice mountain powder. I’m heading to Sun Valley in two weeks for a ski trip, and I feel so grateful to have the opportunity to live and explore here. It is a magical place.
Most people that I talk to here hold that deep appreciation for the outdoors without ever really questioning where it stems from. Maybe it was from yearly camping trips to the Sawtooths, or a certain hike they took that connected them in a way never felt before. Maybe it was snowboarding or mountain biking down a mountainside, or experiencing the true power of nature through a backcountry hunting trip. It could be from simply having these wide open spaces out the back door – the opportunity to glimpse the mountains every day and remember how vast the land truly is. I have always said that my love for nature stems from a childhood surrounded by it in Iowa, and this theory proves true in Idaho. When you grow up with an appreciation for the outdoors, it is instilled in you for life. I notice it in the tiniest of kids who ski by me on the slopes (and are ten times as good as me) or walk by me on a trail. You can feel it in your bones. You know how important protecting this land is.
I have the opportunity to work to protect this land every day through my current job as an Operations Associate at Conservation Voters for Idaho – a statewide bipartisan organization that works across the political aisle to advance conservation values. My coworkers do incredible things: lobby for environmental legislation, campaign for pro-conservation candidates in our local elections, advocate for clean air and water through conservation funding in local communities, and manage programs to recruit individuals in underserved communities to create a more equitable and diverse cohort of future Idaho leaders. Though my role does much more of the behind-the-scenes work, my coworkers never fail to remind me that my help is necessary and important. I feel deeply grateful to be part of an organization that cares about me, and that I found CVI to continue to do the work I am most passionate about: educating individuals on why conservation is so important so that we can create a sustainable and thriving environment for generations to come.
When I left Iowa, I didn’t know if I was ready for the next step. I am thankful for all of the ways my Iowa friends and family have supported me in this new chapter of my life. For now, I am looking to continue enjoying my time here in Boise, and preparing for my wedding on the coast of Oregon in June!