--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Much as I resented having to grow up in…" description: "\"Much as I resented having to grow up in Des Moines, it gave me a real appreciation for every place in the world that's not Des Moines.\" — Bill Bryson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99f/bill-bryson-340_appreciation_much-as-i-resented-having-to-grow-up-in_1838643.png" --- # Much as I resented having to grow up in Des Moines, it… ![“Much as I resented having to grow up in Des Moines, it gave me a real appreciation for every place in the world that's not Des Moines.” quote by Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99f/bill-bryson-340_appreciation_much-as-i-resented-having-to-grow-up-in_1838643.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99f/bill-bryson-340_appreciation_much-as-i-resented-having-to-grow-up-in_1838643.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99f/bill-bryson-340_appreciation_much-as-i-resented-having-to-grow-up-in_1838643.png) > “Much as I resented having to grow up in Des Moines, it gave me a real appreciation for every place in the world that's not Des Moines.” [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Discomfort with one’s hometown can spark curiosity and appreciation for diverse places. **In simple terms:** Leaving home fuels wonder. Key Takeaway Travel to broaden perspective. Themes adventure appreciation growth Mood nostalgic thoughtful Type reflective inspirational When to use this quote - vacation planning - study abroad - relocation decisions Key Concepts Cultural awareness geography Questions to Reflect On - What new place excites you after a familiar setting? - How does discomfort drive exploration? A Different Perspective Nostalgia may color perception of home negatively. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appreciation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appreciation/) [Des moines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/des-moines/) [Gratitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gratitude/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I come Des Moines. Somebody had to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/i-come-des-moines-somebody-had-to/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/i-come-from-des-moines-somebody-had-to/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [I grew up in Des Moines. My dad had a house full of books, things like P.G. Wodehouse books and 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/i-grew-up-in-des-moines-my-dad-had-a-house-full-of-books-things-like/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [I come from Des Moines. Someone had to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/i-come-from-des-moines-someone-had-to/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [When I was growing up I used to think that the best thing about coming from Des Moines was that it meant you didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/when-i-was-growing-up-i-used-to-think-that-the-best-thing-about/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [Hardly anyone ever leaves. This is because Des Moines is the most powerful hypnotic known to man. Outside town there is a big sign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/hardly-anyone-ever-leaves-this-is-because-des-moines-is-the-most/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [Des Moines is like your typical American city; it's just these concentric circles of malls, built outward from the city.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/des-moines-is-like-your-typical-american-city-it-s-just-these/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [Where I grew up, in Des Moines, Iowa, there is hardly any downtown economic activity now. Everybody shops in malls - you don't find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/where-i-grew-up-in-des-moines-iowa-there-is-hardly-any-downtown/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [When you meet people, show real appreciation, then genuine curiosity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/when-you-meet-people-show-real-appreciation-then-genuine-curiosity/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [Only one who has known how troubled life can be, has a real appreciation of it when it is good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-bemelmans/only-one-who-has-known-how-troubled-life-can-be-has-a-real/) [Ludwig Bemelmans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-bemelmans/) > [I think from doing so many live shows it gives you a real appreciation of being present. You don't know what's going to happen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-donnelly/i-think-from-doing-so-many-live-shows-it-gives-you-a-real/) [Declan Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-donnelly/) > [I grew up with a real appreciation about just how wonderful and intimate the relationship is between a doctor and a patient was and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/risa-j-lavizzo-mourey/i-grew-up-with-a-real-appreciation-about-just-how-wonderful-and/) [Risa J. Lavizzo-Mourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/risa-j-lavizzo-mourey/) > [We human beings are tuned such that we crave great melody and great lyrics. And if somebody writes a great song, it's timeless that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-garfunkel/we-human-beings-are-tuned-such-that-we-crave-great-melody-and-great/) [Art Garfunkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-garfunkel/) > [I think that the Internet is going to effect the most profound change on the entertainment industries combined. And we're all gonna be tuning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-think-that-the-internet-is-going-to-effect-the-most-profound-change/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [If you want to be a comedian, go out. Do a week in Des Moines, Iowa. Try to make those people laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-swardson/if-you-want-to-be-a-comedian-go-out-do-a-week-in-des-moines-iowa-try/) [Nick Swardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-swardson/) ## More by Bill Bryson > [Most big companies don't like you very much, except hotels, airlines and Microsoft, which don't like you at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/most-big-companies-don-t-like-you-very-much-except-hotels-airlines/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“But Welsh spellings are as nothing compared with Irish Gaelic, a language in which spelling and pronunciation give the impression of having been devised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/but-welsh-spellings-are-as-nothing-compared-with-irish-gaelic-a/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“Pantaloons were often worn tight as paint and were not a great deal less revealing, particularly as they were worn without underwear. . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/pantaloons-were-often-worn-tight-as-paint-and-were-not-a-great-deal/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [If you go out on the Appalachian Trail, you have to bring so much more equipment - a tent, sleeping bag - but if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/if-you-go-out-on-the-appalachian-trail-you-have-to-bring-so-much-more/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“The dining table was a plain board called by that name. It was hung on the wall when not in use, and was perched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/the-dining-table-was-a-plain-board-called-by-that-name-it-was-hung-on/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“From almost nothing, France in four years built up an aircraft industry that employed nearly 200,000 people and produced some 70,000 planes. Britain built…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/from-almost-nothing-france-in-four-years-built-up-an-aircraft/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“Every twenty minutes on the Appalachian Trail, Katz and I walked farther than the average American walks in a week. For 93 percent of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/every-twenty-minutes-on-the-appalachian-trail-katz-and-i-walked/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“A diarist named George Templeton Strong recorded in the winter of 1866 that even with two furnaces alight and all the fireplaces blazing, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/a-diarist-named-george-templeton-strong-recorded-in-the-winter-of/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [Tune your television to any channel it doesn't receive and about 1 percent of the dancing static you see is accounted for by this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/tune-your-television-to-any-channel-it-doesn-t-receive-and-about-1/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [As a rule of thumb, I would submit that if you need to call your floss provider, for any reason, you are probably not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/as-a-rule-of-thumb-i-would-submit-that-if-you-need-to-call-your-floss/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [Nobody gets excited about the future at all, ever. The future is something we find depressing and worrisome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/nobody-gets-excited-about-the-future-at-all-ever-the-future-is/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“What made this particularly interesting is that John Howard is by far the dullest man in Australia. Imagine a very committed funeral home director…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/what-made-this-particularly-interesting-is-that-john-howard-is-by-far/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [I would make a genuinely terrible guide. I can't remember things. I would get half way through telling a story or explaining something and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/i-would-make-a-genuinely-terrible-guide-i-can-t-remember-things-i/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“In the mystifying world that was Victorian parenthood, obedience took precedence over all considerations of affection and happiness, and that odd, painful conviction remained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/in-the-mystifying-world-that-was-victorian-parenthood-obedience-took/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [If this book has a lesson, it is that we are awfully lucky to be here-and by 'we' I mean every living thing. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/if-this-book-has-a-lesson-it-is-that-we-are-awfully-lucky-to-be-here/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) [Explore all 656 Bill Bryson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) ## More Appreciation quotes > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [Time can but make her beauty over again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/time-can-but-make-her-beauty-over-again/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [The writings of latter-day prophets clearly teach that the sorrows and sufferings endured by Adam and Eve upon their leaving the Garden of Eden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-k-judd/the-writings-of-latter-day-prophets-clearly-teach-that-the-sorrows/) Daniel K Judd > [Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/wine-is-one-of-the-most-civilized-things-in-the-world-and-one-of-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [A very small percentage of the people in this world will actually experience and live today. So many people will be stuck on another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/a-very-small-percentage-of-the-people-in-this-world-will-actually/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [Stop chasing the things you want and embrace all that you already have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/stop-chasing-the-things-you-want-and-embrace-all-that-you-already-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Appreciation is the purest vibration that exists on the planet today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/appreciation-is-the-purest-vibration-that-exists-on-the-planet-today/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [“My thank-yous always come out rather labored. I often don't give them at all. People do what they're supposed to do and then wait…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/my-thank-yous-always-come-out-rather-labored-i-often-don-t-give-them/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [“Like gratitude, authentic appreciation in the workplace is a realisation that can be nurtured and accessed with daily mindful practice. By and large, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-dines/like-gratitude-authentic-appreciation-in-the-workplace-is-a/) [Christopher Dines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-dines/) > [Think of your mind, your emotions, and your spirit as the ultimate garden. The way to ensure a bountiful, nourishing harvest is to plant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/think-of-your-mind-your-emotions-and-your-spirit-as-the-ultimate/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [“Recognize and appreciate little things, and enjoy what Life has to offer”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-nikko-caharian-iii/recognize-and-appreciate-little-things-and-enjoy-what-life-has-to/) Cesar Nikko Caharian III > [Men, when it comes to women, value diamonds and put no stock into copper. Diamonds are rare. You can find copper anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enhance-dreams/men-when-it-comes-to-women-value-diamonds-and-put-no-stock-into/) Enhance Dreams > [“Everything we perceive to be solid and static is made up of almost entirely empty space.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-kauffman/everything-we-perceive-to-be-solid-and-static-is-made-up-of-almost/) [Joseph P. Kauffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-kauffman/) > [Be very slow to believe that you are wiser than all others; it is a fatal but common error. Where one has been saved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/be-very-slow-to-believe-that-you-are-wiser-than-all-others-it-is-a/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) [Browse all 2,528 Appreciation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appreciation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Much as I resented having to grow up in Des Moines, it gave me a real appreciation for every place in the world that's not Des Moines.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bill Bryson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/much-as-i-resented-having-to-grow-up-in-des-moines-it-gave-me-a-real/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Appreciation" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/much-as-i-resented-having-to-grow-up-in-des-moines-it-gave-me-a-real/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99f/bill-bryson-340_appreciation_much-as-i-resented-having-to-grow-up-in_1838643.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99f/bill-bryson-340_appreciation_much-as-i-resented-having-to-grow-up-in_1838643.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99f/bill-bryson-340_appreciation_much-as-i-resented-having-to-grow-up-in_1838643.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Much as I resented having to grow up in Des Moines, it gave me a real appreciation for every place in the…” — Bill Bryson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bill Bryson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Much as I resented having to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/much-as-i-resented-having-to-grow-up-in-des-moines-it-gave-me-a-real/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/much-as-i-resented-having-to-grow-up-in-des-moines-it-gave-me-a-real/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```