It's time for a tights inventory

Heading to Iowa and New Hampshire...

Years ago when my younger son was a preschooler living in Georgia and steadfastly refusing to dress appropriately for a (relatively for the South) chilly day, I told him to put on his coat or he’d wish he had as soon as he stepped outside.

“I’m an Iowa boy,” he retorted, reminding me of his birthplace.

Okay, fine.

I’m a Missouri girl - one who gave birth to a Nebraska boy and an Iowa boy during the earlier years of my journalism career, while working at local NPR affiliates in those two, rather frosty, states. But now, after spending several years mostly in Georgia and Virginia, I am steeling myself for an upcoming swing through Iowa and another frosty early-primary state, New Hampshire, as the 2024 primary season officially begins in just over a week.

A colleague who’s already in Iowa helpfully flagged the Des Moines forecast for January 15 - caucus night - hovering somewhere around 0 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the time of day.

So I spent the weekend doing a deep dive into the back of my wardrobe for my gloves, puffy coat, and all the long-sleeved shirts, pants, and tights I can find. And panic-ordering leggings, two more sweater dresses, and some layering tops.

These will not be enough for a week in colder weather. More are on their way.

Tights were an absolute staple of my wardrobe in 2016, the last time I was traveling anywhere near this much for campaign coverage. I quickly realized that a wash-and-wear dress could be stuffed in a suitcase and paired with tights and a sweater, or not, depending on the climate. But it’s been awhile, and it’s time to re-up my travel game - particularly for chilly places.

I leave later this week. And I hope you’ll tune in to your NPR station and the NPR Politics Podcast for our coverage in the coming days, weeks, and months. 2024 is here, and it’s going to be a critical year.

There’s a sense in which covering this Republican primary feels a bit anticlimactic, given former President Trump’s massive lead in the polls. But we won’t really know anything for sure until the voters speak, so off I go.

In the meantime, we’ll see if this Midwestern girl can stand the cold!