Dr. Sarah Raak grew up in Orange City, Iowa. After graduating from MOC-Floyd Valley High School, Dr. Sarah continued her education at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri, and Cleveland Chiropractic College in Kansas City. After spending the last six years working in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Dr. Sarah moved back to northwest Iowa in 2018. She now provides chiropractic care at Stange Chiropractic in Orange City. Dr. Sarah and her husband, John, have two sons, Camden and Dominic.
Below, Dr. Sarah shares her experience moving back to Orange City.
Why Orange City?
When my husband John and I decided to start a family, we knew we wanted to raise our boys in a smaller community. We got to a point where John and I were both exploring our career options. At that time I was working in a chiropractic clinic and John worked for a large bank. We had talked on-and-off for a couple years about the possibility of relocating. I grew up in Orange City but moved away for college, and John had also grown up in a small town. We had a lot of options to consider, but we knew we wanted to live in a small, safe, and close-knit community. We wanted opportunities to grow in our careers and serve others, and we wanted opportunities for our boys as they grew and started school. We said, “If everything comes together, then we know we are meant to move to Orange City.” And it did!
Describe your lifestyle in Orange City.
Busy! John and I are very blessed to have careers that we truly enjoy. While we are at work our boys get loved on by their daycare teachers at the Orange City Area Daycare and Preschool. Our boys love and need to stay busy. Downtime is important but we go stir-crazy if we are inside too much. We are fortunate to live walking distance to the parks and downtown. Thankfully there is always something to do in Orange City—even if it’s too cold to play outside.
What has surprised you the most about living in Orange City?
The fact that I don’t miss the city! We experienced city living for the last 10 years. Before we moved, one of our concerns was losing the conveniences of a big city, but Orange City has a variety of restaurants, beautiful stores and boutiques, and there’s always some sort of event or activity happening.
What do you most enjoy about the community?
The friendliness. When I worked in Sioux Falls I remember telling someone I was from Orange City, and they told me Orange City reminded them of Pleasantville—seemingly perfect. Orange City is very beautiful, but it’s not fake or all for show. The people here take pride in their community. They wave when you pass them on the street, open doors for you and greet you with a smile. People here are genuinely friendly.
What makes Orange City unique from other places you’ve lived?
The welcome we received when we moved to Orange City was much different than what we had experienced before in other places. Numerous neighbors stopped by with treats and meals for us. It made us feel great that people wanted to get to know us and went out of their way to introduce themselves. We also have the pleasure of working for and with people that value the ability to serve others in our community, want to see us succeed and take a personal interest in our family.
What should others outside of Orange City or those considering a move to Orange City know?
Orange City has so much to offer! The people are kind and helpful, the leadership is committed to making this town thrive and businesses support each other.
Anything else you would like to add?
Fifteen years ago I moved away from Orange City and thought I would never move back. Seeing how much Orange City has grown and changed makes me excited for the future of this community. I’m very grateful to have been led back here.
