Thank you for my time here

Dear Havreites and Montanans,

By the time many of you read this, I will be on the road to the next chapter in my journey of life. Thursday was my last day at the Havre Daily News.

I just want to thank the community for taking a chance on a girl right out of college to come to a new place, start a new life and a new job.

I didn't expect to learn so much about myself, fall in love, go to work in 40-below temperatures, participate in pig wrestling and so much more.

I might say, though, to friends back home that maybe your first job out of school shouldn't be 20 hours away from home and not to a place where it's winter 10 months out of the year.

But, hey, I did it, I survived and I am grateful.

It hasn't been easy, but nothing in life really is. 

It's been hard being away from family, but being here has taught me is to be appreciative about what and who you have, and live in the moment.

Now, I'm an expert in Facetime, which is convenient in the times we are living in right now.

To the people I've met here, thank you for showing me what it means to be kind, caring, thoughtful, considerate and just how to be a person.

I've learned so much about education, politics, business, health and what really makes a community.

I never thought when I started writing about the St. Mary Diversion that it would become one of my favorite things to write about and I finally got to see it. Man, it was beautiful. I called my mom and was like, "I never thought I'd be so fascinated by a piece of infrastructure, but let me tell you it's not only beautiful, but so fascinating."

Though I knew Montana was not my forever home, it does have a piece of me forever.

To be honest, I never thought Montana was part of my journey, but I'm glad God decided it needed to be.