Reflections on reporting for The Eagle

For the past five years, Doug and I have been very lucky to be a part of such a wonderful community, first in Cathlamet, then in Naselle. We had the absolute best of both worlds. We went from one awesome place to another and met some of the greatest people on earth. Who knew it would end so quickly?

By the end of June, because of more budget cuts in the Department of Fish and Wildlife, we will be moving to Hoodsport, a town just north of Shelton on Hood Canal so Doug can work at a different hatchery. It is hard for me to write this because I realize it is one of the last articles I will write for The Eagle.

Over the past two years, people have asked me if I like my job. Well, since September, 2007, I have been very lucky to sit in on meetings, attend festivals, interview fabulous people, and then write about it. It just doesn’t get any better than that. The answer is, yes, I love my job and I will miss it. But that is not all I will miss.

I will miss walking down the street and having someone wave as they drive by or seeing people on the street and stopping for a moment to chat. I will miss going to the schools to see what the students are up to and driving by the school signs and reading about coming events.

Never in my life have I seen communities rally together the way people have here. In Cathlamet with the Pay to Participate program and in Naselle when it was believed the youth camp would close; people really care. It is a beautiful thing, and I feel so blessed to have been a part of it.

I grew up in Olympia and used to balk at small town life. I couldn’t fathom living somewhere where I would have to drive for miles to get anywhere or to do anything. The movie theater was only five miles away, the mall seven; there was always something to do.

Then, I came here. At first, I admit, I was unsure, but the town quickly grew on me. The first thing I noticed was my sleep improved. It was so quiet. The next thing I noticed was the minimal amount of traffic.

I loved being able to tell people I lived in a county without a stoplight. I will definitely miss that one! It’s funny now, because I find myself getting annoyed if I actually have to wait for five or six cars to pass before I can make a left hand turn.

Most of all, however, I noticed how kind people were. One of the first people I met here instantly invited me to be a part of her group of friends. They accepted me even though I was "the young one." We all clicked. I will miss my Wednesday nights!

I hate to say this, but I think I took it all for granted. I didn’t realize until now that this area, these small towns, they’re the best place in the world. It is a secret I don’t think a lot of people know. They drive by on the highway without giving a second glance to the small town that they are passing. They don’t know what they are missing!

So as I wrap this up, I want to say thank you to everyone who made my life here so wonderful. Thank you for the compliments, the story ideas, the laughter and the tears. They are memories I will forever cherish as I grow older.

I know I will be back to visit, because I just can’t leave a place like this and never turn back. Even though I will be miles away, all of you will always be in my heart. I hope you won’t forget me; I will never forget you.