聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 There鈥檚 a feature, which has recently become quite popular on Facebook. It鈥檚 called 鈥淢emories鈥� and it brings up posts that you鈥檝e made on that day in years past. So, last week on Friday, April 8, I discovered that four years prior I spent my very first night in Carlyle.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Four years ago finding a place to rent was ridiculous in the area. Cindy had hired me at the end of March for the position of reporter and I was quite excited for my new adventure. My parents were in Asia at the time travelling and I know my mom has said she was struck by the news, 鈥淐arlyle?!鈥� It鈥檚 four hours from home and that鈥檚 a little too far for her, my dad, and my sister鈥� and to be honest, sometimes it seems like forever away for me as well.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 It was tough when my one grandma passed away and it was tough when my other grandma had a stroke, driving that far to go be with family felt like way too long. I miss being able to just head over to the shop and clean out my truck, getting to go kayaking with my dad who since I picked one up, has acquired a couple and loves it, reading outside in the summer together with my mom and sister, and all these little family things. It sometimes gives me a pang of sadness when I see them all taking photos doing stuff together because I wish I could be there.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 These kinds of feelings, those pangs of sadness, almost had me home after about six months of being here. All I seemed to have was work, but I鈥檓 thankful Jessica, the other reporter here at the time, was around, she was in the same boat so I made a fast friend. We鈥檇 go to church on Sundays and the kind people there always had a hug for us and were very welcoming to the community (and I feel terrible that I haven鈥檛 been going in recent years as work and coaching means I鈥檓 not around).
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 However, being the determined person I was, my plan was to stick it out for two years total because it looks good on a resume and I had already made it a quarter of the way there. I could do this. A real turning point came to my happiness in the area though when I was encouraged to take up coaching. Eugene Brown was my ride around the Moose Mountain Marathon for photos that fall and as we sat visiting, he suggested I take up coaching volleyball at Arcola School. The thought hadn鈥檛 really crossed my mind, but now four years later I can鈥檛 imagine not coaching. I love volleyball too much and seeing the young athletes continually get better is so much fun.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I鈥檓 told I can coach anywhere, but it鈥檚 tough to think about leaving the ones I鈥檝e been coaching and you get to know their younger siblings, it makes you want to stay because of the relationships you build. In addition to the friends I鈥檝e now made around here.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 So, despite feeling too far away from family quite often and memories of those relatively tough/lonely six months here to begin with 聽鈥� thank you to the ladies at Westview for being so sweet as well during that time 鈥� have led to four years of loving the area.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I guess my first home in Carlyle which my mom decided was a sign, really was. After all it was a fifth wheel, a little chilly for the month of April, which SURPRISE was actually my family鈥檚 old camper over 20 years ago complete with a wooden ladder my grandfather made for the bunk beds with his wood brand seared into a rung. I guess Opa knew I鈥檇 like it here and helped me find that first place to stay.
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽聽
