"Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting." Some of you may recognize this quote from Peter Pan and I will try to always live by it. I have never believed in saying goodbye but merely saying I will see you soon instead. Goodbye has a stale taste as it comes out of your mouth, it brings with it tears and pain, and when you are 21-years-old, the forever in goodbye seems like an awful long time.
I often find time passes slowly and quickly all at once. This doesn't make sense, but for me a simple day seems to take forever, with a whole month flying by. I have been at The Observer for six months and although that seems like a short amount of time, the stack of articles I am finding while cleaning out my desk says otherwise.
I have met a lot of great people in this short time and have been to many of the spectacular Carlyle events. I remember introducing myself to the community through my first column published on March 23rd. At that point I was still writing opinions about world news and failing to add my personality to my pieces. When I started to write the "What ticks me off" column is when I started to hear feedback. I heard several people around town call it the b**** column, but it never seemed to be in a negative way. The fact that people were telling me my opinion on life was hanging on their fridge made me flabbergasted.
Coming from a big city the first few months in a town, where everyone knew who I was and I didn't have a clue who they were, was a bit frightening. Strangely enough, this is what I came to love about the community. Getting to know people was as simple as waving your hand at them each time they passed. Eventually, as time went on, the wave would become a hello and evolve into a full conversation. I assume that moving to Regina will be a little awkward at first, waving at every passerby may get me an interesting reputation.
The town of Carlyle is beautiful, and I will never get over the views that I have taken in from the many areas of town. Watching the sun rise and set in Saskatchewan is unlike anything I have ever seen. The rest of the country is missing out when they avoid the province due to misconceived judgments passed around the rumour mill. The province, as a whole, is filled with lovely people, who do their best to make you feel at home. Unfortunately my heart for the past month or so hasn't been in this job or town and when I am unhappy I can't produce my best work.
I took this position as a way to improve my happiness, get my foot in the journalism door and hopefully learn a bit while doing it. Although I have learned a lot, it turns out this isn't quite where I belong. This is not to say that it was a mistake, as I don't see it that way at all. I am young and this quite simply isn't going to be the place I feel comfortable calling home.
Six months is the longest I have been away from my family, which has been difficult as both of my grandfathers are aging and dealing with health issues. My mother has always been one of my best friends and being away from her has probably been the hardest part. This being said, I am surprisingly not moving home. A move to Regina, however, means a bigger world. This new city is one I have become attached to while living in the prairies. The majority of my Saskatchewan friends reside in Regina, and many of my memories come from there as well. Once I get to the city, it will be easier to visit my family out east as well as easier for them to come and see Saskatchewan.
I will always be thankful for the opportunity I was given, and I have met and worked with some amazing people while being here. My time working with Moose Mountain R and R will never be forgotten, and I am hoping that as a community people will see the dire need of more people like Cheryl Winkler in their lives. I have also become extremely close with the Cornerstone Theatre group, and will never get over what a hilarious group comes from such a small town. The museum was also a place I felt very welcomed, and hope that the building continues to educate each summer. For many, covering town council meetings and writing the RCMP report may be a daunting task, but I have thoroughly enjoyed it. The group of people operating this town couldn't be lovelier. Lynn Brady and family were also among the nicest people I have had the opportunity to meet. The constant emails of encouragement and keeping me company in the church pews couldn't have been more appreciated. I must add I have also never met such a great group of high school students. I suggest the town keeps doing whatever it is they are doing because the youth have a bright future ahead of them.
In southeast Saskatchewan it isn't difficult to find a job, but finding somewhere to live is possibly the most irritating task. I was lucky enough to be welcomed into the house of Darcy Howe for the first few months, and can't express how appreciative I am to him and his lovely dog Oakley for keeping me company during that difficult time. My second living arrangement never would have happened without Marylin and Don Carter. I grew close to them while living in the Sask. Housing apartments and wouldn't be anywhere without their support and welcoming arms.
Lastly I would like to thank the people who have read my work each week. Dedicated readers are the reason that journalists like me still have employment.
Perhaps the hardest farewell to say will be to my fellow reporter. After Kelly was hired, she became not only a great coworker but also a great friend. Somehow we managed to spend every day in the office together, and still hang out on free time without driving each other completely nuts. I think the only reason I kept any of my sanity 36 hours away from home was because of her.
I wish everyone happiness and can't wait to see the paper continue to get better.
It's been nice sharing my opinions with you, and so I say farewell. It isn't you, it's me. And I will be seeing you in the future, one way or another. This isn't goodbye, I won't be forgetting.
