Montana Aussie Adventures with Erin-Jay: Final chapter?

Happy Hallothanksmas … I can’t believe how quickly it’s all going. It seems that every week is rolling closer and closer to the end of the year, especially with this cold weather.

Last week was another busy week with plenty of fun stuff happening about the county. However, I wanted to take this opportunity to fill you in on some news.

I don’t know how to say it, I am not good with this stuff, but I have been given an amazing opportunity to further my career, and I will be moving to the other state known for its big skies and wide open spaces.

At the end of this week I will be heading to northeast Texas. I wanted to tell you all from me, because you truly have no idea the impact you have ALL had on my life.

FROM THE amazing interviews, the meetings, the sporting games and all in between, I do honestly consider Sanders County and Plains, Montana, my first true “home” in all of my many previous travels.

I so humbly thank you all for the love, kindness and friendship you have given me, and know that writing this is not easy for me as if this were a typewriter their would be a few teardrops fall to the page.

I want you all to know that this move was an opportunity that I just couldn’t say no to professionally. As my work with the Valley Press has done so much for me in so many ways professionally and personally, I can’t thank the company enough for taking a chance on a lone Aussie to be a part of such a wonderful caring team.

From the first week where I got to cover the first of many fires, to when I experienced my first All American county fair, to experiencing a ride along with the Highway Patrol, to getting to know our prominent people within the county and so much more.

TO THE schools here, the students, teachers, coaches and the office staff that I have had the pleasure of dealing with on a near day-to-day basis sometimes, thank you.

To the many veterans, those that are involved in community groups and clubs such as the The Plains Trap Club, Cancer Network of Sanders County, Back Country Horsemen, 4-H and many more, thank you.

To pretty much every first responder that looks out for Sanders County (I truly think there is only like a handful of you that I haven’t met) you are and will always be considered friends to me and also heroes. Seeing first hand what you do to keep a county safe, and taking the time to “translate” different aspects to me ­­— you are all worth far more than you know.

THERE ARE so many people to acknowledge, to which I would easily take up the whole paper in doing so. Please know that I am proud to say to everyone I cross along my trail that Montana took a hold of me, and I will always consider Plains and Sanders County my first true home away from home.

So I will leave you with this, a quote from one of my favorite Australian movies, “The Castle”:

“You can acquire a house, but you can’t acquire a home. Because a home is not built of bricks and mortar, but love and memories.”

Until we meet again down the road, HooRoo.