When I first started at the newspaper, I thought that working here would be a fun job. And to be honest, it really has been.
I expected that it would be a job where I would meet new people, and I was looking forward to doing this in a new town with new faces. I have met local umpires, volunteers and those that drive the recreational sector. I have met those who meet bi-weekly to decide on the future of the community and those that have children on the local sports teams.
I expected that it would be a job where I would learn new things. And it has been. I have learnt all about how a newspaper is published and about all of the components that it takes to put one together. I have learnt all about MMA (mixed martial arts) when I probably couldn't have told you what the acronym stood for before, and now know what a modified car for the IMCA circuit is.
I expected that there would be research and writing, something that I had grown accustomed to during my time at university. Typing 1,000 words is something that comes naturally to me as the past number of years at university were full of requests for 20 page essays for which research was a necessary component.
But what I didn't expect was to discover an awareness of all of the events and unique treasures of the region. One would think that I have would expected that, I mean it is obvious that a reporter should know about the events and be aware of what the region has to offer. But truth be told, I didn't really think about it. Or I guess more specifically, I didn't think about the fact that I would be attending and experiencing as many of these great events as possible.
As of recent, it seems like I have experienced a lot of these events. The wet weather in the spring has made for an increase in the number of these events as of late. The postponed events, now rescheduled, have come to mean a busy past month and there have been some amazing events and attractions.
I have been able to get to the Red Barn, a place I had never heard of before moving here, and have discovered the abundance of local vendors and abundance of local produce.
I have been reminded of wondrous childhood memories such as Kenosee Superslides where children and parents alike are privileged to wet-and-wild fun on a hot summer day. And also to the drive-in where a bucket of popcorn must be shared between friends.
I saw the Bear Claw Casino and Hotel Annual Summer Celebration Pow Wow through the eyes of a seven-year-old who was captivated by the sights and sounds of the celebration and whose feet moved to the music and drumming.
I have witnessed the music stylings of the Kenosee Lake Kitchen Party where musical talent spans the age ranges and where talented musicians leave even more talented. A place where music fills the air and the outdoor venue becomes one of the warmest places in the park.
I have experienced the feeling of inspiration as someone who has trained for months crosses the finish lane at a fundraising marathon and as dollar figure after dollar figure is tallied and announced during a fundraiser.
I have tested out the making of the perfect smore during an outdoor bonfire and taken photos of 'the-best-dressed' at a golfing fundraiser. And honestly, the list goes on and on.
So, while I did expect the meeting of new people, and the writing, and the research; what I did not expect, is probably one of my favourite things about the job. I have had the opportunity to experience event-after-event and learn about topic-after-topic. I can chalk up experiences that I probably would never have experienced otherwise. And what it comes down to is that we live in a pretty amazing area with plenty of things to do and experiences to have. And one thing that I've learned is that the events just keep on coming...
