Many Thanks, Fargo

Granted I have a few more weeks to reside in the state of North Dakota, I wanted to take a moment to reflect and thank the many wonderful people that I have had the pleasure to befriend and opportunities that have been bestowed upon me.

During the summer of 2011, I moved to Fargo, ND to join my then fiancé. If you have read ‘Our Story’ or the ‘Coach Kemp’ page then you will know that Coach Kemp had been working in MN/ND area as men’s basketball coach for several years. Once we got engaged (and many months prior) we had planned that I would move to Fargo, so then we could end our long-distance relationship. Moving to Fargo was simple, Jason had established a tight-knit group of friends and I just fell smitten with all of their wives/girlfriends. Every person that I have met in our athletic crew (football, basketball, soccer, etc.) has been simply wonderful. I do have a few friends whose husband’s jobs have them moving frequently, and I must attest that coaches’ wives and families are so welcoming. I believe this is because we are so used to the constant relocation and our husbands are on the road. I like to think of it as a “sisterly bond.”

I will truly miss the women that I have grown accustomed sitting next to at Bison basketball games, especially our varied conversations. It is funny after games when Jason asks my opinion of the game… Hmm, typically I watch about 1/3 of the game. The remaining portion, I am talking, entertaining kiddos, or daydreaming about something else. Then there are those nail-biting games in which I am screaming at the refs, even though I have no clue what I am yelling at, or wishing someone would call/text for a distraction. As you can see, my life truly revolves around understanding the sport of basketball… not so much. I truly hope the Toledo wives are as clueless as I. Unfortunately/fortunately; one is a former basketball player herself… I am certain she will try to sit at the opposite end of the row, ha.

What I am most grateful for was the opportunity to work in am amazing school district and then education service agency this year. When we first decided that I was going to forego an APPIC internship, much was on the line. I had spent nearly five years working towards my degree, and making the decision to do non-traditional internship was pretty risky. However, I have realized that God truly has a plan for each one of us. After beginning my internship, a door opened which allowed me to not only work in the state of MN but also ND. How lucky was I? Well, you have no idea?!?! Working in both states allowed me to widen my breadth of experiences vastly. I so cherish the relationships formed with the school personnel in both states. My time in ND deepened my practical understanding of Response to Intervention (RTI) which was strongly emphasized in my graduate training program.  This past year, being employed with an education service agency has provided me the opportunity to work with so many varied school districts and amazing individuals, many of whom are female. Honestly, the crew I work with is astounding. I am simply honored to have had the pleasure of working with them for this short period of time.

There was absolutely no way that I could leave Fargo without stating my deep gratitude for those who have crossed my path. I hope to stay in touch with many, and am certain their lives will continue to prosper.

With Love, Appreciation, & Gratitude,

Michelyn

And yes, about 1 month ago Jason finally made me watch the movie Fargo. Not sure if that had some affect on our move :)