Tomorrow is one of those days each year that push me to ponder a multitude of happenings in my life. Much like hitting my 30th birthday last year, this year holds some new milestones, reasons to celebrate and challenges all of their own.

You see, not only is it my 31st birthday tomorrow, but it also marks 8 weeks since my move to Minneapolis from the place I called home for the last 11 years. As I begin the celebrations tomorrow I also give pause for the many friends back in Fargo that are beginning what is quickly becoming a yearly fight to hold back flood waters. I’m wishing you all a great deal of strength, patience and courage as you face this yearly foe. Remember the waters will rise, the community will come together and as it does every year, the Red will calm and grace the region with its multitudes of blessings.  Here’s also hoping that the political powers that be can move swiftly towards a solution that will eliminate this problem permanently.

A thank you to the community of Fargo, North Dakota. It was there in one of the most unusual of places that this individual’s wildest dreams came to fruition and the foundation of a life yet fully realized created. You provided me with a phenomenal college education at Concordia. Your commitment and fortitude to education excellence has brought forth some of the most capable graduates in the region. Partnered with tremendous collaborations with business and government these graduates will change the world in ways they cannot even imagine yet.

To big companies with a strong Fargo presence, thank you for the opportunity to learn, grow and be challenged preparing me to become the marketing communications and business professional I am today.

Furthermore, thank you for the opportunity to drive a successful corporate career into one of private enterprise, where a community rallied around a small group of mid twenty-somethings to create a media company that would forever change the way Fargo/Moorhead viewed itself.

Finally, to friends and supporters – your faith and ability to see the grander vision is always and will be forever appreciated. The journey and path, although not always easy, produced results that we can all be proud of. A wake still flows both with celebration and challenge and only time will tell how the full story will end. I know deep down that the ties and memories that bind us together will show its grace as the future progresses.

A new home emerges now with challenges, friends and opportunities uniquely its own. The last 8 weeks have been remarkable and memorable. As many can attest, the process of moving to a new city and laying a new level to the house of life can be daunting. However it is the memories and experience I have gained to date that I know will propel me further on this road. I know I have the tools, knowledge and support to go out and accomplish whatever it is I set my sights on.  What will that be? Only time will tell.

Starting anew can be one of the greatest adventures life brings to us. A chance to reinvent, grow and learn. Today I focus on two things, giving back to the community that brought me this far, and investing in the community that I now choose to call home. I’m becoming connected and involved, feeling as though I’m once again home.

The big question for those that know me well I’m sure is what will I be doing next. Honestly its a question that even I don’t know the answer to yet. Since coming to Minneapolis I continue my consulting work, my work with the American Diabetes Association and have started work with a few other non-profits helping to formulate strategies to attract greater giving and organizational efficiency. I do continue to keep my eyes peeled for new opportunities that seem to emerge every day. I desire a return to life in the corporate sector, however also look forward to dabbling in new ventures that can further transform the world around us.

So as tomorrow rolls around, I mark a few more milestones in life and celebrate the potential that only the future fully knows.