Well, it’s been fun, Rocky View County.
Over the past four months I’ve been the intern here at the Airdrie City View and Rocky View Weekly writing anything I could - sports, local news, community stories. It’s been a crash course in your backyard – when I got here, I had to ask someone what a “reeve” was. I had never been to a rodeo. I was grossly urban.
But as my internship concludes and I return for my final year at Mount Royal University, it’s time to reflect on the time we shared. Together.
(Sorry, I have a strange impulse to make goodbyes as uncomfortable as possible).
As I drove into Airdrie for the first time back in April, I didn’t know quite what to expect. I had done a quick survey of the city’s Wikipedia page before I started, so I knew the essentials – like to call residents of the city “Airdronians” or “Airdrites”. And that your sister city is Gwacheon in South Korea. Good old Gwacheon.
But only through my time working here did I really get a feel for the city, and for all of the communities around Rocky View County. Each one has a unique charm.
The first week I arrived, one of the stories I wrote was about a goose making a nest and taking over the local Airdrie transfer site with its wife and kids. I used that as an anecdote all summer. I want to pitch it as a reality show. Goose Dynasty.
My desk was positioned next to the fax machine, and I utilized it as a makeshift telephone. It and I grew very close. Everyone in the office could hear when I made calls, with loud fax-machine beeps ringing out. When people asked if they could call me back, I would note, “not on this number. I am calling you on a fax machine.”
Living in Calgary, I made the short commute up to Airdrie every day. Halfway through the summer, I was making the journey up Deerfoot Trail in my beautiful (and practical) 2000 Ford Focus station wagon. I noticed the back-end looked different, somewhat angular.
I don’t know much about cars, but I know when they sink in one corner something is amiss.
Ten minutes later, I stood out in the rain with my sweater over my head staring at a blown out wheel. Pieces of the tire that earlier that morning were intact now were strewn across the highway.
I whipped out my phone and promptly Googled “how to change a tire” (I, of course, left this part out when relating the story to others).
After getting the car checked out by a local shop, I was told it would cost $3,000 to fix, well out of an intern’s budget. I had to retire my beautiful, practical wagon. Such a shame. I can’t tell you how many groceries I used to fit in the back.
A borrowed-parents-vehicle later, I was back in business, and zipping across the county. You may have spotted me at various community events on the weekends (mostly the barbecues). I really loved getting to know the community through these events (and the barbecues).
I’ll be headed back to school in early September. I’m looking forward to embracing the university schedule for one more year. I scheduled my classes in a three-day block, so I can take weekly four-day vacations. It’ll, of course, be a nightmare on school days.
So, that’s it, Rocky View County. It’s been a pleasure and maybe I’ll see you in a year or two.
This is the part where I say goodbye. So ends our journey together. You had me at hello.
I hope this goodbye has been sufficiently uncomfortable.
