My Small Town
Small town North Dakota is where my
heart will always be. Smiling and waving at every car you passed whether you
know them or not, knowing the entire town by first and last names, having most
of the same elementary school teachers as your parents, and having at least a
15 minute conversation with a complete stranger because they might just know
your parents. Some might drive through my little town of Stanton and laugh that
it might only be 8 blocks long, but those streets hold more memories than one
could ever imagine. These streets were the same streets my parents,
grandparents, and even great grandparents travelled through. They laid their
roots down many years ago and little did they think that four generations
later, I would want to plant my roots as well.
Shortly after my high school graduation,
I moved to Fargo to pursue a college degree. I went happily with an open mind
to a new city with new opportunities. Not only would I be meeting new friends
but I would be experiencing what it was like to live in a town with a
population greater than 300.
While I have been in Fargo for almost
four years now, I am ready to move forward. I am ready for new opportunities
but in familiar places. After I graduate from NDSU, I would love nothing more
than to move back to my small town North Dakota town, and hopefully provide for
my community in the same way it provided for me. Hopefully one day raising a
family and allowing my children to experience a similar childhood that I once
had.
Earlier this month, my small town had
an all class reunion were folks from all over the country came back to visit
our shared home. While there were stories shared between classmates that
haven’t seen each other in decades there was a sense of nostalgia. It was a
bittersweet experience, though there weren’t a ton of people that came back to
appreciate our small town there were enough and through those who made the
trip, I knew we shared something in common. I knew these people had a love for
this small town. Our small town where memories were made and will continue to
live on.
Forever and Always,
Siam Simpfenderfer
Miss North Dakota International 2017
