Like many people today, I have traveled around our country fairly extensively and have made my home in several states. I began my life in the lovely state of Maine. When I was nine years old, my father decided to move our growing family (my mom-pregnant with my sister, myself and two brothers), across the country to the state of Washington. It was a very exciting time for my family as we had seldom traveled outside of Maine. Upon arrival in Washington, we set up tent in a campground where we lived for a week while my parents found housing. We were a rather adventurous bunch! I spent the next five years growing up in Longview, Wash. One day in 1971, my dad announced that it was time to move back home. My grandparents, still in Maine, were aging and he felt we should be closer. Back in Maine, I finished my high school years, started college and got married. Then in 1979, I got the bug to go west again. So my husband and I packed everything we could fit into a small trailer and drove across the country landing in Portland, Oregon. I once again found myself living in a campgroud for two weeks, this time while my husband and I commuted into the city in search of jobs. It wasn't long before we were settled in the little town of Tualatin. A year or two later we became first time home owners in Beaverton, where we resided for 2 years. Then opportunity knocked again-another move in our future. Soon we were heading just north of Seattle, to Everett, to join my family who had moved there for a demolition job in 1983. We lived in Everett until 1985 when the job was completed. At that time we were offered the opportunity to move to Pittsburgh to take down the Homestead Works steel mill and thus began a 15 year stint in the steel city. In Pittsburgh we became home owners again and the most momentous event in my life occurred, the arrival of my beautiful daughter. Pittsburgh was a great big city with a small town feel. We had the Steelers and the Penguins to root for! Life was good. Little did we know that soon we would be packing again, but sure enough another demolition job became available in the Marquette area. I had been through Marquette a few times on one of our many trips across the country. Now I was going to be living there. We were very excited to have the chance to live on the shores of one of the Great Lakes, actually the greatest one of all! That was 1998 and, although my family has moved away, my daughter and I decided to stay here. Though I sometimes think winters can be a little long, it is hard to imagine living anywhere else. We are a little spoiled here by Mother Nature. The Upper Peninsula is truly a unique and beautiful place. It has managed to retain it's rugged beauty and charm, yet also develop itself as a tourist destination.
So there is a little personal background about me. As you can see, I've lived in many areas of the country. I think that in addition to all that Marquette has to offer, I've chosen to make it my home because it is so much like my birthplace, the state of Maine. Come visit us-you may want to make it your home too!