In two weeks, I will begin work as a reporter for the South Bend Tribune, covering a community just to the south of South Bend that is in many ways similar to Adrian and Lenawee County.

The reaction I have received most often from people around town when I have told them I'm moving to South Bend has been, ”Wow! That's great."

I'm pretty sure most have meant it's great that I am advancing my career at such a large newspaper, and not that it's great I'm leaving... well, I'm pretty sure... I think.

When I was 18 I was ordered to go backstage at the Lenawee County Fair and try to get an interview with Britney Spears. I've also had to endure countless interviews with beauty pageant contestants, famous musicians and even Santa Claus. One time they even made me golf at the Country Club for free.

Actually I'm just glad I was given a chance to work here again after my stint as a paperboy when I was younger. I had a big route. I had to deliver to 500 houses - or two dumpsters.

Despite my penchant for really bad jokes, my editors over the years have allowed me to stay, so I kept coming back. But, seriously, this paper has always been there for me.

For example, the day I got dumped by my girlfriend my senior year of high school, the Telegram was there to comfort me by making my assignment for the day to type in engagement and wedding announcements for the Sunday paper.

If it wasn't for the Telegram and its many Central Michigan University alumni I wouldn't have even applied there. But it turned out to be the only college I applied to, and by my senior year I was named editor of its college newspaper, CM Life.

In the fall of 1999, I wrote a column for the Telegram discussing my feelings on going away to college and leaving Adrian. In it, I wrote how I always thought I wanted to leave Adrian, but when it came time to leave, it turned out I was sad to be leaving all my friends behind.

I kept thinking about how lucky they were and about how much fun they would be having here while I was gone. In the end, I wrote that I realized maybe they were thinking the same about me and that maybe I was actually the lucky one.

And now as I am set to leave again and all of those same friends have gotten married, settled down and moved into homes of their own, some of those same thoughts come to mind.

Nevertheless, it is still a sad day and I wonder about the good times my friends will have here as they begin their lives with families of their own.

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