HEART OF STEELE

Since childhood, I have moved more than 30 times. Spoiler alert: It does not get easier.

At the end of June, I made the leap from Faribault to Owatonna, something planned but also unexpected. As a full-time Steele County Times staffer, I knew another move was coming. A unique rental opportunity just moved up my timeline.

When I first learned about the vacancy, the idea of packing up again made me want to take a nap. However, tallying up the price of gas and all those trips to Taco John’s when I didn’t feel like cooking quickly tipped the scales, even though the move would happen around the same time as a long-planned family reunion.

In between packing boxes, I played chauffer to the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport (twice), Mall of America, Paisley Park, a mini-golf park, and—my personal favorite—Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store in Jordan.

(If you haven’t been, put that place on your summer stay-cation list. Trust me, it’s not all about the candy.)

On Saturday, siblings and cousins gathered for a big party with lots of food and family stories. The next day, we surprised my mother with a visit. She hadn’t seen her East Coast great-grandchildren in a decade, so we made some wonderful memories.

Monday came too fast; after a family brunch, we made one last trip to the airport. On Tuesday, three guys and a moving truck showed up promptly at 9 a.m.

As I write this, the old apartment is clean and empty. The new one is cluttered with boxes and bags. And I am officially an Owatonna resident.

I live now on a quiet street near the History Center and Fairgrounds and have calculated how long it will take me to walk to both. My minivan’s odometer has stopped spinning.

And I already feel at home in the heart of Steele County.