TORRINGTON – Two years ago I packed up all my belongings and hit the road for 19 hours to start a new chapter in my life, and next week I will be doing the same thing, but in reverse.

I have accepted a sports editor position at a daily newspaper in Mount Vernon, Ohio, close to where I grew up, so this is my last week in Torrington.

If you would have told me two years ago how much I would have grown, learned and experienced from then until now, I wouldn’t have believed you. Coming straight out of college and diving into the “real world” in an unfamiliar place was quite the experience. I didn’t know exactly what to expect and I think that helped me out. Sometimes diving into the unknown and figuring it out on your own is better than diving into the somewhat-known.

When I look back on the last two years of my life, the top memories I have are getting out there and getting to know people. Sure, I spent many late nights cramming together the sports section or putting those last-minute stats into a story, but those are not my lasting memories.

Submersing myself into Goshen County is what I will always remember – the Little League games where all that matters is having fun, to getting to know the area coaches that are helping form the adults of tomorrow. From watching tee ball to trying not look like the scrawniest guy on the planet at a college sporting event, I have enjoyed every minute of it.

Telling the stories of Goshen County and its people has been my job over the past two years. Yes, I wrote and talked about sports all the time, but it was really about the people doing the sports. Sure, the score from last Friday’s game is important, but without the players, coaches, trainers, officials and parents, there would be no score from last Friday’s game. Getting to know those players, coaches, trainers, officials and parents is really what made my job so rewarding these past two years.

I’ve gotten to experience a lot of great athletic feats since 2016 that I will never forget. There was the Torrington soccer team in 2017 and then the football team that following fall, both finishing as runner up, state wrestling, which will always be one of my favorite things to cover, where Goshen County always held its own and the EWC women finishing second in the region in 2017. I would also never forget to mention Logan Harris breaking a 29-year-old record right in front of my eyes at state track last year. Those are just some of the memories of Goshen County that I will always carry with me.

I first and foremost want to thank the players I have had the privilege of covering over the last two years. Your athletic feats continue to amaze me and there is nothing like watching a team come together. To the coaches, thank you for putting up with me. From the crazed text or phone call you get from me about stats late at night, to just chatting on the sidelines, I have appreciated working with you. Parents and sports fans alike, thank you for supporting me and allowing me to find myself as a sports journalist.

There is nothing like going head first into a community and feeling like you are accepted. From sports talk to just waving to each other in the grocery store, I have felt like a true member of Goshen County these past two years. I hope I have made even a fraction of an impact on this county that it has made on me.

Thank you for letting me tell your stories Goshen County.