Column: Happy Medium, by Erin Murtaugh

Warning: This is a farewell column.

No, it will not be as deep or quite as long as former Publisher Scott Schmeltzer’s farewell column. In fact, it’s not really even a farewell column at all. I am still going to write my weekly column, so let’s consider this a goodbye-to-the-office column.

Tomorrow is my last day as one of the Tribune’s two summer interns. I will miss walking into the office in the morning and greeting everyone on the way to my desk. I will miss bonding with Brandi Hagen because our desks are side by side. I will miss Kelli Lageson and Hagen’s prank battles. I will miss Tim Engstrom’s never-ending supply of knowledge and his willingness to share it with me. I will miss going to lunch with my co-workers.

I will miss our goofy conversations that bring us to tummy-hurting laughter. I will miss my conversations with intern Quinn Andersen that no one but us could understand.

I will miss Clay Culbertson and his daily apple and banana. I will also miss him giving me a hard time about eating junk food, using the fax machine for too long or just about anything.

I will miss working for the Tribune because it is a truly rewarding job. I will never forget the day I went to interview Hazel Senske about her years of volunteering. She welcomed me into her home. We had a great conversation about her work and her gardens.

By the time I was ready to leave, I felt like I had known her for years. There are many stories similar to this one. Working in a field where you’re in constant contact with people makes it easy to make personal connections with the ones you meet.

Before I finish off this goodbye column, I have another farewell to add that does not have to do with the Tribune:

Happy birthday, Abby.

My best friend, Abby Pleiss, turned 19 earlier this week. Next week, she will move to Mankato to start her college journey. I will miss her, but I know she will have the time of her life. I will miss our double dates, girls’ nights and countless shenanigans. This weekend I will go with her family to Madison, Wis. Here’s to the new memories to be made over the weekend.

As much as I don’t like farewells, I know that with every goodbye comes a new beginning.
Albert Lea High School senior Erin Murtaugh’s column appears every Thursday.