My Journey to Loving Valley City

“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet." -Aristotle

Two years. It has been nearly two years since I made the major decision to purchase a home here in Valley City. Honestly, I had no real intentions of living here. I had what I believed to be a “forever job” in Jamestown and chose Valley City because the cost of living was better and I didn’t mind the drive.

Fast forward about a year and a half and I had a solid routine of fuel stops, grocery runs, and training sessions at the Wellness Center which were the extent of my Valley City experience. I missed my friends, missed having a life outside of work, and found myself full of regret for making the move. Why did I ever leave Nevada, or the Black Hills? Why would I buy a house in a smaller town? What am I doing with my life here? At least the scenery was nice though.

It wasn’t until I started work here in Valley that my entire experience changed with the city. Fortunately, my work required me to interact with members and businesses in the community and everything reversed overnight. All these people and places I had consistently driven by or never chose to/had to interact with suddenly had become accessible. It was like an entire new area and experience had opened up to me.

I went from second-guessing my decision to move here to feeling a sense of pride and belonging. My perception had shifted, which is important because perception shapes reality. I started to see the city, the people, and even life in a different light.

Think about our local economy for example. Do you know how many people from Jamestown and the surrounding area choose to come here for shopping? We are chalk full of independently owned, unique mom and pop shops that offer a one-of-a-kind experience. These businesses are original and full of heart and soul. The people who own them take so much pride in their livelihood here and you can feel it before they even tell you. Look at Bong’s Bootery, Urban Couture, Blush Boutique, our thrift shops, Aesthetica, Gleam Aesthetic, the legendary Pizza Corner, Budget Burger, Brockopp Brewing, Ally Beans etc… etc… etc… I could go on all day with locally owned family businesses that add so much character and life to our city. Even more important are the people who own and staff them. They pour so much into these establishments and our community and we are all better off for it.

Speaking of the people, it has been such a pleasure to interact with them in a wide variety of ways. You always will find a friendly face behind every counter, desk, or phone call. I simply could not appreciate how hospitable the community as an aggregate is until I started spending the majority of my time here and reaching out to them. How can so much pride in ones community not become contagious?

If this sounds like an overly -dramatic glamorization of the city, that is a fair assumption. Maybe I am being a tad hyperbolic. Or maybe it’s the fact that Valley City has been named “North Dakota’s most beautiful city”. Maybe it’s the fact that we have amenities here other cities our size, or larger, don’t. Is it, for lack of a better term, our community spirit that seeps into the subconscious of those not yet inundated by the mystique? It’s harder to explain than it should be, but it’s not something you can convey through words, only feeling.

Look, I tend to ramble a bit. It’s just my nature. I want the same things everyone else does and I found my way here in pursuit of that. It’s actually somewhat funny how I spent so much time here failing to appreciate the beauty of this city, area, and people while taking for granted how lucky I really was. Is it my fault for not putting myself out there more? Absolutely. Is it too late to realize how fortunate I am to own a home, carve out a living, and become a part of a very special community? Absolutely not.

Don’t be the same way. Don’t make my mistakes. Give this place a chance. Visit here. Shop here. Move here. Just stop by and talk to the locals if nothing else, there is something here for everyone. If I can leave the places I have been and the people I’ve grown close to and find happiness here, so can you.

I almost didn’t give Valley City a fair chance. This whole time I had so much of what I want right under my nose and was too foolish to admit it. It took a promising opportunity as well as a community to reaffirm my decision nearly two years later and it only goes to prove how things happen for a reason.

So I ask of you, dear reader, whether you are young or old, looking to move here, already living here, or have spent your entire life here – Go out. Go out and explore this beautiful city and the people in it. You may not know what you are looking for, but you will know it when you feel it.

Give Valley City a chance. You won’t regret it.