When my husband and I left the U.S. Air Force (we had been stationed in Europe) we decided to come back to New Hampshire’s North Country to make our home.
I am often asked, “Why? Why the North Country? With your background, education and experience, you could have lived and worked anywhere.”
It’s a good question. I am a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, and with my work ethic and experience, I could have found a position somewhere in the corporate jungle and probably would have done quite well. And I still could–I’m only 28, with most of my career in front of me.
So, why the North Country? Pretty simple: my husband and I value our quality of life. We like it here. For me the decision was easier, since my roots are here in the North Country. For my husband, it was more of an adventure, since it was all new.
Since we came back to live, we’ve come to appreciate our surroundings, our time and the ability to create our own opportunities. To live here and thrive, you have to be willing to make your own opportunities. But the great thing about the North Country is there are no limits.
People, and especially young people like my husband and I, have a unique chance to bring their own enthusiasm and work ethic and make themselves productive, contributing members of society, rather than just enter and survive the daily grind.
Our experience was anything but easy. We each had to find and start new careers. We bought an old house and spent a lot of time and energy turning it into a home with lots of character. And we hit the reset button with our lives, transitioning from the military to the civilian worlds.
We dove headlong into our new lives in the North Country, and it has been the most invigorating and rewarding experience of our lives. We are lucky to live where many can only vacation. We appreciate the changing of the seasons; the breezy summer nights, how it looks like the mountains are aflame with color in the fall, the harsh reality of winter cold putting an extra pep into our morning routine so our fuel heats us twice.
I love getting to give back to my North Country by working on economic initiatives in the private and public sectors, along with teaching high school math at one of our local schools.
We may be an hour from the nearest stoplight, shopping center, or chain restaurant, but I guess we just don’t need much. We focus on the important things here: our home, our family and our community.
Hannah Campbell
Member, Balsams Resort Redevelopment Team
Member, North Country Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
High School Mathematics Teacher, Pittsburg School