Goodbye Moorhead

DEAR MOORHEAD,

From the beginning, I knew you were special. And, let’s face it, you had to be: Despite my decision to interview at MSUM, I had no intention of leaving Mankato where I’d lived and worked for 17 years. I certainly had no intention of moving further north where the winters were even harsher than those I’d been (barely) tolerating all those years.

So, no one was more surprised than me when I found myself accepting the offer to join the MSUM community and make you my home. Twelve years later, I’m still surprised—not only because I made that move, but also because you’ve come to feel more like “home” than anywhere else I’ve lived.

In this, my final column as MSUM president, I’d love nothing more than to find the perfect words to convey my deep love for you. I’ve been trying for eight years, ever since I wrote my first column in 2015. In that column, I mused that I loved my home in the Comstock neighborhood and its proximity to campus and downtown (not to mention the famous Moorhead Dairy Queen). I reflected on your rich history, the strong sense of community, and the wide range of cultural activities. I even admitted to loving the trains. Really.

Those words seem insufficient now. Because, as I’ve observed in my annual Thanksgiving column, the list of things I love about you is inherently inadequate. The truth is, the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. And, despite my inability to articulate your essence, you’re clearly a special place. A place I’ll deeply miss when I head west—and into the next chapter of my life—at the end of this month.

Home is where the heart is.  And my heart belongs to you, Moorhead.

Dr. Anne Blackhurst served as Minnesota State University Moorhead’s 11th president from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2023.