Combining the switch from college life to work life with a move to a smaller town calls for some adjustments, a Wyoming couple who recently moved to Glendive are discovering.
Becky and Eric Iwen moved to Glendive in July when Eric started work as a machinist with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. While it was the job that brought them to Glendive, Eric had lived here as a boy and wanted to return to Montana, he said.
By Cindy Mullet Ranger-Review Staff Writer
http://www.rangerreview.com/digest/
The couple recently graduated from a two-year college in Rock Springs, Wyo., a town with a population of between 20,000 and 25,000 people, Becky said. They notice a difference in shopping options, but the biggest difference is that college activities are no longer at the center of their lives.
While in college, Becky worked as a resident assistant and she and Eric were involved in a variety of activities Their life in Glendive is a lot quieter, she said.
The quiet isn’t all bad. She is enjoying a break from organizing activities, and they were ready to move out of college housing where they had people living above and below them. “It was too much noise. We were ready for a house,” she said.
One of the college activities she really enjoyed was being a member of a steering committee which put on a play to raise funds for the women’s shelter in Rock Springs. The play, a series of monologues based on interviews with 200 women from around the world, portrays the basics of womanhood and the truth about violence and the global status of women.
Becky was in charge of student involvement, worked on advertising for the production and also read one of the monologues. The steering committee started work on the project in September or late August and held the performance during three nights around Valentine’s Day. It was a powerful experience for her.
“It is a play about awareness,” she said, adding, “I guess I’m a little activist at heart.”
Eric worked in the oil fields in Wyoming and was ready for a change. He applied for the railroad job over the Internet, came to Glendive for an interview, was offered a position and started work July 6. While he works the night shift, the hours are better than oil field hours and allow time for family life, he said.
The Iwens are expecting their first child in early December so while Becky is looking for new involvements in Glendive, she is hesitant to make too many commitments, knowing their lives are in for another major change in a couple of months. She has attended a Newcomers Club meeting, checked out activities at Dawson Community College and is considering joining the Friends of the Library and Toastmasters as well as looking at continuing her education through on-line classes.
“Glendive seems to be one of those towns where a person has to be in the know to really know what’s going on under the surface,” she commented.
The Newcomers Club meets for lunch at the Coffee Den every fourth Wednesday. A more informal group also gathers at the Coffee Den at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesdays. The club provides an opportunity for newcomers to learn more about Glendive and to meet new people.
Anyone interested in learning more about the club is encouraged to contact Carol Swanson at 377-2852. Information is also available from the Glendive Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture at 377-5601 or the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program office at 377-4716.
-News stories and vital records from current and back issues of the Ranger-Review are indexed at the Glendive Public Library-