Places are  funny things in a person’s memory banks. A good time, a bad time, or an indifferent time will stain a place permanently for someone.  It’s a weird thing to think about, but basically the way a person spends their time in any given spot, regardless of how little time spent there, will etch a memory.

I will be thinking of Bainbridge in a past tense now. This will be my last column, in my last issue of my career at The Post-Searchlight. I will be moving back to my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama.

As I began to pack, I started to reminisce on my time here. The people I have met, the experiences I have had, and the scenery I have taken in have far exceeded the expectations and presumptions I had when I moved here. This town will forever be the place I got my start, and I will forever be grateful for my time here.

My memories of Bainbridge will be good ones, because this town made them that way.

While going through journalism school at the University of Alabama, professors always told me about how hard it is to get develop sources. They talked about how difficult it is to get folks to talk sometimes; Bainbridge proved that to be false. This town spoils you as a journalist. Everyone seemed willing to help, most of my conversations I had with people felt more like a friendly chat than an interview.

From city employees to law enforcement to everyday people, it was all the same. I will always be thankful for that experience.

A first job is intimidating, but Bainbridge was warm and welcoming instead of cold and closed off.

My fondest memories of Bainbridge will be scenes along the beautiful Flint River, the pecan orchards that whiz by as I would travel down 27 South, and of all the people I came in contact with that made my time here so pleasant.

I wish the best for this town, and I believe the best is yet to come for Bainbridge. There is a fierce pride to being from here that I have noticed when talking to people around town. It’s contagious.

I found myself cheering for this town in its endeavors.  Covering Bearcat games I caught the buzz when the games were close, it was fun.

It’s been a fun time here in Bainbridge.

I will leave this town with it always in the back of my head. When I leave Birmingham to head to the beach and I pass through Dothan, I will always look east and remember that there is a small town that helped me get on my feet after college, and that’s a powerful memory.