Choosing Converse County: Why I Traded Utah for the Wyoming 307
Starting a podcast is one thing, but sitting in the “hot seat” for the very first episode was a whole different experience. For the premiere of Converse County Conversations, I’m stepping away from the microphone to let my broker and friend, Tyler Johnston, interview me about my journey to Wyoming. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like moving to Converse County from out of state or why I’m so obsessed with our local heritage, this conversation is the perfect place to start.
Check out the episode below to see the whole interview:
When the Interviewer Becomes the Interviewed
Usually, I’m the one asking the questions and hunting for the “why” behind our local landmarks, but Tyler Johnston flipped the script on me. As a third-generation Douglas business owner, Tyler knows this land better than almost anyone, so having him grill me on my motivations was both humbling and exciting. We sat down on my couch to talk about my transition from Utah to Wyoming in 2019 and the steep but beautiful learning curve that comes with becoming a local in a tight-knit community.
The Cowboy Poet Legacy and the "Why" Behind the Podcast
A huge part of why I do what I do—and why I finally launched this channel—comes back to my dad. He was a cowboy poet who didn’t just see a “run-down barn”; he saw a story, a family’s history, and a piece of the West that deserved to be remembered. When he passed away, I realized that those stories are the “roots” that hold a community together. Moving here meant more than just buying a house; it meant learning the stories of the people who were here long before me and finding a way to preserve them for the people who will come after.
Supporting the Heart of Glenrock
People often ask me why I chose Douglas and Glenrock over anywhere else. The truth is, my family spent years living as ‘oilfield gypsies,’ moving wherever the work took us. But when it was finally time to plant real roots, my husband and I knew we had to come back to his native state… the very place where we first met. I’ll be the first to admit that I miss being surrounded by the high Rocky Mountains, and I definitely hate the Wyoming wind as much as the next person! But you have to be tough to stay here sometimes, and that’s exactly why I love it. This is a place built on ‘Code of the West’ values, not just fluff, and it’s the only environment I want to raise my family in. In this episode, Tyler and I dive into that ‘outsider’s perspective’ and how I went from moving every few months to finally finding the one place to put down some roots
Help Us Give Grandma’s House the Send-Off It Deserves
This podcast is a labor of love for our community, but I can’t find every story on my own. I am looking for the ranchers, the shop owners, the history-keepers, and the “everything in between” folks who make this county what it is. If you have a story that belongs on Converse County Conversations, or if you know a neighbor whose legacy deserves a spotlight, please reach out. Let’s work together to make sure the history of Douglas and Glenrock is recorded, celebrated, and shared for years to come.
