Cow Town Hoe Down - 2023

According to the US Census Bureau the greater Denver metro area has 2.97 Million residents. If you add Adams, Douglas, and Boulder county to this mix you come much closer to 3.7 million. While spending my teenage years and my early twenties in Denver I found that it was rather difficult to find a sense of community. The closest I felt to a “community” was my luxury apartments in Lone Tree.

Being on the top floor, I rode the elevator with a bunch of people. Most folks would engage in small-talk and I thought it was really great. I knew the names of all the dogs we saw on a daily basis. However once you left the building, out into this massive and seemingly never ending concrete jungle I felt alone.

New Salem, Pop. 1,011

My anxiety was high and my bank account nearing empty. Each pay period was leaving less money in the account than I had the previous. I took a gamble. I essentially threw a dart at a map and bought a house entirely sight unseen. Today I’ll be coming up on my third month here; I think I the gamble was a win!

While the town is small, it has proven to be a diamond in the rough so to speak. The local school provides education to the large county when you look at landmass. We have the Dakota Frontier Co-op in town. They offer a Gas Station/Diesel Shop as well as farmers equipment. You can buy Off-Road Diesel, Ethanol Free Gasoline, and all the other fuels you might need as well as meet up with the Mayor when you pay!

The previous week the town held an event called ND County Fest. The fairground was packed to the brim with RVs from all over the country for a week-long party. Once that event was over, the community celebrated with Cow Town Hoe Down. They opened the weekend with a Tractor Parade and Car Show right off Main Street. They had so many activities for the kids to partake in; it was amazing to see! The whole town had gathered together to have a good time, listen to music, and just let the kids play.

I’m glad I’ve chosen New Salem, North Dakota to call home. I hope that I can find a place for BlueBotPC to fit in and contribute to my friends and neighbors.

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