Kasaundra Landon, 23, was born and raised in Big Sky country, educated in Hoosier country and is now living in, well, the country - Strafford. Landon says she feels at home even though she’s been in the Upper Valley for a little less than a year. Accompanied by her dog, Landon sat down recently with VALLEY NEWS staff writer Kerry Trotter. The following is an edited transcript of their conversation.
I’m originally from Montana, and I spent five years in Indiana going to school (at Purdue University). I got this job, and they needed somebody out in the New Hampshire-Vermont area. I’m an insurance adjuster.
Since I’m from Montana, I still am used to the mountains and winter and the different seasons, and in Indiana I got a little introduction to humidity. But this is a lot smaller of an area than I ever really lived in. The town I grew up in Montana (Missoula) was still 50, 60,000 people. I really needed a smaller setting. Strafford has like 600 year-round residents; everybody knows everybody. I drove into town with Montana plates and everybody was like, “Oooh, she’s from out of town.” I went to the one general store, people just stared at me. Sometimes they’ll say hi but mostly just ask - I live with a girl that’s from the town - and they come up to her after I leave and go, “Who’s that?”
All my family still lives (in Montana). Being out of school and an adult, I don’t get to go home on school vacations, and so I just mostly miss that atmosphere, just living closer to family. I wouldn’t say there’s anything that really draws me back right now. I think eventually I might move back. I’ve just needed to keep moving.
I’m definitely the youngest independent person to live in (Strafford), aside from everybody else’s children or grandchildren. The girl I live with, her mother owns the house. She lives full-time in Virginia but wants somebody in there to keep it up. It was built in the 1860s. And it’s definitely been an experience with that house.
Her daughter is 29, so we’re kind of close in age. It was good having her because I moved out here without knowing anybody. She showed me around and has introduced me (to people).
I do (like it here). It’s beautiful, for one thing. I moved here in November, to just get the winter over with. (I thought) if I can make it through that, then I’m pretty sure I can make it here! It being so small and kind of tucked away from the interstate and other public roads, it’s just so nice.
Even though it’s one of those places that’s kind of everybody knows everybody else’s business, I don’t know, I kind of like that. I like waving to people on the street even when you don’t really know them. Everybody’s been so nice and pretty accepting.
Where I live now, it takes me like a half hour to get to the closest normal grocery store. If I don’t make it to our little general store before 6:30, it’s closed. Our whole town closes down. Being in the places I’ve lived before, things are open til 3 or 4 in the morning, I can order takeout, (but) here? No. You could absolutely never get anyone to drive out there! I’ve got to make sure that if I go into (Lebanon or Hanover) to work that I include all of my stops in that trip. If not, I’m driving for a half an hour to get ice cream or something!
I signed a two-year contract with work to be here, but their intention is, if you’ve been here for two years you’re going to like it enough to continue to stay in this area. I think they trick a lot of people that way! I didn’t really expect to like it as much as I did. The people that live in my small town have really welcomed me, and it’s a huge dog-friendly community, which is really important. I don’t see myself moving anytime soon.