Written by Alyssa Bartek
We pulled down the overhead door on the moving truck, and it fell with a crash. That was it. We were ready to go. All of our possessions were packed into the U-Haul ready to make the trip to Henderson. Excitement, sadness, fear, and opportunity were all emotions that gripped us. What exactly would await us there?
Two years have now passed since my husband and I decided to move to Henderson. It didn’t take long after our son was born for us to desire to be closer to family. We were living in Wayne, Nebraska, where we had graduated from college, secured jobs, and also purchased our first house. While we thought we would be there for awhile, the opportunity of a job in Henderson presented itself, and we decided to take the leap.
I feel that two years is long enough to share my experience of moving back to my hometown. I am past the “discovery†stage of new things, and I have spent adequate time reintegrating into the community. It is too numerous to count how often I have been asked, “What’s it like to move back to Henderson?†If I was fully going to answer the question, it would take me many installments. Instead, I have chosen three categories to highlight to share my experience.
THE PEOPLE
Perhaps one of my greatest concerns was who would be there in regards to relationships. Because I grew up in Henderson, I knew we had an outstanding school, a high-quality health care facility, a great swimming pool, a beautiful golf course, and a size of community that lent itself to easily walking or biking around. The amenities were present but who would I be experiencing them with? Before the move, I knew of a few young families in the community; the discovery of so many more was one of the greatest surprises.
After just a few days of living here, I was invited to a playgroup that met at the park one morning each week. All it took was one time of going, and I had found a camaraderie. To my delight, there were many young families I wasn’t previously aware of now living in Henderson. In fact, if you stop by the park on playgroup morning, you could find over 20 children filling the play structure. I smile every time I cross over the park hill and see it full of youth. While some of my friends have the same story of returning to Henderson, my other friends come from Canada, Oregon, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Kansas.
In the general community, we also received such a warm welcome. Everyone was quick to greet an old and a new face. This happened by people stopping us on Main Street, striking up a conversation at the pool, bringing baked goods over, inviting us for a meal, and sending us cards. We immediately felt adopted and genuinely received into the town.
I have seen this same hospitality extend beyond to people in town without Henderson connections. At first we lived across the street from a family living in poverty with many kids and no vehicle. I watched out my window as Henderson residents provided transportation, brought them needed items, sent their kids home from school with backpacks of food, and even set up an Easter egg hunt for them to wake up to on Easter morning. The love that was show to this family literally brought me to tears at times. Unfortunately the family dispersed, but it was reassuring to know how they had been cared for during their time in Henderson and how quickly my fellow community members jumped in to help them.
THE INNOVATION
The innovation and creativity flowing through the streets of Henderson is just invigorating. Working for a start-up company in town has given me a front row seat in this area. Glancing down Main Street, you can see multiple new businesses. Beyond Main Street are even more entrepreneurs 
beginning their own companies. And a definite benefit in a small town is the support. I have watched community members help these companies by supporting them financially or rallying around them by actively advertising them to others. There is a small town pride that surrounds these companies because they chose to set up shop in Henderson.
Beyond business innovation, the Henderson City Council and the Chamber are doing substantial things to keep Henderson progressive. Have you seen the plans for the Main Street reconstruction project or heard about the new housing subdivision on the northeast edge of town? Have you checked out the #HeyHende campaign the Chamber launched complete with a video series to display Henderson? It’s definitely an exciting time to be back!
CONSIDER IT
While I was away from Henderson for several years, it was easy for me to think that nothing new was happening. Nobody moved to town, no new businesses began, and surely the town was on the decline. In high school, I actually had a teacher tell my class that in 10 years, she thought the town would hardly exist. Ironically, it has been 10 years since that statement was made, and I’m happy to report quite the opposite is true!
From the perspective of moving my young family to town, our experience has been wonderful. We enjoy our quality of life here, love our church, are surrounded by great people, and take full advantage of the amenities in the town. I do understand, however, that it is not the place for everyone. Maybe your job is only offered in a large city or perhaps you enjoy nightly entertainment that is located nearby. If Henderson is not the place for you, I at least encourage you to keep up with the developments and encourage those keeping the town progressive.
But, if small town living appeals to you, consider coming back to Henderson! My experience was that Henderson was a great place to grow up, but I’ve enjoyed being on the other side of the community even more. We’d love to see your face around town, so come help us make this special town even more remarkable.
*If you would like to learn more about life in Henderson, visit the Henderson Chamber’s website at http://www.hendersonnebraska.com/.
