Thank You, Peninsula Pulse!

There I am in the hammock, watching the sunset from Ephraim. Submitted.

by EMMA CHAMLEY

It seems like just last week that I drove up to Baileys Harbor from Champaign, Illinois, to start at the Peninsula Pulse, but my summer at 8142 Hwy 57 has come to an end. I’ve spent the summer running all over the county, meeting amazing people and hearing their stories. From articles about ice cream, to pickleball, to camping, I’m so lucky to say that I got to write about it all. 

I’ve always come to Door County as a visitor, but this summer I got to see the community from a different perspective. People love the Pulse. Pretty much everyone I met this summer had great things to say about the work the newspaper does. The Pulse loves the county, too. It was inspiring to see how much the staff cares about telling the community’s stories. 

People are so welcoming in Door County. Everywhere I went, people were so open and eager to talk to me. I got the chance to do some pretty cool stuff, too: I shadowed a paddleboard-yoga class, talked with artists at the Plein Air Festival and even got an invitation to shoot off fireworks at Sister Bay’s Freedom Fest. I ended up helping to light the first firework in the show earlier this summer – definitely not something I saw myself doing this summer! 

I think my unexpected favorite story was “An Unlikely Door County Visitor,” which I wrote a few weeks ago about a missing pigeon. I got a lot of really worried messages from readers who were concerned about the fate of the poor pigeon, but you may all breathe a sigh of relief: Mr. Pigeon is safe! His owner told me that he had landed in Rosholt, Wisconsin, about 130 miles west of Sturgeon Bay, where a fellow pigeon owner took him in. Although he didn’t make it back to Canada, we can all hope he’s adjusting well to Wisconsin life. 

As for me, I’m heading back to Indianapolis to start my junior year at Butler University, and I could not be more excited! I can’t help but put in a little plug: To keep up with me, follow me on Twitter @emmacchamley.

Door County people are truly some of the nicest, most welcoming people I’ve ever met. Thanks so much for all the kind wishes this summer!