Growing up in New Hampshire, I was surrounded by all of the natural beauty, history and easy-going charm this state has to offer. But, like many youngsters, I was anxious to see the “rest of the world.” So, after graduating college, I did what only seemed logical: I packed my
bags and left.
I moved around quite a bit, worked on Wall Street, worked my way up in business and helped raise a family. I was, indeed, lucky to see much of the world. As is often he case in life, it was the time I spent away that helped me realize how special the state was that I had left behind…and how eager I was to return home.
New Hampshire, for me, is often about life’s simple pleasures. I see it in the blueness of the sky, the brilliance of the foliage, the fairs, the gardens, the roadside vegetable stands almost everywhere you look. I hear it in the crackling of fall leaves underfoot as I walk with my family to a cider mill. I feel it in the comfort of letting my kids go outside and be kids without having to worry about them. I experience it through the honest, hard-working, down to earth people I see and work with each day—folks just like you who are passionate about our state and our communities and who look out for one another.
Two years ago, my family and I moved back to NH. We have never once looked back. The town we live in, Peterborough, is the kind of place where you can stand in a hardware store and talk to a local landscaper and a literary giant in the same conversation. It’s like a lot of towns around the state—plainspoken and rich in history, character and the types of values my wife Karin and I try to instill in our kids.
That is what this magazine is about. There is so much good in this state to celebrate—so many fascinating people, places and traditions; so many hidden gems waiting to be discovered. The original New Hampshire Troubadour chronicled our state’s countless treasures with beauty and simplicity. It gave voice to residents through profiles, prose, pictures and poetry deep with imagery and meaning. It encouraged folks in other states to visit NH and experience its majesty firsthand. In that same tradition, I want these pages to be a reflection and a celebration of you. Each month, I want you to look forward to visiting these pages and remembering the reasons why you are here.
We often go through life believing that the grass is greener on the other side. I have had the fortune of learning that New Hampshire is the greener side. And I hope this magazine each month will help you feel the same way, too.
