Until May of 2019, my entire life revolved around the Northeast. I knew nothing but summer nights at Red Sox games and winter mornings unburying my car from mountains of snow. When I started interviewing at Reynolds, my knowledge of Dayton stopped at: it’s a city in Ohio.

Was I really prepared to uproot myself and start somewhere new? I didn’t know anybody that lived in the area. I didn’t know where anything was. I didn’t know what sort of weather to expect. I knew nothing. Zip. Nada.

What I did know was I needed to have more to do in Dayton than just work at Reynolds.

During my research, I wasn’t just learning about the company. I was also seeking information about living in the area. Everything from sporting venues to community concert bands (I was in marching and pep bands in college) were on my radar. I wanted to make sure I could still do the things I enjoyed if I made the move.

As I progressed in the interview process, I developed a more detailed vision of what I would be doing both at and away from work. What really sealed the deal was the opportunity to visit Reynolds’ Dayton headquarters before being offered the position. Being able to talk with people about all the little details and begin to consider the logistics of moving made me feel even more comfortable with relocating to this faraway place.

Over the course of my first few months at Reynolds, I slowly eased myself into my new Midwest surroundings by fulfilling pieces of the vision I had while interviewing. I joined a concert band and went to several festivals in the area. I even managed to see a minor league affiliate of the Red Sox when they played in Columbus.

Reynolds also facilitated plenty of activities outside of the workday, which was a welcome surprise. I played softball, tennis, and corn hole with coworkers throughout most of the summer and fall. Having those activities so readily available helped me feel like I was part of a community in this new place. It’s been almost a year now and, while I’m still having the occasional fish-out-of-water moment, I’m very happy with the life I’ve built for myself in that short time – and happy I took a chance on Reynolds.