Remote worker enjoys quieter life and beautiful view of Missouri River
Not envisioning her life amidst the bustling cityscape of Minneapolis, Stacey Nelson and her husband Erik relocated to a beautiful view of the Missouri River just outside Fort Pierre.
Despite the change in surroundings, Stacey was able to take a big part of her life to her new home: her job.
“This is where I want to work,” she says. “I managed to have the best of both worlds with a remote option and internet connectivity.”
That was 20 years ago. Today Stacey leads a 300-person team for the same software development company based in Minneapolis. Stacey’s Golden West connection allows her to work where she wants to live, instead of having to live where she wants to work.
She connects with a tight-knit community of people near Fort Pierre, while her Golden West service bridges her to colleagues as she maintains work connections.
One move, two changes
Stacey grew up on a small farm in South Dakota. Coming from a rural area, living in the city for a few years was a big adjustment for her.
“Because I wanted to work for the company, I had to sacrifice the area I wanted to live in,” she says.
Although she loved her work, Stacey knew she wanted to take it with her to rural South Dakota. For her, that includes a garden and yard to play with her dogs, which is two minutes away from where she launches her boat on the Missouri River.
Working outside the office
When Stacey initially moved, she transitioned from being just down the hall of her coworkers to the end of the hall of her home.
From then on, a fast and reliable connection from Golden West has been vital for Stacey’s work. “Golden West came in and put fiber,” says Stacey. “And that really was a big game changer because of the connectivity, and it never goes down. It’s very high speed.”
The fiber-optic connection allows her to manage her team, video call without delay, and take conference calls throughout her workday.
Some of Stacey’s colleagues don’t have the same opportunities. “They were 10 miles away from downtown Minneapolis,” she explains. “And they didn’t have service that was sustainable and reliable for them to do the work I do from my home.”
Creating a community
Although Minneapolis is more densely populated than any city in South Dakota, Stacey says the sense of community isn’t the same. In a multi-family unit, Stacey says she hardly knew any of her neighbors.
On an eight mile stretch of road with just over 30 homes, Stacey knows all of them. In rural South Dakota, the binding sense of community means they are there for each other in a heartbeat.
Education and communication everywhere
Beyond her work and home life, Stacey still has time with all the parts of her life that matter most too. In the evenings after her busy workdays, she completed her master’s degree from the University of Minnesota with her internet connection.
Stacey also stays connected with family members who live hours away over video calls or group chats. Meaningful connections allow Stacey to flourish in her life and do it all while overlooking the Missouri River.
