Dear Minnesota,

I really don't know where to begin, but I had to try to express my appreciation for all you have given me over the last few years. In March of 2005, I arrived in this state to an empty apartment and a city full of people I didn't know. Almost five years later, I leave a place that feels like home and friends who feel like family. I am from California, but in so many ways, I grew up in the mid-west. I am so grateful for that, as well as the opportunity to go home.

I had never really spent any time in Minnesota, but every time I ran across someone who had, they always expressed their love for it, and talked about how great the Twin Cities area was. They were right.

I have so enjoyed my time here, the people I've met, and the adventures I've had (most of them anyway.) I now understand how and why people live in sub-zero temperatures and love it. I understand what people mean when they say Minnesotans "embrace winter'.  I will miss snow on the ground at Christmas time. I will never forget the chill of a morning run along Lake Minnetonka with a few hundred "friends", then jumping into a big hole cut into the ice to celebrate the start of a new year. I will think of my WCCO buddies every first weekend of January and remember the crazy fun of "Ice-Feeshorama" as I try to explain to my friends in California how I really did spend the night out on the middle of a frozen lake (and what a great time it was.)

It is hard to explain to people who haven't lived it, how great this place is, even in the winter. I have felt the warmth of the sun as I sat in the middle of frozen Lake Calhoun and watched the bright colors of the ice-sailors swoosh back and forth around me. I enjoyed the magic of seeing Lake of the Isles lit up with ice lanterns, and cross country skiers enjoying the peace of an evening spin on the eve of The City of Lake Loppet. And I have felt the amazing energy that comes with the first signs of spring after a hearty winter. Summers are short in Minnesota, but they are worth the wait with all they offer. I could go on and on with the memories I take with me from this wonderful place, but it would take up pages if Idid.

So I get to the point of this: my grateful heart for the time I spent here and the way so many of you made me feel a part of your community. I worked among an amazing group of people at WCCO, and learned so much from them. I thank you for making me feel like part of the family from day one. Thank you to viewers for making me part of your evening routine by tuning in. To those who have taken the time to watch, read, and offer kind feedback or even harsh criticisms when necessary, I sure appreciate it.

Thank you to all the great folks I met along the way as I was "Finding Minnesota" for sharing your stories with me. And I offer a special thanks to those I met during troubled times who found themselves part of headlines through crime, illness, financial crisis, or loss. Thank you for trusting me to tell your stories and helping us all find more empathy for those in our community through your willingness to share your pain.

Thank you to my pals at the grocery store, gym, gas station, coffee shop, parking garage, local eatery and watering hole who always made me feel connected to the community with their friendly greetings and personal attention. And my gratitude to the dozens of familiar faces I passed regularly on daily treks around Lake Calhoun and exchanged waves to on breathless runs, or Howdys and Hellos on leisurely walks. Many of you I knew only by face and running pace, but you broke your stride long enough to offer condolences and support when I experienced my own losses in recent months.

To all of you who have written, called, e-mailed or commented on my blog or facebook page with words of encouragement, sympathy and support, I thank you. I don't think I will get back to each of you personally, at least not any time soon, but I have read every one, and they have made my journey through a transition period so much easier. I have truly been overwhelmed by your kindness. Minnesota is a place full of people who grew up here, are from here, and yet, I have felt anything but a stranger.

It all makes saying so-long a bit tough. I am thrilled with what is next for me. I'm heading to the place I am from. I will be spending Christmas with my family and for the first time in 15 years, won't be getting on a plane to head somewhere else when the New Year arrives.  I'll be heading to work at the very station where I started my television career.  I will be living in the community where I was born, went to college, and have roots. It's all very exciting. But it doesn't take the pain away from good-byes I have had to say here in the last few weeks. Including this one.

That's because so many of you have made it such a special place for me and such a special time in my life. So thank you, for everything. I leave with a very grateful heart.

Sincerely,

Jeanette Trompeter