What Does “Feels Like Home” Mean to You?
This week, we celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week. The theme for our week is that, Murray, Kentucky "Feels Like Home." We asked locals and community partners to give us a glimpse as to what our tagline means to them!
Steven Guns – Senior Education Abroad Advisor at Murray State University
I’ve lived in Murray on and off for 8 years. Originally from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, I first moved to Murray in July 2009 for graduate school and for a position as the Residence Director for Regents College. After a stint in Michigan, where I met my wife, Joanne, I moved back to Murray and we stayed for 3 years. Moved away again and thought Chicago had stolen us for good, but somehow this small Kentucky town kept calling us home. Murray started off as a place I thought I’d live for a couple years and now it’s the place we are raising our two amazing girls, Sawyer and Harley. People look at us crazy when they learn we moved back to Murray from Chicago. Sure we miss the perks of city life, but in Murray we can drive to work in less than 5 minutes, our girls have a backyard to play in, and it’s the only place we can get Murray Donuts!
The real perk of living in Murray, however, is the people. Each time we lived in Murray we made connections and those connections continue to brighten our lives. From our work colleagues and friends, our fantastic neighbors, and really everyone we meet, Murray is filled with friendly faces. “Feels Like Home” to me is walking through the doors of Playhouse in the Park! It’s impossible to see a performance at Playhouse and not walk away a little happier, prouder, and amazed by Murray, KY.
Kathy Kopperud— Kopperud Realty
I've lived in Murray since I was six years old. My mother moved to Murray to be a teacher in the University Lab School, called Training School at the time. The school was set up to train teachers at MSU via observations and student teachers and I graduated from that school, then University School. I attended Murray State University and majored in Biology and English, and then taught 7th grade life science for four years in Louisville, Kentucky. I came back to MSU to attend Graduate school and studied Aquatic Biology. My last year in Louisville, I met Bill who had returned to Murray to open a real estate office. He was part of the reason I came back to Murray. After graduate school, I taught for a couple of years at Calloway County High School and then taught for a year in Lexington, Kentucky. But Bill and Murray drew me back and we got married. I taught for another year at Calloway and then we started a family, consisting of Kristin and John. I stayed home with them until John started school and then got my real estate license. I've sold real estate since 1987. I've been President of the Board of Realtors twice and Realtor of the Year twice.
I've also been active in community service working with Need Line, Angel's Attic, and others. My personal mission is to provide around 1500-2000 books for the Santa Projects for the last 26 years for the children of Murray. My newest mission is to help build a library for the new educational building for the Main Street Youth Center. I have been blessed to receive the Kathie Gentry Lifetime Achievement Award and the Rotary Humanitarian Service Above Self award.
Might I add, this spring has been a beauty! After the hard year we’ve experienced, the flowers, shrubs and trees burst forth, reminding us all of nature’s renewal. As I grew up in Murray exploring the streams, walking through the woods and spending lazy summer afternoons on the lake, I learned to love West Kentucky nature in all its forms. Attending Murray State University as a graduate student studying Aquatic Biology, I came to appreciate our beautiful waterways and Land Between the Lakes and the wildlife they support, even more. I moved to the big city for a while, but the riches of our region drew me back. Why, because Murray and its environment just feel like home!
Shanna Smith – Owner, FitMeals Murray and Maple Street Market, downtown Murray.
I was born and raised in Murray, KY and it has always felt like home to me. Some of my earliest memories include playing at the old city park, standing in line at Dairy Queen for the best hot dog and ice cream in the world, stopping in at Wallis’ Drugstore for an orangeade, wishing I was old enough to cruise the square with the cool kids, and spending hot summer days on a boat with family and friends on beautiful Kentucky Lake. In fact, if you’re looking for me during the summer, chances are you’ll still find me on a boat in the middle of the lake. It is my happy place!
I am a proud graduate of Calloway County High School and never thought I’d leave Murray, but in February of 2004 I moved to Chicago, IL to attend Culinary School at Le Cordon Bleu. To say I experienced culture shock would be quite the understatement, but I quickly made some amazing friends who I can still call on at any time, discovered baseball (Go Cubs!), and managed to introduce a little bit of Western Kentucky to my big city friends. They now know that shopping carts are really called buggies and that when I ask for a Coke I could very well mean a Sprite.
I moved home in the summer of 2005 and have had different jobs in the food industry since then including seven years as Catering Manager at Murray State University. As much as I loved what I did there, I didn’t get to spend much time in the kitchen and I missed it badly. When the opportunity to purchase a small business presented itself in 2018 I jumped at the chance and became the owner of Maple Street Market and FitMeals Murray. We prepare individual and family size refrigerated meals based on the paleo philosophy of eating - no gluten, dairy, soy, or sugar - and use as many locally sourced ingredients as we can find. We carry Kentucky Proud items in our retail store front including soaps from John and Miranda Rudolph of The Inky Squid Homestead, honey from Lost Possum Farms, CBD products from Kentucky Hemp Works, and jam and jellies from Spring Valley Farms. We also hold monthly cooking classes for children and adults, and I am so excited that we will be resuming them in May 2021!
Not long after I took over the business, I was approached by Julie Keller who was then president of the board of directors of Murray Main Street about helping them with their annual Market to Menu Dinner. That turned into joining the Organization Committee which helps recruit and maintain members and plan fundraising events which then led to me joining the board where I have served as secretary going on three years. During my time with Murray Main Street, I have become better acquainted with many of our local business owners and community leaders and have learned so much about what it takes to make a small community thrive. I am so proud to be able to support downtown Murray and can’t wait to see some of the plans that Murray Main Street has come to life which will only help ensure that our community continues to feel like home.
