Richard Tarntino:  

After traveling all over the world and living most of my life in the Midwest, here I am back in my childhood hometown (well very close anyway). After high school, and with the Air Force, I spent 4 1/2 in the far east and 3 1/2 years in Europe. Got to do a traveling throughout. Some years later left the Air Force and lived in the Midwest; Illinois to be exact. Throughout my years living in Illinois, I traveled back here once or twice a year, to visit family and such. Then around 2018/2019 I felt more of a "pull" to relocated back here. There is a lot to that; more than can be written here. As mentioned, I did get to do a lot of traveling, earlier in my life. I enjoyed all the places a I lived. I have nothing but fond memories from those places. I was also privileged to associate with many good people, in many of those places. When in the Air Force, I felt especially proud to be in the service of my country. It is important to have something larger than just the day-to-day life to belong to. I miss it. I am privileged to work in civil engineering and occupy a leading administrative teaching r...Expand for more