Medora is a tourist town near Theodore Roosevelt National Park where the high season attracts thousands of visitors. But the overall quieter environment means Lee can afford a quality of life she couldn't achieve elsewhere, she says, even as she makes friends, dates and builds a future there.

After visiting as a child and returning for summer jobs while in college, Lee, who trained to be a high school math teacher, now works for the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes travel and tourism to the city.

She now earns about $50,000 a year before overtime as a ticket and reservations manager.

“I’m really happy with how everything worked out,” Lee says.

Lee's salary is slightly below Medora's average household income of $65,000, but as a single young person, her salary goes a long way.

Lee is making steady progress toward her financial goals: She donates 6% of her salary to her 401(k) account to sustain her business, $230 to a Roth IRA, and about $300 each month to savings. She recently purchased a Ford Bronco for which she makes a monthly payment of $600.

She rents a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in a building her company owns at a discounted rate of $850 per month. For comparison, Lee shared a similar-sized apartment with a friend in college at the University of Minnesota Duluth, and their shared rent was nearly $1,300 a month.

However, outside of employer-provided housing, finding housing in Medora can be difficult, according to Lee. Some of her older colleagues live in houses outside the city and drive to work every day.

One of the hardest things to plan for is food. There are no supermarkets in Medora, only convenience stores and gas stations. That's why Lee drives 30 minutes to nearby Dickinson, North Dakota, about every two weeks to stock up on groceries. She spends about $300 to $400 a month on groceries and has to pay extra attention to her biweekly shopping in the winter, when snowstorms can shut down the highway.

This forward planning helps her save money in the long run. Food prices are more expensive in the city because it's a tourist destination, she says, so she tries to keep the number of shops and restaurant visits to a minimum. Lee estimates she spends about $200 a month on dining out.

Another compromise is that you have to drive far for entertainment. Lee and her friends plan trips to Fargo (a nearly five-hour drive) for concerts and other large events. She estimates she spends about $250 on gas each month.

However, her job saves her a lot of money in high season. From May to October, Lee and other full-time employees (and their family members) receive free breakfast, lunch and dinner in the on-site cafeteria. That means savings of hundreds of dollars per month and thousands per year.

Despite its small size, Medora actually has a lot of young people.

According to census data, most residents are either in their 20s or over 65, and many of the younger ones work in the tourism industry alongside Lee.

Many of their friends in town are colleagues who started as seasonal employees and moved to Medora after college, Lee says, “so we really had the opportunity to become friends and have the same experience together, in a unique little place somewhere.” City to live.” .”

Lee and her friends often take trips to Theodore Roosevelt National Park to hike, stargaze and capture the Northern Lights.

“We’re in such a remote place that the sky is incredible,” Lee says.

Winters are harsher when the city is empty and the weather is harsh, but Lee lives in the same building as many of her friends, so they spend time together all the time.

Making friends may be easy, but the dating scene is a little trickier. Lee says meeting people who become work colleagues comes with the territory.

“It's definitely interesting to go out in such a small town” and have to think about “this is someone I'll continue to see at work,” she says.

Despite this, she has remained cordial and professional with her exes, and many of them remain good friends.

However, Lee says she will likely consider expanding her dating pool to neighboring cities in the future.

Lee is confident she'll stay in Medora “for the foreseeable future,” thinking only that she'll leave to eventually be closer to her birthplace in Roseau, Minnesota, home to about 2,700 residents.

In just a few years, Lee has already received several promotions and feels she has room for growth within the company. She She is positive about her company's goal of “connecting people to historic Medora to have positive, life-changing experiences,” she says.

Helping people be happy on vacation also makes Lee happier.

“Everyone enjoys their vacation, especially in summer; it’s just a really happy place,” Lee says. “And that kind of positive energy resonates at work and in my personal life too.”

She adds that she is “absolutely” happier living in a small town than a big city.

“I grew up in the country, so I love the small community atmosphere,” says Lee. “Everyone helps each other. Everyone acts like they know you and are friends with you. And if he’s a stranger at the post office, he’ll hold the door for you.”

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