How We Came to Idaho—and What Is Hello Meridian?

When we moved to Meridian in 2010, I didn’t know a single person. Not one contact, not one familiar face.

Even though I wasn’t new to Idaho—having grown up just 15 minutes from the North Idaho border and spending some college years in Eastern Idaho—the Treasure Valley was completely unfamiliar. We had just two weeks’ notice to pack up our life in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and head west. I had no idea what we were stepping into.

My husband had been offered a job at the largest construction company in Idaho. It was a great opportunity, and although we were hesitant, we were excited. At the time, we had two little kids and were ready to put down roots somewhere closer to my family in Spokane. I posted on Facebook and asked, “Hi friends! Shane was offered a job in the Boise area—we don’t know anything about it. Any suggestions on where to live?”

About eight people replied, saying Meridian was the best place for families. That was all I needed to hear. We flew out, spent a weekend looking at rentals, and found a great home for $1,250 a month. (That same home now rents for double.) Two weeks later, we arrived at our empty house and started fresh.

I remember walking the neighborhood that first day, totally alone. The air felt so dry and open compared to the humid South I’d just left. I could see for miles—it was disorienting. I didn’t know then that I’d one day become the go-to source for this city. At that point, all I knew was that I had a lot to figure out—schools, dentists, neighborhoods, and where to even start. And it took time.

In those early years, there wasn’t really a place to turn for guidance. No one to ask what preschool to choose or what restaurants to try. So I explored. I learned. I got to know Meridian.

Then one day, a few years in, I had an idea: What if I could introduce people to local businesses while helping those businesses grow? I’d already spent a decade as a blogger and social media strategist—I had the tools. So I started Hello Meridian.

It took off almost immediately. I was the first person to really do something like this in the area, and people connected with it. For the first two years, I never showed my face. But eventually, I did—and to my surprise, people responded to that too. A real person, sharing her real life in this community we were all trying to figure out together.

Now, more than a decade later, Hello Meridian has grown into the most trusted and influential local platform in the Treasure Valley—maybe even the state. Why? Because people want to hear about their city from someone who actually lives here.

So if you’re new to Meridian (or just trying to navigate it better), I hope Hello Meridian makes things easier for you. That’s what it was created for.

Welcome,
Natalie