From Goodland to the Big Apple — Adriel Alstrom Tells Her Story

Adriel Alstrom picture from her Facebook page

On July 28, Rollie Halligan welcomed Adriel Alstrom-a Goodland High School alum currently living in New York City-onto The Good Neighbor Hour to share her journey. Adriel was in town for the all-school reunion and delighted listeners with tales ranging from small-town roots to the frantic pace of life in NYC and her courageous experiences as an ICU nurse.

From Small-Town Roots to NYC Life

Lured back to Goodland by the recent reunion, Adriel reflected on growing up in northwest Kansas. “I love it-no humidity, no rain. I come here in 100°F and it doesn’t even feel hot. New York City is like 80% humidity—you just melt.”

She and her family moved to town around 1994, when she was in fifth grade, making lifelong friendships-“Ashley was my first friend,” she shared.

Nursing in the Big City

Adriel has been a registered nurse for 14 years, and the past decade has been spent in the neurological ICU at NewYork‑Presbyterian/Columbia in Washington Heights. Her 30‑minute commute involves a quick walk and a subway ride-“I tap my credit card, it’s either $2.90 or $3.00. Not bad-but they could at least clean it, for that price.”

Nursing shifts run about 12½ hours, but she usually works just 13 times a month. Life in New York, she laughs, means adapting to a fast, expensive lifestyle-$2,800 a month rent for a one-bedroom in Harlem, with prices rising each year depending on whether an apartment is rent‑controlled or stabilized.

Katrina, COVID, and Community

Adriel shared how she first ended up in New York after volunteering in Mississippi post‑Hurricane Katrina through MTV’s alternative spring break. Living in a tent on an old golf course and working with United Way, she found her calling. She later relocated to upstate New York before settling in NYC.

When COVID hit, Adriel described her wards turning into ICU overflow units, training floor nurses on ventilators and life‑support in overwhelming conditions. “It was like the Wild West… we filled up with COVID patients. It was scary-but it brought us together. Did I want to do it again? No, I'm done.”

New York Highs, Small‑Town Connections

Despite the chaos of the city, Adriel builds community wherever she goes. She volunteers on her building’s rental board, and when walking in Riverside Park during COVID, she struck up a conversation with someone wearing an Oberlin, Kansas sweatshirt-turns out they both hailed from Oberlin and knew each other’s families. “It was random, but then my friend Andrew said, ‘See, everywhere you go, you have to talk to somebody.’”

Baseball, Food, and Feeling at Home

Adriel and her husband are regular attendees at Mets games—she raves about Citi Field for its local food and laid-back vibe compared to Yankees Stadium. They also enjoy ordering in-“$50 for dinner for two delivered in 45 minutes. Worth it.”

Though life in New York is fast and sometimes isolating, Adriel still finds ways to connect-with coworkers, neighbors, and unexpected Kansas friends in the park.

Reunion Reflections

At the reunion, Adriel caught up with classmates—though admits only a handful of her Kansas peers made it back, with Ashley being the only other out-of-town attendee. Still, the feel of walking down Main Street brings back childhood with every hello.

Adriel’s story—spanning small-town roots, frontline nursing, and surprising encounters in the city—captures both the spirit of New York and the heart of Goodland. Despite the distance, she reminds us: no matter where we go, home stays with us.

Full audio of the conversation is available through the Good Neighbor Hour KLOE on-demand here: https://streamdb6web.securenetsystems.net/cirruspremier/index.cfm?stationcallsign=KLOE&autoStartApp=on-demand&autoStartPodcast=2855813

If the link doesn't take you straight to the ahow and juat to the streaming: go to the 3 lines on top left, click the on demand link, then click the “good neighbor hour” link.