Edmonton-Born & Raised ... Until I Die!

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In my twenties, I noticed a number of my friends "leaving the nest" and heading to some other large metro, usually Calgary or Vancouver. Others went further, perhaps out east, down south, or even overseas. However, almost each one of them eventually made their way back home to Edmonton, while a few seemed to have found a new home elsewhere. 

This is just what happens. When you're young, the sky's the limit and you're seemingly invincible, and so some of us spread our wings and see what there is to see out there in the great wide open. Even I took a stab - albeit embarrassingly brief - at my own adventure by leaving home and relocating to Toronto when I was 25 years old. I was back home in less than a week. I know, shut up! 

Edmonton
Edmonton, Alberta (a.k.a. HOME!)

Since then, I have come to realize that Edmonton is where I want to be. It is my home. I have no need to move away because everything I love is here and Edmonton has everything I need to live a happy, healthy, and fulfilling life. 

In addition to most of my family and close friends calling the Capital Region home as well, Edmonton is a progressive, safe, prideful, welcoming, opportunistic, and beautiful place to be. There is an abundance of green space, a myriad of things to do (from sports to festivals), an ever-growing landscape of world-class food and drink, plenty of options for education and business opportunities, and of course, a host of good people who seem to genuinely care about one another. 

What don't we have, you ask? Tsunamis, hurricanes, cyclones, earthquakes, floods, droughts, landslides, wildfires, smog, brutal heat waves, insect infestations, rats, smog, food shortages, extreme poverty, slums, dictatorships, systemic corruption, crime rings, mass shootings, rampant gang activity, gun culture, warfare, drug epidemics, lead-ridden water supplies, deteriorating infrastructure, beyond-our-means living expenses, flying cockroaches, killer bees, or Donald Trump. Other than some harsh winter days, summertime mosquitoes, inevitable potholes, and that one tornado, we don't have too much to complain about here, am I right?!

Edmonton is a Trump-free zone!

And although I have travelled to different parts of the world and will always continue to travel - and may even spend a winter elsewhere here and there - I have no desire to leave home for good. This is where I want to be and where I will one day, hopefully far off in the future, rest in peace. 

I Heart Edmonton. 

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