Kendra Girletz has a husband, a son, a daughter and a lovely home in a small community. Some might consider it a typical lifestyle...but Kendra says she enjoys the uniqueness of small town life.
“I always say there’s nothing unique about living in the big city, that’s why millions of peole live there, its actually more unique to live in the country.”
Kendra and her husband Ryley both grew up in Special Areas, but lived elsewhere for a time. When they were ready to settle down, they looked at many options...but realized their hearts were still at home.
“We thought we’d go live in the Red Deer area and we went there to look for houses and we just thought it didn’t feel like home...so we came back to Oyen.”
Oyen is where they’ve stayed, close to the rural lifestyle they both know, close to friends and close to family.
“It’s nice with the kids, that our family can be an everyday part of their life and they look forward to their Grandma and Papa or Grandma and Grandpa coming over to see them every day or every second day.”
Kendra says there’s familiarity in a small town that makes it feel secure and comfortable.
“You drive down the street and you know who people are, and when our kids get older I like that I’m going to know who their friends are and who their parents are.”
Kendra admits there’s been a small financial trade off that came with their choice to live in a rural region...but it’s been more than worth it.
“We often think well maybe we should move to the city and we could get higher paying jobs, but I don’t know...I wouldn’t want to give my lifestyle up here.”
Kendra Girletz loves living in Alberta’s Special Area, and you can too. Find out more about how to live your dream life in a rural location at www.returntorural.ca