Growing up, I called Grimshaw, a small town in Northern Alberta, home. It was the kind of place where you couldn’t go very far without running into someone you knew, and familiar faces were simply part of everyday life. I never really thought much of it. It was simply where I was from. As I’ve gotten older though, I’ve realized there are parts of growing up somewhere small that have stayed with me, especially how much I value familiarity, connection, and actually knowing the people around you.
Even when I was younger, I knew I wanted to leave at some point. Not because I had some perfect plan for where I was going, but because I wanted to experience more than what I already knew. Calgary eventually became that place for me. It was bigger, busier, and completely different from what I was used to, which was honestly part of what drew me here in the first place.
I think one of the things I underestimated was how long it takes to actually know a city. You can learn the roads and recognize neighbourhood names pretty quickly, yet figuring out where you actually like to spend your time, which areas feel right for you, where to go for certain things, and who your people are is completely different. A lot of that just came with living here, trying things, meeting people, and slowly building a life that felt like mine.
Some of the people I met during that time probably have no idea that I still remember the things they did for me. There were people who invited me places when I didn’t know many people, answered questions I probably could have Googled, recommended places to go, or just made an effort to include me. None of it was anything huge, but when you’re trying to find your place somewhere, those things matter more than you expect.
I think that’s part of why relocation ended up becoming something I genuinely care about within real estate. I understand that moving to Calgary isn’t only about choosing a house or comparing neighbourhoods. There’s a whole life attached to that decision. If I can make even part of that transition easier—whether that’s helping someone understand the city, sharing what I’ve learned, answering the random questions, or eventually helping them find a home that makes sense for their life—that’s the kind of work I want to do.
Guiding you home, wherever you’re coming from!