I am a full time landscaper with contracts with the city, CMLC, and numerous private entities. Currently finishing up my final two courses for my degree in Urban Studies with a specialization in sustainable global development and a minor in Anthropology.
I have lived in Calgary nearly 10 years. Prior to that, I had lived in Vancouver for 1.5 years, Kelowna for several months, Toronto for 1 year, Ottawa for several months, and was born and raised in a small town in extreme Southern Ontario called Woodstock.
I have always been unsure how to answer the "why Calgary?" question, as I get asked it a lot. My first few months here were terrible and I thought about leaving (though I had no financial means to do so, so I didn't), but then I picked myself up and became a badass b*tch. Then I met a man about 10 months after moving here and we were together for 4.5 years, and then I decided to go to university. Numerous circumstances led me to staying here, but no one thing brought me here nor kept me here. I love the city, and it is most definitely home. As an urban development enthusiast, it has been amazing to watch this city grow from the regional centre of the prairies to being a full-fledged metropolis of international repute. Though the longing for family - along with a vastly larger pool of both career and romantic opportunities in Ontario - may pull me back there over the next year or two. If it weren't for this place and the growth I have achieved here, I would likely be dead from suicide, or possibly just homeless and fully insane on the verge of death. For being the place that allowed me to seek adequate treatment, get excellent supports, and even accepted to university (something I neverrr thought would happen), and therefore become a fully realized individual with a bright future, Calgary will always have a deeply special place in my heart, even if I leave.
