I have been living in Calgary for about two years now and I love it here. Whenever I talk to locally born and raised Calgarians, most of them are oblivious to the numerous factors that make Calgary such a great place to live, so I wanted to share a few reasons I appreciate Calgary.
Location
Calgary is practically in the heart of Canada’s national parks. There are 12 national parks and historical sites near Calgary. One of my favorite parks, similar to most Calgarians, is Banff National park. People from all around that world come to see the beautiful views, and guess what? It’s only a 90-minute drive from Calgary! You simply cannot get this kind of accessibility to nature in most places. When driving to school in the morning or biking to my friend’s house I can’t help but be amazed by the perfect view of the mountains laying before my eyes. Stepping out of my house to run a few errands feels like I’m living inside of a Boss Ross painting. Calgary’s views simply cannot be beaten.
Community
When most people think about Calgary, the first thing that pops into their head is the renowned Calgary Stampede. We all know about the Calgary Stampede but there are also other, not as well known, annual events that build Calgary’s great sense of community. Some of my favorite lesser-known events are the Canada Day Festival, Expo Latino, and The Calgary Japanese Festival (Omatsuri). You can find more annual events taking place in Calgary using this link: https://www.visitcalgary.com/things-to-do/stories-from-calgary/festivals-in-calgary. I am so appreciative of these events as they allow us to celebrate our similarities and differences in a unique and inclusive way.
Bonus: Most of these events aren’t taking place currently due to COVID-19 but make sure you keep your eye on them because many of these events require volunteers. You can sign up for different volunteer events at https://youthcentral.com/. These events are a great way to get volunteer hours while building new relationships and having tons of fun!
A Perfect Blend
I find Calgary as a perfect blend between two places I’ve lived: Denmark and Houston. I loved living in the heart of Denmark, Copenhagen, as it allowed me to gain independence I will use for the rest of my life. Houston was a huge city and I was given the opportunity to experience suburban living at its best. I loved both these places for these reasons and countless others but, Calgary provides me with the best of both those worlds. Calgary is definitely not the largest place but it doesn’t feel like a crowded city either. I have access to Calgary Transit which gives me the freedom to travel to different areas as I please without difficulty. I can also enjoy living in a spacious home and neighborhood instead of an apartment. These are just a few factors that make Calgary a perfect combination of the places I’ve lived.
Hopefully, this gave those of you living in Calgary a little bit of gratitude for your amazing home and for those who don’t live in Calgary, I hope I was able to give you a glimpse of what makes Calgary a great place to live.
