Pulse of the City
User Story
By Melanie Teichroeb
I'm a small-town girl, born in the Parkland County and raised on dreams I found etched in the prairie sky. I lived in Edson, a town two hours west of Edmonton, so it was common for my family to make a weekend escape to West Edmonton Mall. I remember being very young and feeling awed at the tall, glassy buildings and seemingly endless shopping. In Edson, we have 3 essential establishments: our theatre, bowling alley, and Wal-Mart. I could only imagine moving from my tiny town of 10,000 to the big city of a million...
I can recall a rather silly dream I had growing up. In high school, I wanted nothing more than to attend university in Edmonton and do homework in a local Starbucks while rain coursed down the plate-glass windows. I believed that living out such a scene would prove my mettle as a city girl. Well, dear readers, it is safe to say that I am now 20 years old and have lived out this fantasy. I have completed 2 years of college and have done endless activities to adapt to city life. I take the bus (which once stymied me to no end) for over an hour a day to get to work, attend City Centre Church, and have served meals to some truly amazing people in Edmonton's inner city.
I never thought that I would reach this point in my life. Every facet of city life has worked to improve my own and make me appreciate God's vast creation all the more. Whether it is watching clouds reflect off the buildings in Edmonton's downtown core, witnessing the leaves change in the river valley with the seasons, or experiencing the diversity of cultures that the city has to offer, I can rest assured that the pulse of the city beats with my own. I have come a long, long way from the small-town girl with no ambition. I am now taking intercultural studies and have been to Asia with my school. The entire time I was in Hong Kong, I could not help but miss Edmonton!
To anyone considering living in Alberta's capital city, I would say DO IT! There is a vibrancy and a spirit of unity here that I have not seen in many other cities I have visited. I feel welcomed despite the fact that I am not a native Edmontonian, and have developed friendships that I would not trade for the world. Truly, I cannot go back to living anywhere else, at least at this time. There is far too much to do, to see, and to experience. It is my hope that many others feel as blessed and loved by Edmonton as I do.
