3 Reasons Why I LOVE Where I Live

I LOVE where I live… I have loved many places along the way to getting here too! Yet there is something extra special about choosing to live where I do now though… and how it came to be. Golden, BC. A small town in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. How the heck does someone like me who grew up in Toronto (the largest City in all of Canada), end up here?

First off…. I didn’t get to Golden by accident, nor did I make one big bold move to come here. I found this place by making those small decisions in my life to explore new ideas, new areas and follow my intuition to eventually get here.

I grew up in the City, then in the suburbs of a the City. No matter where I was in those urban centres though, I found myself drawn to greenery, to the creeks, forests, ravines and any bits of green space I could find. I studied Environmental Science and went on field trip out to the Rockies one year where I planted the seed what I would have a “cabin in the woods” out here somewhere where all of my friends could stay. Fast forward 10 years later and I woke up one day, sleeping on a mattress on the floor (the only furniture I owned at the time) in my newly purchased home in Golden with an A-Ha moment! I was living in this tiny home in the middle of the Rocky Mountains! I had several friends staying with me and we were exploring the backcountry on skis through the incredible mountains of Glacier National Park.

Now, I get to wake up every day to look out my windows and see the Purcell mountains to the east, Kicking Horse ski resort to the west, the Columbia valley to the south, and am within a quick walk to the Kicking Horse River. I have an insanely long list of the reasons why I LOVE where I live, but I am going to short-list them here for you!

Reason Number One - The Backcountry Ski Touring Terrain around here is incredible! With Kicking Horse Ski Resort a 15 minute drive up the road, not only is it a world-class ski resort, it also has quick access to incredible ski touring terrain. In the summers there is quick access to alpine hiking trails, and just the incredible views you can get by being up above tree line. Not to mention Rogers Pass (my heart!) in Glacier National Park, which has a vast amount of touring, hiking and alpine climbing areas.

Reason Number Two - Mountain Bike Haven - there are over 130 km of mountain bike trails that I can ride to from my house! From super smooth and beginner trails to hardcore technical and machine built jump trails, all within the beautiful forests around us.

Reason Number Three - The Blaeberry - Just west of Golden there are so many amazing spaces out there. I love the Quantum Leaps Lodge (where I stayed for the first time 15 years ago!), which is right alongside the Blaeberry River and has beautiful accommodations, is an amazing retreat centre, and in the fall you can watch the salmon run and spawn in the river there! I will be hosting a women’s weekend retreat there this fall! The area is so magical, you HAVE to come and experience it for yourself.

Where you choose to call the place of home is up to you. Sometimes it’s the location that is important, but more so than that I believe it is the feeling that the location invokes. I am grateful every day that I have chosen this area. If you have never been to Golden, or you haven’t spent enough time here to really explore the area, I encourage you to. I love it because it isn’t all polished and fancy. The vibe is local, the spirit is incredible, the rivers run through it, the mountains surround it, and no matter what activity you are into, we have it all.

When I chose to call Golden my home, it is because I chose to land and create my home in this space that supports me, my family, and my vibe. I hope you too have a place that supports you in all the ways you need too!

If you are keen to check out this area Tourism Golden has a host of information on all there is to do in this incredible zone!