“Both of us enjoyed growing up in small towns and were hopeful to give our children the same experience.”
Amber and Kyle Boyens have the opportunity to soak up all the advantages of small-town living, while working for companies in the Twin Cities area. High-speed broadband has made their situation a reality allowing them each to work remotely from the comfort of their home in Madison.
Amber, originally from Madison, moved to St. Paul after graduating high school to attend college and had made the Twin Cities area her home for 17 years. Kyle is originally from Iowa, where he attended college, and later moved to the Cities for his career, and soon met Amber. They were married in 2016 and have three children—Kolten, Harrison, and Archer.
“We see a lot of wagons and strollers when we go for walks, and there’s almost always kids at the park down the road.”
During their transition period into a small town from a big city, the Boyens realized how reliant they had become on the conveniences of the metro area but noted that it had overall been a positive impact, causing them to slow down and enjoy moments more.
Another thing that surprised them when moving to Madison was how many other young families they see in town.
One of the things that the Boyens and other families enjoy about small town living are the benefits of child care that is hard to beat in larger towns. The low cost is a great perk, but an even better aspect is the ability to create a personal connection with the people taking care of your children.
The connections don’t stop there. They are grateful to see familiar faces throughout town that make them feel welcome. The community has become an extended support system that they hadn’t had before. People want to see others succeed and see the community succeed.
“Small communities are dependent on people who want to keep the area thriving, and I’ve always felt that Madison has a lot of those people. Living in a small town is what you make it, and there is so much opportunity to be impactful.”
Opportunities—they have had many of them since moving home and look forward to all that Madison will bring. A lower cost of living means new opportunities for their future. Opportunities for their children to be involved in sports, organizations, and events. The opportunity to be surrounded by family and friends that are always looking out for one another.
“We find ourselves commenting most days on how glad we are that we moved to Madison. We were able to settle our family into a beautiful home in a great neighborhood and are excited to be able to immerse into the community.”