Becoming Part of a Caring Community
John Henriksen has the distinct advantage of having a job that you can do from just about anywhere on earth. So why would he choose Audubon, Iowa?
John's parents farmed in Audubon when he was growing up, so John was well aware of the advantages of small-town living. Yet the lure of the big city took him far away from home, at least at first.
John's career path was wide open after graduating from the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in computer science. He kept all of his options open and accepted a job in Des Moines with EDS. The company eventually moved him to Dallas, Texas, where he stayed for another three and a half years.
While in Dallas, John's wife, JoEllen, got her Master's degree in audiology. Upon graduation, she received a job offer in Omaha, Neb. John decided to follow her to Omaha, taking a new job at First Data Resources.
They had lived in Omaha for 11 years when their son Benjamin was born. While they both enjoyed their jobs and their neighborhood, it became more important to John and his wife to be near family and live in a smaller setting after Benjamin's birth.
John and JoEllen had everything they could possibly want in Omaha, except a sense of community. "There were endless options for dining and shopping. But it was weird to me to shop all day in the mall and not run into a single person that I knew," John says. They were friendly with their neighbors, but still didn't really feel a sense of community.
After researching the possibilities, the Henriksens decided to move to John's hometown of Audubon. JoEllen is now a stay-at-home Mom and John was able to keep his job by telecommuting to work. Most importantly, the Henriksens are able to raise their son in the safety and security of a caring community, near family and friends. "Now, I can walk three blocks to the hardware store, stop at the barbershop to talk, and everybody knows me. It's a great feeling," John remarks.
Benjamin is now six and going into first grade in the fall of 2008. John continues to work from home and commutes to Omaha on the rare occasion that he has a meeting that can't be handled over the phone. He's glad he made the decision to return to his hometown, and happy that his son will have the experience of growing up in western Iowa.
