Small-town Living

       Growing up in a small town and living there all of your life can sometimes be better than living in a big city. Beth Valentine, the owner of the Beadberry Patch was born in Talkeetna, Alaska and has lived there all her life. She and her husband Mike Matthews chose to raise their four children - Teslin who is 15, Paxson who is 14, Dawson who is 10, and Ruby who is 7 - in Talkeetna as well. All of Valentines children’s names are “towns in Alaska or Canada.” Valentine decided to stay in Talkeetna, which is a very small town, because, as she says, “ Talkeetna is a really good, safe place to raise your kids. I just think that it’s a lot safer her than other places.” Most people who grew up in Talkeetna left when they were ready for college and then came back after because it is a great place to raise a family.
       Living in such a small town means that you are with the same people through all twelve years of school and live with the same people all your life. “You make lasting friendships and then those are the people you continue wanting to be with,” Valentine said.
       Valentine opened the Beadberry Patch, a Talkeetna bead shop, six years ago, although she ran the shop out of her home for six years before that. Valentine used to be a teacher, but she wanted to be with her kids all the time so she opened her bead shop. This way Valentine only had to work in the summer. “I wanted to have my own schedule,” explains Valentine. Valentine decided to open up her bead shop in Talkeetna not only because she lived there but because she thought it would be a profitable business venture. Because Talkeetna is a tourist town you could have good life there and make a lot of money with a business.
       Many people like small towns better than the big city because it is a safer environment for a family. Valentine likes it better than living in a more active place because of the safety for her family. When Valentine is ready to retire she would like to move to Hawaii but to also have a house in Talkeetna so in the winter she can go to Hawaii and in the summer go to Alaska. When asked what she thinks other people think of Talkeetna being such a small town Valentine says, “ I think a lot of people want to leave and then once they leave they want to come back.”