Shelly Slaven

I can't believed I've lived here in the Central Valley my entire life! Never moved out of the area and never strayed very far from home! (Dad asked me to stay close, if I could - so I did!)

I was born and raised in a small farming community, like lots of folks here in the Valley. Dinuba is a small, but growing city. By the time I graduated from high school, Dinuba had just welcomed it's 10,000th citizen! I loved the springtime the best - and still do! There's lots of peach, plum, nectarine and almond trees surrounding town and in full bloom! And the sweet scent of the orange blossoms a couple months later - unforgettable! Summers were great, too! With such an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables, there was always something in season on the dinner table.

I moved from my hometown of Dinuba to the big city of Fresno to go to college. What an eye-opening experience that was! Being out on my own, making new friends, starting my chosen career, enjoying a variety of entertainment venues, seizing the opportunity to start traveling, and learning life's lessons - that's what I remember the most about those days.

This was also a time of added discovery. I always knew the mountains and the ocean we just a short 1 1/2-2 hour drive from the Fresno area, as we visited Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (ahh, the fresh pine-scented air) and California's Central Coast cities (love that salt water taffy!) often during my childhood. But as an adult, I had more opportunities to take even more weekend or week-long trips to those places and to enjoy them in different ways. Camping, hiking, fishing, shell collecting, reading and vegetating have always been my favorite past-times. During this time I also started traveling out of state, but always came back "home".

After getting married and raising a family, and after a 30+ year career in the medical field, which included volunteering for several health-related associations, I decided to switch gears and change professions! I studied to become a Real Estate Agent and am proud to say I passed my exam on my first try! Another accomplishment under my belt!

Now, my husband and I have a couple of trips to Europe stamped into our passports. We've also ventured out with our vintage travel trailer to several states in the Northwest and Rocky Mountains. But, we still come home to the Valley and all that it has to offer. Although some larger California cities may exude a sense of 'rush here and rush there', the Central Valley is much more casual, laid-back and down-to-earth. It's central to everything that California has to offer and enjoys a lower cost-of-living than larger cities in the Golden State.

If you're contemplating a move to California's Central Valley and would like to know more, please don't hesitate to contact me for more information. I have a library of resources available to me and would be happy to share them with you. You may email me at cambridgehomes@lennar.com or call me at 1-559-994-2170.