When Wrynn Wilkins was exploring her senior living options, she was looking for a retirement community close to family with a carefree lifestyle and plenty of activities.
“I wanted to live near my children and they were all in North Dallas,” she says.
Highland Springs, the Erickson Senior Living community in North Dallas, Tex., checked all of her boxes.
“I feel so blessed here, pampered. If you need maintenance or repairs done in your apartment home, you just pick up the phone and schedule the work,” says Wrynn, who was taking care of her former house, yard, and pool all by herself.
Now, without the hassle of time-consuming maintenance, she has plenty of time to make new friends and pursue her interests.
Morning movement
Before heading out for a full day of meetings and activities, Wrynn watches the sun rise with her cat Emma in her two-bedroom, two-bath apartment home.
“It was very important to me that I had the morning sun, because I love doing my devotions outdoors,” she says. “My corner unit with a wraparound balcony on the fifth floor is quite magnificent!”
Following the sunrise, Wrynn opens the doors and windows around her apartment home. “Meditation and coffee are next, then I head out for the day.”
Her first stop is often at the aquatics center on campus.
“I’m in the pool a lot. We have the most amazing pool!” Wrynn says. “I go back and forth between the pool and the hot tub with different exercises.”
After water aerobics comes a nice long walk with five girlfriends, who all stay plenty busy.
“We’re all single–either widowed or divorced,” notes Wrynn. “We do a crazy amount of walking inside. We meet people everywhere! I walk every single day, once or twice a day.”
Then it’s off to a Bible study, led by the community’s Pastoral Ministries team.
Expanding social circle
While Wrynn meets a lot of neighbors through her morning activities, she credits the timing of her move for her expanding social circle.
Wrynn made the move to Highland Springs from Denison, Tex., in December 2023–when the construction on Cypress Landing, her residence building, was just completed.
“I happened to time my move when Cypress Landing was being finished,” she says. “So, everybody in my building was new and all going through the same things. That was extremely advantageous.”
Twice a month, she and more than a dozen women from the fifth floor of Cypress Landing–self-titled the “Friends on Five”–get together in the building’s living room. The group focuses on “building a foundation of friendship,” Wrynn says, along with supporting each other any way that’s needed.
And once a month, she attends a Sunday Night Social, held in every neighborhood at Highland Springs.
“It’s a true community,” says Wrynn. “People work hard to reach out and get things going. There’s just so much connection, camaraderie, and flow here. You feel like you belong.”
Wrynn also attends Resident Advisory Council meetings; participates in Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging events; and joins the recycling club to meet new people.
Dining with friends
Afternoons and evenings, Wrynn and her group of friends often head to one of Highland Springs’ seven restaurants–which include the new Crescent Club, the Lonestar Pub, and Chisholm’s–for great food and conversation.
“The Cresent Club has an outdoor area with tables and chairs,” she says. “And we love the pub. It’s a lot of fun.”
She adds, “We also fix meals in each other’s apartments once a week. We love making different foods and enjoying each other’s homes.”
Resident Life Director Kimberly Reed notes that one of the most common ways residents engage with others is at the restaurants.
“Residents meet neighbors and make new friends at every meal!” she says. “It’s amazing, witnessing all the ways our residents stay active, get involved, and follow their passions.”
‘Wonderful place’
With family nearby, a maintenance-free apartment home, an array of activities to choose from, and a supportive network of newfound friends, Wrynn couldn’t be happier.
“I feel totally safe and taken care of,” she says. “Not being responsible for taking care of a property has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. Highland Springs is a wonderful place to be!”
Invest in your future self at Highland Springs. From top-notch amenities to affordable, maintenance-free apartment homes, you are sure to live your retirement to the fullest. Request more information today!
By Susan Ingram
