I’m a homeowner!

Boy, I didn’t think those words in the title above were going to come out of my mouth this year that’s for sure- yet, here we are. I’ve had a challenging year. I watched my dad battle cancer, saw him, my best friend, lose his battle on June 30, sunk into a really horrible, emptying sadness from his passing, and then lost my aunt just two months later- a day before my first birthday without my dad. During the emptying sadness that I sunk into, I somehow also fell deeper in love and really connected with this island.

I have teetered with the idea of moving to New York for many years. It was always a dream of mine to live in an apartment in the city, have a big corporate job, take the train to and from work each day, explore all of the boroughs around the city, the list goes on. I always thought that was who I HAD TO BE because I went to school for fashion and communications (it is instilled in us that the city is the only place where this career can be successful- I’ve always been determined to prove otherwise) and raved about my passion for the city practically throughout my entire childhood. However, I found that as I grew older and figured out what I really love, New York was not realistic for what I want to do right now and the lifestyle that I want to live at this age. I came to the beautiful understanding that IT IS OK to love and appreciate the town you grew up in. I hope to keep NYC as my place where I pack my bags with some boujee weekend outfits, hop on the train with my mom, go to all of the absolute best restaurants, shop till I’m exhausted and be able to take the train home to my beautiful island. This personal understanding of who I am, what I love and who I want to be RIGHT NOW has brought me to purchasing my first home right here in Rhode Island.

I put an offer on a condo in February to which I was outbid almost $20 grand. I looked at it as a sign that it just simply wasn’t meant to be. The hesitation that I had was being part of a condo association. I wanted a lawn and a garden that I could take care of myself, a home that I could make exterior changes to whenever I wanted, and so much more that comes with having your very own special piece of property that is yours and only yours. From then on, I signed up for daily email updates through Zillow on new properties to the Aquidneck Island market and worked with a realtor to send me properties from his database every day as well. I was determined to find a property that maybe wasn’t going to be my forever home, but maybe a property that would be an investment piece. Months later, I was at work down on Bowen’s Wharf when I received a text from my mom asking, “did you see this property?” I clicked on the link and oh my, I just totally fell in love with that house.

I immediately sent the link to my realtor on that Friday, to which he scheduled to get us to see it that Sunday. That Monday morning (a day before my birthday) I put the offer in on the house and wrote the owners a letter. I found out at 2 pm that day that my offer had been accepted. It was the happiest I’ve felt in many months, probably since before my dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 Melanoma back in May 2019. It was a while since I felt that good. I unfortunately received horrible news just hours later that my aunt unexpectedly passed. I simply, could not believe my life at that moment. The rollercoaster of emotions I felt in that short period just threw my mind into the perspective where I needed it to be that: this is just how life works. We suffer losses, we’re gifted with beautiful, pivotal moments, we experience the highest of highs, the lowest of lows and we just live. Navigating these unforeseeable moments in life is something that I am just trying to accept. I think a lot of us are trying to practice this as well. One of those unforeseeable moments being becoming a homeowner for the first time in a year that has been pretty radical for all.

My birthday was the next day and although, I felt an immense amount of sadness for my aunt and for my dad, I knew they would have wanted me to celebrate this huge moment in my life. I really like to believe that this home was a gift and a beautiful blessing sent down from both of them.

Little Chateau: Middletown Edition is 5 minutes down the street from where I grew up (where my family still lives), just around the corner from my aunt and uncle, a mile from Second beach, just over 10 minutes to my job, and in walking distance to beautiful Sweet Berry Farm. It has two bedrooms, an updated kitchen, a beautiful yard, and it’s a white house with a lot of love that I can feel already. It is everything I’ve ever wanted in my first home. I have A LOT of plans for this house … and they start tomorrow. Stay tuned… :)