What's Up?
Oh hey, friends! What’s up?
It’s been a while since I have created a formal blog post, but I am at such a pivotal time in life that writing here feels therapeutic. I want to jot some thoughts down in an honest manner because a lot is swirling in my head!
THE MOVE
Our South Philly neighborhood a few days before we moved.
To bring you up to speed, my husband and I moved out of our Philly townhome just shy of a month ago and have been living with my parents in the Main Line area while we house hunt. Any fellow millennials out there looking to buy a house in this crazy market, my heart goes out to you because it is not easy. We spent months scouring Zillow, touring houses, driving around neighborhoods, making offers, and ultimately losing out multiple times. The excitement around finding a new home felt pretty bleak, and I started to feel sadder and sadder about leaving Philly. I asked myself and my husband numerous times, “wait, why are we selling our house again”? There were parts of city living that I felt ready to move on from - not having a parking space after a long day of work, the heaps of trash and litter that seem to accumulate at every street corner, my car getting broken into (granted, it was my fault because I forgot to lock my doors), and the oddballs you would occasionally have to dodge on the sidewalk. But then there were parts that I loved - walking to our local coffee shops in the mornings, taking our dog to the park and chatting with friendly neighbors, exploring the city’s countless amazing restaurants and shops, and the convenience of being right by the airport or the sports stadiums for travel and entertainment. Saying goodbye to the place that housed so many happy memories felt confusing. I wanted this move and to start a new chapter, but it felt more depressing than exciting? I probably would have had a different experience if we knew where we were going as we were boxing up our house.
Ironically, an offer we put in on a new house was accepted on the final day we were living in Philly. So yes, we now have a place to go to, it just happens to be in an area that we weren’t originally expecting to live in. Where are we moving to? Villas, New Jersey.
Most people that we tell that to respond by asking us where that is (lol), and truthfully I haven’t spent much time there myself. Villas is on the Delaware Bay side of the Jersey Shore and is about 15 minutes from the popular vacation towns of Stone Harbor, Avalon, Wildwood, and Cape May. It’s a quaint town that is known for its bay views and beautiful sunsets. Our new house is walkable to the water, has a serene yard that backs up to a nature preserve, and was built in the 80’s so has relatively new systems. The newer condition of the home was a relief to us, because we had been placing offers on 100+ year old homes in the PA suburbs that were very charming, but needed serious remodeling. If any of those offers were accepted, we would’ve been way in over our heads financially. Our house, however, is covered in radical wallpaper, fully carpeted throughout, and has a legitimate bar with taps that we are going to have to figure out, but I think we’re up for those types of challenges!
My sis and I in Cape May as kiddos. I have always been a beach bum.
Moving to the Villas feels like we are taking a bit of a leap of faith. It is not the traditional path that I necessarily envisioned for us. It is not what most of our peers are doing. It is further from immediate family and most of our friends, although we do have some friends and relatives in the area offering a sense of comfort. Despite many of these uncertainties, we see this as a long term investment and a chance for us to live out our dream of residing by the beach. It can be temporary, and we always can look for homes closer to the city down the road when the market is slightly more reasonable (if that ever happens?). I also am excited at the idea of being near several beach towns with wonderful small businesses to explore and new communities to engage with. There is a novelty about this move that I don’t think I would have gotten if we packed up and went 20 minutes down the pike from the city. Perhaps my blog and Spruce Lane can be reinvigorated in this new setting.
THE JOB
Another aspect that has been in flux with this move is my job. For those who know me personally, I have a pretty diverse career background - fashion PR, non profit fundraising and event planning, real estate marketing and photography, a masters in retail, and of course some blogging for fun. When I have kids, I am going to tell them to choose a practical career path - become a doctor, a lawyer, or an accountant! Do not take this crazy, pinball-esque path that I have chosen. All that aside, I was hopeful that I could continue in my current position and achieve a hybrid job between Philly and the shore, but unfortunately I have learned that is not going to work out. Come this fall, I need to determine yet another path forward professionally. I am a sensitive gal and this very much freaks me out, but I also know I am smart, capable and resilient. This is an opportunity to realize yet another dream of mine, which has been to be self employed. My goal in the coming months is to lean into blogging and networking, and try to hone in on a business strategy - a starting point. That’s always been my struggle: What do you bring to the table, Laura? What do you actually offer through Spruce Lane? How can you monetize this? I’ve never really had the answers to those questions to be honest. I share things as a creative outlet and for personal joy, and hope others can share in that with me. So once again, with this fresh start, I’m hopeful that the answers can become clearer and despite all of my anxiety around the unknowns, I can come out stronger, happier and more fulfilled than ever.
Me at one of my early fashion jobs in New York City
Until then, friends! Until then.