On Taking a Leap of Faith
Me, circa 2007, on a catamaran excursion in Milos, Greece.
I have never considered myself a risk-taker. In fact, I am extremely reserved, almost to a fault. But somehow that has never stopped me from having big dreams, and pursuing them. The photo above was taken during one of the most enjoyable, self-gratifying experiences in my life. I spent two summers (2006 and 2007) working at an archaeological dig in Athens, Greece in conjunction with the American School of Classical Studies. The dig staff was mostly comprised of doctoral students pursuing degrees in Classics, or teachers and/or professors in related fields. We would get up exceptionally early (compared to the locals!) and walk our way down to the dig site at the Athenian Agora. We dug until 2 pm, with scheduled water and cookie breaks. The days were hot, and by the time we wrapped up we were caked in dirt and sweat. The locals would stare at us as we marched up the hill back to our apartments, and especially if we opted to take the metro on a particularly hot day.
As part of the program, we were provided with accommodations and a small stipend, which we spent on food and traveling during the weekends. We took ferries to the different Cycladic islands (which are astounding in their natural beauty; think pristine white beaches and crisp white buildings punctuated with bold cobalt shutters complimented by clear blue skies). We took day trips to Nafplio and Delphi, and spent a long weekend in Crete. I made close friends, and thoroughly enjoyed the simplicity and joy of life. The process was slow, the work physically draining, and exciting findings were exceedingly rare, but we were slowly uncovering a piece of history, to be archived and studied by future scholars and the world at large. The experience taught me to embrace change, to explore with open eyes and an open heart, and that often risks can lead to the most rewarding experiences.
In 2006 I finished my bachelors degree in Art History and Arts Management and wasn’t entirely sure what my future would hold. In 2007, when this photo was taken, I had committed to a 2.5 year MFA program in Interior Design (now Interior Architecture) at The George Washington University.
Now (unfortunately), I am much older, and I’d like to think wiser, but still willing to take risks. I have spent the time since graduating with my MFA working predominantly in residential interior design, in the roles of designer and project manager. I met my husband, who is from Kansas, 11 years ago in northern Virginia. We bought our first (tiny) house there and made it a home, and launched our careers there as well.
Over a year ago, we both discovered we seeked change, and wanted to move away from the bustle of D.C. We started looking at houses in the Kansas City area when we were here visiting my husband’s family, and the idea stuck…So much so that we weren’t entirely deterred when the pandemic hit. We closed on our current home and moved halfway across the country in May 2020 with a baby during the pandemic (I would not recommend, as everything was closed, and we had to eat on park benches or the bumper of the moving truck!).
We bought a fixer-upper in a nice neighborhood, with plans to overhaul it quickly. However, with the overwhelming impact of the pandemic on life and the home-improvement industry, here we are, over a year later, in the same position as the day we moved in! But, thankfully, our drawings have at long last been submitted for permitting, and we plan to get started at the end of the summer/ early fall, after we have welcomed our new baby girl to the mix (Yes, I am currently 8 months pregnant!), and relocated to a temporary apartment.
My main goal for this blog is to chronicle the progress of our home renovation, and the process through completion. While it’s a process I am very familiar with, this is the very first time I can put my own stamp on the design, and I am beyond excited to see it come to fruition.
I’m not sure how much (if any) of a readership this will attract, but regardless, I am looking forward to it as a creative and therapeutic outlet. Thank you so much for reading. Please let me know at any time if there is a topic you are interested in and want to know more.