Put It On My Tab

Back on the beach with the freaks and the geeks.

And, frankly, these are my people.

Procuring a home in my old, beloved hood was no easy feat. In fact, this summer was the most expensive on record. After cruising through 5 countries, hanging out in the Hamptons, and purchasing my first property, my bank account was left entirely empty.

But, my heart? She’s full.

So, yeah. Whatever all that cost…just put it on my tab.

The Price of a Home

After the trauma of last year‘s housing market hunger games, I started to lose my house-hunting appetite.

But a casual Zillow perusal back in February led me to a charming South Beach studio that was perfect, but overpriced. So I watched it. For months. And, when the price went down, I called my realtor up.

It was the studio of my dreams. The home base I’d been manifesting for years. A lush, sacred space with seven windows, six blocks from the sea. I immediately put in an offer.

Now, I know how these things go. You fall in love, you give your offer, you get rejected. Sadly, a public school teacher with only her charms and a down payment is no match for the full-cash-offer-plus 50-sight-unseen-foreign-investor-f*ckers that really make the housing hunger games hard to win.

So, when my offer was accepted, I…

1) cried.

2) laughed.

3) Asked if the seller was a teacher.

Indeed. A retired professor that actually cared who she was selling her home to. That’s all I needed.

Three months (and every single penny I had in my bank) later, I’m home. And no matter where life takes me, I’ve now got a beach bungalow to retreat to (or rent, or sell, or retire in!). Honey, that’s priceless.

Put it on my tab.

The Price of Travel

I once bought a Louis Vuitton purse for $3600.

As I stared at the orange box on my shelf, I couldn’t help but lose sleep over the stupidity of the purchase. I agonized for weeks about all the things I could have done with that money. $3600 would have funded a whole summer in Europe back in my backpacking days. So, I took (the most delicious purse I’ve ever temporarily owned) back. And I never looked back.

I’m sure I’ve spent 6-figures in the twenty years I’ve spent traveling the world. It’s wild to think about. But, I don’t really think about it. And, it’s not like money is no object, I just rarely regret it. If you’ve read my blogs for the past 10 years, I’ve explained, extensively, why. Travelling is the thing that makes me feel the most alive.

So, when I had 4 big trips planned after purchasing a property, I…

1) cried.

2) laughed.

3) did what all good Americans do and put everything on my credit card.

Swipey, swipe, swipe.

I swiped my way through…

London, Paris and Rome on the first learning trip with my nonprofit program.(Wait, what’s your nonprofit, Holly? And, how can I support? Glad you asked!)

And…

NYC and the Hamptons for the 4th of July. Okay, fine. I was paid to hang in the Hamptons (perks of my gilded homeschool gig). But, my cc still got some swipe action.

Also…

A last minute trip to Guatemala for work. Okay, fine. That was pretty much paid for, too. But, I went over budget so more swiping ensued.

And finally…

The summer culmination trip to a wedding in Portugal.

At that point, however, my mind, body and credit card were all swiped out. But this was the trip I was looking forward to the most. And, although it was the most expensive plane ticket I’ve ever paid for (last minute flight to Europe in August + eating a chicken sandwich before take-off because I have anxiety about being hungry on a long-haul flight, and then missing my non-refundable flight as a result, and then immediately booking another flight on another airline so I would get to Lisbon in time for first day frolics with my friends = breakdown, breathe, swipe, cry, drink, dance, forget)…it was worth every swipe.

From exploring Europe’s greatest capital cities, to enjoying lazy mornings in the Hamptons, to being utterly rejuvenated by the magical energy of Guatemala, to spending the last days of summer with old friends at a beautiful wedding in Portugese wine country (Oh, and, sneaking in another enchanting trip to Peru to ring in my 38th year!)…Honey, what is money?

Put it on my tab!

Peace is Priceless

Clearly, you’ve gotta pay to play. But, peace? That’s priceless.

And, I can honestly say, this is the most grounded I’ve ever felt in my life. My tiny home, my big boundaries, my fulfilling work, my continued adventures and my supportive relationships have guided me straight to my Peace Era. In this marvelous moment, I am calm, cool, and content. And knowing the ephemeral nature of life, I’m savoring this chapter while it’s here.

And, it’s delicious.

And, my tab has been paid.

So, here’s to continued peace, love, joy, light, growth, connection, adventure and gratitude in 2024.

Until next year, friends…