Time flies so fast, and now October is here, with 2024 al...
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Time flies so fast, and now October is here, with 2024 already three-quarters gone. Looking back on September, I can hones...
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When we first walked into our cottage fifteen years ago, we saw a dilapidated older 1940s home that had been neglected for years--a leaking roof, dated paneling, torn up linoleum, failed plumbing, and an inoperable heating system. But then we saw the Googly Eyes glued to the rock fireplace and the names carved into uncured cement on the front walkway by a child’s fingers. We felt an overwhelming good vibe and a peaceful, cheerful spirit that transcended the visible wrinkles. We sat on the porch overlooking a multitude of mature trees and greenspace within the middle of town and enjoyed the sights and sounds of an unofficial bird sanctuary.
We knew we had stumbled upon something worth saving and worked to restore the home. Our extended family enjoyed the cottage over the years as both a primary residence and vacation home until we pursued short term rentals through Airbnb in 2019. Benefits of Airbnb include both sharing the home with other families and supporting the home for our own family.
When my youngest daughter Abby arrived home for spring break 2020 of her senior year in college, we were just beginning to realize the impact of COVID 19 on our lives. Two weeks later my high school closed to in person instruction and I was sent home to connect with my students online. A week later my eldest daughter Erika and her fiance Joe found themselves in the midst of a COVID 19 hotspot and uncertain wedding plans. AirBnb cancellations were rolling in.
I was excited to share our AirBnb cottage with Erika and Joe as a place for them to escape the big city and work from “home.” Abby was finishing her senior year online and soon joined her sister at the cottage where they then enjoyed over two months of sisterly bonding and family time. The sisters hiked and cooked together, and celebrated multiple milestones--college graduation, a microwedding, and the purchase of a first home. They also spent time exploring the cottage and in the process discovered another family’s story woven into letters, yearbooks, and concrete.
Chad and his family lived in the cottage two generations ago. He had left his mark on the home in the cement on the front path. As my girls explored the house during quarantine, they stumbled on an old dusty chest in the basement filled with yearbooks and letters to a boy named Chad. The letters were sent to young Chad as he spent months in the hospital—sweet letters from schoolmates and family written in beautiful cursive were carefully stored alongside black and white junior high school yearbooks. Erika told me that she was amazed to find many familiar faces in those yearbooks. The black and white portraits, while appearing to be those of her former classmates, depicted their parents and grandparents decades before. The girls said that, when ruffling through the pages, they felt truly connected to our small town through this slice of history that had been hiding below the house. The most notable find was a letter written by Chad’s grandmother to his mother, which detailed all of the love she had for the kids living with her and the time she took caring for them.
The girls were touched by the story, and wanting to know more, began to investigate online. They quickly found that Chad was related to a high school classmate of Abby’s and after getting in touch, took great joy in returning the family mementos to their rightful owners.
The girls still talk fondly about their detective work and their quarantine days at Brevard Cottage. The milestones reached and the memories made during this strange chunk of time brought all of us closer to each other and closer to understanding the true importance of our happy little cottage.
Today, our current guests asked to extend their reservation because their two young daughters were enjoying their stay so much! They are making memories and “never want to leave.” Thus continues the long tradition of family memories at our Airbnb. I look forward to the years to come!
