Here’s the deal with me moving home: this is not something I’m doing on a whim. I am NOT moving home because I’m “giving up” or “going back to my comfort zone”.

And I know moving back home often has the connotation of retreating, running away, or hiding, but I view moving home more as a step forward than a step backward. I strongly feel that moving home is my next step towards growth and the best one I could make towards pursuing my dreams and really… to just be happy.

Of course, since I am moving home, this could easily turn into that sort of situation, so I knew I needed real, concrete goals in order to ensure this next step was truly going to help me grow. Because of this I’ve given myself three different goals I want to focus on once I make the big move:

First, I want to strengthen the relationships with my family. To be more specific, I want to hang out with each of my family members more on an individual basis. This may sound like the type of goal someone who doesn’t really spend much time with their family would make, but I actually spend a lot of time with my family. (My friends here even make fun of me that I go home on a quarterly basis, rather than traveling to some foreign country… I view it more as having different priorities in my life right now, and I’m ok with that.) However, I really do feel like there is always room for improvement, and since the last time I really “hung out” with my siblings was when I was still living at home in high school… I’d say it’s about time to work on my one-on-one relationships with everyone. It’s time for boots on the ground, being there, being the best daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, etc. I can possibly be.

Second, I want to flip a house. And once I’m finished with that, I want to flip another house, and another one, and… you get the idea. Probably not surprising, considering my love for DIY projects, HGTV, and decorating, right? I also want to own my own business, whether that’s a photography business, a house flipping business, or some other unanticipated type of business that falls into my path in the future. So long as I am creative the rest of my days, I’ll be happy.

Third and finally, I want to finish Passages by June 2020. I have so many dreams and aspirations for my little (growing) series. I want it to be a coffee-table book. I want to see those images in galleries. I want people to look at the pieces I have created and say “this reminds me so much of my sister” or “I love this image because I always think of my mom when I see it.” I want it hanging in homes, in reading nooks and over kitchen tables to inspire adventurous little minds to always believe in fairytales and to not be afraid of pursuing a more creative path in life. Most importantly, I want people to look at the images and see their own story in it.

So yes, it may seem foolish to move back to my small town, but with these goals in mind… all of a sudden it makes perfect sense. It’s been wonderful being in Boston these past three years, but I am ready for growth, and to once again be in the arms of my family and the home I love so dearly.

P.S. hope you enjoyed these pictures from my recent trip to Acadia National Park!