After a three week hiatus from blogging, it is safe to say we are officially moved into our new home in Coral Gables, Florida! This move has been a dream of mine since I finally came to the realization that Miami, not Atlanta, is now home. Yes, home is where the heart is and my “home” will always be where ever Bobby and Huddler are (… and Stella, Daisy, Bauer, and Bourne), but I very much wanted a house with a yard that reminded me of my childhood. I desperately wanted to have the opportunity to yell for Huddler in the yard that dinner is ready. I wanted a space to become an old woman with dirty overalls and an oversized garden hat carrying baskets full of tomatoes (Picture Weezer in Steal Magnolias, but cuter.) I grew up in Georgia and love everything that embodies being Southern. The traditions, decor, hospitality, small town charm, the “hey y’alls and bless your hearts.” I love the food, music, humid summers, and heated SEC football seasons. For the longest time, I felt by not living in the proper South, I had to let go of a part of myself that I am genuinely proud of– being a Southerner. It has taken me just a few short months to realize I was completely wrong and in fact, I was limiting my options by focusing on what I was supposedly “giving up” versus gaining.
When I began looking for a home for our family almost a year and a half ago, I had no idea I would absolutely fall in love with South Florida– especially Coral Gables. Yes, the countless palm trees, open blue water, year round almost perfect weather is great (with the exception of the always dicey hurricane season that is quickly approaching), but so is the culture and vibrancy that so many neighborhoods in Miami offer. Coral Gables is one of these neighborhoods, a city actually, and a special place that I am fully embracing. Banyan trees grow throughout the pedestrian friendly city whose charm is almost 100 years old. Founded in the 1920’s, the community of Coral Gables was built in a Mediterranean rival style. Almost all of the homes built in a Spanish colonial style complete with stucco exteriors and terracotta roofs, however, each unique too. Its extremely charming and very picturesque. Although I loved our condo and city life in Brickell, the metropolitan area of Miami, I wanted to give our family the opportunity to grow with with a little more space. After convincing Bobby to come and see this house I found, we both knew this must be the place (… insert Naive Melody by the Talking Heads playing in the background.) For our family, we were gaining space and access to more cultural and local experiences in a tight knit community full of wonderful families.
We started the process of buying a home in March, and in mid May we closed on our first home together. Not only was this an incredible milestone for Bobby and me, but it was an opportunity for me to learn the ins and outs of purchasing a home. This process was new territory and I took full advantage of the learning opportunity. In a later post, I will be discussing those lessons specifically, but for now know that we successfully bought a house!
The primary lesson I learned over the past two months, is very simple and has nothing to do with contracts or financing. I learned Southern is a state of mind and a way of life. Its the way you treat others, the way you welcome guests into your home. Its the respect you show to people from all walks of life. It’s manners and traditions. Although I have not yet given up my Atlanta area cell phone number that I’ve had since high school, I am very excited and thrilled to without question be a permanent resident of the 305. I am even more excited to embrace more of the cultural and diverse opportunities that Miami has to offer. Our family will undoubtedly benefit from incorporating the Latin vibrancy into our Southern mentality.
