East Coast

My partner and I moved to New York City in June of 2021. As architecture students, we both did internships in the city during the 1980’s and, with daughters living in the city since 2011, I was a regular visitor. I began to explore the idea of a location change in 2017 when I rented a house in Woodstock for a month - an experiment of sorts to see if the area was a good fit. After my first grandchild was born in the city in 2020, the pull became stronger. The pandemic and my 60th birthday were tipping points - it was time for change and the move to the Upper West Side of Manhattan became reality. In 2022, I purchased a modest house on three wooded acres outside of the Village of Rhinebeck in the Hudson Valley where my partner and I will retire eventually. We spent a year renovating, adding a generous screened porch giving us the ability to watch our little woods transform as the seasons shift. The colors and textures in our new environment have us in a consistent state of awe. I’m convinced the opportunity to slow down and deeply experience the changes in seasons visually and physically, is an especially poignant metaphor as we reflect on this season in our lives and pay closer attention with deep gratitude.