However many new friends we make, we are delighted that our house has room for old friends and family to visit and they are currently doing so at such a pace that I started a spreadsheet so we can keep track of who we have invited. One of the additional attractions of the house is two furnished, self-contained studios that could be rented out if we want to increase our income, and in the meantime can also be used by family and friends. The owner before last created them and then the most recent owner fixed them up and rented them as part of a B&B along with at least one other room (the non-studio room is still listed, but the studios are not). We have had fun hosting a steady stream of friends and family, although we seem to be specializing in mother-daughter trips, starting with our very first non-family guests Wendy & Anna in June 2024. Last summer provided mother-daughter time for some beloved friends and lovely daughters (and some equally beloved fathers, sons, and nonbinary children). I think the house and sunflower fields have become staples on instagram!
There’s also an attic with 10 beds and half bath. My first summer in the house (2024) ended with a 10-day “summer camp” for Kids Passport to Adventure (KPTA), which our friend Crystal Williams runs in New York. Seventeen New York youth (7-15 years old) plus counselors and a few parents increased the summer population of the village by almost 10% and, luckily, their energy and laughter entertained our neighbors (who called it “Camp America”). Our friends Yvon & Nadine opened their pool for them to use at the end of a long day of exploring, and two of the women who work with my MIL were essential in making this whole thing work, extending the community as wide as it needed to go. Sleeping was spread between the “family house” and our house, but everyone fit easily around the long table in the courtyard and into the two large vans they rented.
I hope we can continue to open our doors like that. In addition to welcoming youth who have never had the opportunity to travel, my fantasy is to create space for writer’s retreats, a read what you want and talk about it “book club,” women hikers (hike and sip?), cyclists, maybe even a wellness retreat with walking, cycling, and yoga… or just plenty of hot tub, sun lounger, and hammock time. As we get older and I visit the US less frequently, I like the idea of inviting bursts of energy and intellectual stimulation into our space.
