Finally, We moved.

Hello from our new home in Atlanta. It is hard to believe that we have finally fully moved, and it has already been a month.

This month has been a whirlwind of opening boxes, trying to figure out a place for everything, and finding out that our life in the New England area is not quite over yet.

A kitchen counter with white pottery and yellow roses

Yup, you read it right. 

Yes, we did buy a house in Atlanta, and I am currently living in it. However, around mid-October, we found out that life had some other plans for us.

Home Away From Home – Boothbay Harbor, Maine

You might already know this, but my husband, Dwight, works in the hospitality industry. Like many people in that field, he lost his job during the pandemic.

One of the reasons we decided to leave Vermont was because there was no reason for us to be there anymore. Our plan was to buy a house here in Georgia, where we both lived and continue to look, but in GA instead of VT.

Maine lobster rolls in a carton box

But then, around October, Dwight got a call from a headhunter for an opportunity to manage a resort in a coastal town in Maine. After a few interviews and a couple visits to the resort, he was offered the job.

Not knowing what will happen with the pandemic and the elections, we did not want to pass on such a good opportunity and said yes. Plus, he loved the team and the energy of the resort.

Long story short, he now lives in Maine, and I live here in Georgia. We visited Boothbay Harbor right before we left Vermont. It is such a beautiful place, and I cannot wait to go back.

And you know me, I’ve already eaten my weight in lobster on my first visit to my home-away-from-home.

This pandemic has been so hard on the elderly

If you have elderly parents, you know that this year has been extra difficult for them. My dad has been in Turkey all by himself throughout the pandemic. I have been worried about him not having anyone to look after him since the beginning of March. 

One of the reasons why we decided to buy a house was to have enough room so that he can come and live with us. So, he is coming this weekend. 

I am excited but also scared and worried. He is an active and healthy 72-year-old man 😉 , but this virus is ruthless.

The good thing is that with him coming I will not be alone in this big house. Plus, Dwight will be able to go back and forth until we find our rhythm between our lives in Georgia and Maine.

So, yeah… That is what’s happening in my life in a nutshell. 

What is working?

  • The white kitchen of my dreams: We sold most of our furniture while we were in Vermont and still waiting on the new ones to be delivered, so I do not have any photos of the house to share yet. However, I am loving the new kitchen (pictured above). I have always wanted a white kitchen, and this kitchen is everything I asked for from the universe. I plan on getting back to filming new videos this week and cannot wait to share it with you.
No knead olive bread slices close up
  • People are cooking more than ever now: There is no doubt that 2020 has been a difficult one, but if there is one good thing that came out of it, people are cooking more than ever now. My olive bread recipe even went viral on social media.
    I have so many of you reached out with emails and comments on the blog to ask questions. I just love connecting with you, and your questions help me figure out what I should share next. So, thank you.
  • Happy to be back in a city: Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed living in a small town in Vermont. However, I am so glad to be back in a city. I appreciate that there are so many options, and everything is within a 15 to 30-minute driving distance. I haven’t been able to do much yet, thanks to the pandemic, but I cannot wait to find new places to eat and shop.

What’s not working?

  • Moving sucks: We moved 8 times in the last 10 years, and I am so over it. Like moving from one state to another is not enough of a hassle, I hurt my back during the first week of opening boxes. I have been in constant pain and doing my best to rest as much as possible, but it has been so hard.
  • Don’t know where I fit in social media: I am having the most challenging time between the daily news and my daily Instagram feed. I feel awful reading the increasing number of cases and their effects on the economy (and people’s lives). Then I go into Instagram (or any other social media platform) and see people act like life is normal, talking about their Christmas shopping list (!)

    I get it; being an influencer requires us to be all cheery and fun, but I feel SO much for those who lost their loved ones and have to wait in long lines to get food. Many people are struggling, and I just can’t bring myself to tell people to go out and buy stuff when the money is so tight. 

    So, I decided to not publish a gift guide this year. If you have to have one, here is my 2019 gift guide. I own and use everything on that list and still recommend them.

    This year though, we are only buying what we need and mostly shopping local.

Books & Shows I loved in November:

I’ll be honest, I have never been a big fan of Matthew McConaughey. I’ve seen some of his movies and know about his famous, “Alright, alright, alright” but that’s about it. 

I decided to read his memoir after watching him in one of the late-night shows. I had an Audible credit to use and bought his book on a whim to listen to while I was opening boxes. 

WOW! First of all, he is a great writer. Second, listening to him read his own words in such an authentic way was a treat. The book is full of wisdom from a life well-lived, starting from his childhood to his years in Hollywood to today. 

The audible version cover of Matthew McConaughey's book Greenlights

I plan to buy the printed book so that I can highlight bits and pieces to go back and read again. I highly recommend listening to the book, as I thought it was a delightful experience.

I picked up this book to read after I hurt my back. I had to lay down to give it a break and needed something light and fun. I thought it was a steamy love story. 

It was, but it was also more than that. The main character is a woman who grew up in a household with domestic violence and blamed her mom for not standing up against her dad.

Then one day, the man that she thinks of as “the man of her life” hits her, and she finds herself in her mother’s shoes. 

This book offers a unique perspective on domestic violence and proves that things are not as black and white as they seem. Overall, it wasn’t exactly what I thought but a good read nevertheless.

The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix: 

This is a 7-episode show about a girl who is a chess genius. She grows up in an orphanage, where she learns to play chess from the janitor. He helps her shape her talent, and then she gets adopted.

It is a heartwarming story, and the cinematography is outstanding. It is a great show to watch if you need a new one to get your mind off things.

I Leave You With This:

I won’t lie. I am tired of it ALL.

The virus, the news, the fight for power, the feeling of losing hope in humanity, and the lack of empathy…

But, I am also grateful and hopeful. I know things will be okay, and we will come out of this stronger. 

Only if we can survive…

So, I leave you with Nathaniel Drew’s latest video. The concept of “information fatigue” resonates with me SO much. Like many, I am exhausted from all that is going on. 

I hope you have a month where you take steps to manage your information fatigue. I know I will be working on it every day.

Until next month, with gratitude,

Aysegul

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About Aysegul Sanford

Hello Friend! I'm Aysegul but you can call me โ€œIce." Iโ€™m the cook/recipe-tester/photographer behind this site.

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8 Comments

  1. I enjoyed reading this very much! โค๏ธโค๏ธ Thank you for sharing, and good luck on finding some stable ground with the move. Very happy your dad can be there with you, and may he stay healthy and active always! (Loved your using the emoji for protection against the evil eye ???? ????. Coming from a similar culture in Egypt, I can totally relate! Hahaha)
    Blessings to you and your family!

    1. Hi Sally,
      You are right, our cultures are very similar. ๐Ÿ™‚
      I am not much of a superstitious person but I believe in the power of an evil eye and do not leave the house without one. I believe in it so much that I will get it tattooed on my body someday.
      I look forward to my dad’s arrival and cannot wait to take care of him.
      Thanks so much for coming by. I really appreciate your well wishes.
      Cheers,
      Aysegul

  2. I am a new subscriber and I loved reading your newsletter. I hope your father arrives safely and that you spend a lot of time together. I really appreciate your thoughts regarding Instagram and the reality or everyday life these days….. I feel exactly the same!

    1. Hi Marilene,
      Welcome to the Foolproof Living community. We are so happy to have you here.
      It is so good to know that I am not alone. These are some strange times we are living in. Glad to hear that it resonated with you.
      Sending you the warmest wishes. Cheers!
      Aysegul

  3. Talk about a curveball! We never know what life will throw our way but I’m sure you’ll find a way to hit a homerun. Enjoy having your Dad with you & enjoy your holidays!

    1. Hi Emily,
      I know, right?
      Never doll moment…
      I am so excited about my dads arrival and cannot wait to have him here.
      Sending you the warmest wishes. Happy holidays.
      Cheers,
      Aysegul

  4. That is quite the story! So…now what? You wonโ€™t sell the house and move to be with your hubby? That seems sad.

    1. I know, right? Life is full of surprises.
      We plan on making it work. For now, he will go back and forth during the winter months. Then I will go spend most of the summer with him up there.
      I want to make sure my dad is taken care of before we do anything else though..
      I know it will work itself out. Like most, we are doing our best to roll with the punches.
      Thanks for coming by Colleen. Cheers!