I have a confession to make....
I have a confession, guys. Like so many of us, I've been relying on ChatGPT, Claude etc. for many aspects of my life. I have always loved to write ever since I was a young girl, and for the sake of ease and convenience, I've outsourced this creative expression a little too much, including in much of my writing for The Gabagool.
I wanted to write this as an ode to myself and the subscribers, stating that I will write this newsletter 100% myself from now on (excluding stats and links) even if the grammar is not perfect.
Besides this confession, I wanted to share a reflection on my weekend away with my husband in Saratoga Springs, NY, for our one-year anniversary.
How am I going to tie in some kind of real estate knowledge and value here, you ask?
Well.. you'll have to keep reading to find out (currently, as I write this, I'm not so sure either but I'll find a way...)
We love Saratoga Springs, NY: the trails, the downtown and it was our first time at the racetrack! (No we did not win any money.) Go Pie-O-My! - Please reply back if you know this reference.
Trips like this usually have me reflecting on my life, all that I'm truly grateful for, the challenges, the beauty, the people in my life, and this trip did just that. It also helped that I sat in a 40 min mineral bath in one of the famous Roosevelt Baths while we were there, I had really no choice but to sit in silence and be intentional with my mind. Highly recommended!
Returning home from the weekend away, we had a pretty significant problem at our house... It appeared that the main plumbing stack had cracked and a good amount of water was dripping from the second floor down into the basement.
Not exactly the ideal "Welcome Home" I'd want to experience coming home from an otherwise relaxing 3-day weekend way, but here we are.
Instead of completely freaking out about the mess of this repair and the scale of this work (my second BR closet wall is completely open to the studs at this moment), I am choosing to focus on the fact that we're so lucky to have caught this problem when we did, we can finance this repair without too much of a burden, and, most importantly, and more existentially, is life really so serious?
It's a question I've pondered more and more recently. We are all so worried about the smallest things: comparison, money, status, etc. I've been reflecting more on the fact that I was born by chance in New Jersey (the best state), in the United States (a free country), in the 21st century (the most opportune century), something I had absolutely no say or control over. As a result of that chance, I have had so many opportunities that many who were born in less fortunate scenario, by also no doing of their own, would truly die for.
So, as I look at my open wall and previously corroded bathroom pipes, I say "Aren't I so fortunate to even have a problem like this?" To live in a home with a roof over my head (don't worry, the roof is new at least) and have indoor plumbing and fresh water whenever I need it. There are people in the world who wish they could have the opportunity to even have the problems I have had.
I guess I didn't do a great job tying real estate into this newsletter this week, but maybe this edition is more as a message encouraging the reflection of all you have today including if you are so fortunate to have a home to sleep in every night. (And, if you don't, give me a call! Ah, I did it! lol.)
In all seriousness, I hope you can take a moment this weekend to reflect, try not to take things too seriously, enjoy the small moments and I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!
Best,
Alex
