Where it all started
This is the first of many posts we will be sharing about this new adventure we're embarking on with our first vacation rental. A little background to first set the stage. My name is Pete Lovelace and I'm married to Emily. We have 3 girls, Molly, Maggie and Annie (ages 9, 7, 5) and live outside Atlanta. I grew up in the North East, and enjoyed traveling with my family. We spent time in the mountains of VT, NH and ME and also along the coast of Cape Cod and Connecticut. Throughout my childhood we had a few different vacation homes (all which we rented when not using them). Visiting those homes and experiencing the excitement and opportunities these destinations provided, always gave me something to look forward to. Looking back, these "getaways" shaped some of my most cherished memories as a kid, and I now find myself looking to recreate these types of experiences and memories for my family and my children.
Why Highlands?
As adults living in Atlanta, we were introduced to Highlands through good friends, whom I now work for. They graciously offered their house to us over Thanksgiving 6 years ago, and it's now become a Lovelace Family Tradition that we spend Thanksgiving in Highlands. Highlands brought back all of those memories I cherished as a kid. The quaint downtown, easily walkable with shops and eateries to explore and indulge in, nature trails and adventure literally steps away from your front door, activities from hiking and swimming holes to ice skating and hot chocolate around the fire. I don't know why, but all of that is more fun when you experience it in a setting like Highlands.
Taking the Plunge
So this Spring, amidst COVID and everything else plaguing our country and the world, Emily and I started to dream about what a vacation home in Highlands would provide us and many other families looking to experience meaningful moments together. While it seemed crazy to pursue a dream like this amidst a pandemic and a recession, we escaped to Highlands, now our favorite getaway within 6 hours of Atlanta, and checked out some listings. As people of faith, we prayed that the lord would open a door and prompt us to move ahead if this was indeed something to pursue. Not to our surprise, God answered that prayer by connecting us with one of the most amazing realtors at Country Club Properties, Dan Chapman, who spent 2 days with us. We didn't just see properties. We learned about the history of Highlands and why it's truly one of the most remarkable spots in the US. And at the end of the 2 days, we had a contract in on a sweet little chalet style A-frame in the sought after Holt Knob neighborhood at the top of Main Street in Highlands.
What's Next
So we're 1 week into this adventure. We'll be closing on the home at the end of June, and spending the month of July renovating the place with hopes of welcoming our first renters in August. We invite to to follow along on this journey. Our heart/mission in this is to invite couples and families to "Be Still" and rest in the splendor, adventure, and peacefulness that Highlands provides. We'll be posting each week, and we'd love for you to come stay at our home later this Summer and experience meaningful moments together!
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