Living in a small town has it’s challenges, but it’s all I’ve ever known. If you’ve read my bio, you know that I live on the same street I grew up on. It’s a really pretty street lined with historical homes and old trees…there is a park close by where I walk Amos every day. Growing up, I played in the same park and have many great memories of riding my bicycle and visiting friends who lived close by. You can look at this in several ways…I have a true sense of place and can honestly tell you what life is like in a small town in North Carolina, and also, you could say that I haven’t experienced life in another place. Neither of these things really matter in the big scheme of things, but these days, not many people live in the same town for their whole lives, so I have a unique perspective.

Luckily, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel in my life, so I have been able to experience the way others live in that way, but it’s different than say, moving to Phoenix Arizona for a few years and I’m sure it has shaped the way that I think and form opinions in many ways…some good and maybe some not so good! I do think travel expands the mind so I would like to think that I am open minded and I love people!

When quarantine started back in March, I began to look at small town living very differently. Our daughter, Rebecca came home to stay with us for several months because things were so bad in Boston and she wanted to get out of the city. Watching television and seeing how bad things were in most big cities gave me an appreciation for the freedom we had (and still have) here in Burlington. Small towns obviously aren’t as densely populated so we have been able to go outside and walk without worry, and the number of cases of COVID have been significantly less. Even now, we’ve only had just over 1000 cases here and while that’s still bad, I haven’t felt as concerned as I would have if we lived other places. Yes, we’ve had restrictions and now that things are getting worse, masks are required but my life hasn’t been significantly impacted.

Because I work from home, my days are basically the same as always, with the exception of the time when Baldy and Rebecca were both here, also working from home (some days that was very challenging!). Things are back to normal now and my days consist of blogging, working out, grocery shopping, cooking and keeping this crazy old house in order. We are planning a trip to Bald Head Island soon and I’ll be working from there from the month of August unless travel becomes restricted. I always look forward to being at the beach and slowing down a bit!

As a blogger/influencer/content creator, sometimes I long for the culture and the hustle and bustle of a big city, and before COVID, I could simply plan a trip and find a photographer in another city to satisfy my craving for more, but now…I just have to make do with what we have here. Taking pictures becomes a challenge and sometimes I find myself (like yesterday), sneaking up onto the porch of a home for sale and taking pictures just to have a change of scenery. I simply don’t have time, most days, to drive to a neighboring city to take pictures. Crazy Blonde Life has grown into a business and I’m very proud of that accomplishment, but my time is taken up with contractual obligations that I didn’t have when I started out. When I post a sponsored post (meaning I’m getting paid which is a good thing in my book), I have to post on a specific day and have deadlines for submitting content to be approved which is a whole different ball game than just posting what I want when I want. It’s been an adjustment, but I’m finding a rhythm that works between the days when I do photography, video, catch up on Instagram and sit at my desk and work.

Burlington is growing (slowly), and we’re getting more Instagram worthy places to take pictures. I am very thankful for online shopping…meaning I can order just about anything that I need and it arrives on my doorstep in a matter of days. We don’t have that many shopping options here, making it difficult to just run down the street to pick up a pair of shoes, or even wine glasses. We’ve been breaking those like it was a full time job since this quarantine started.

There are things about small town life that I think I would miss if I moved anywhere else. I’m sure it’s a trade off and you find the positive anywhere you live, but finding those things to appreciate has become more important to me than ever. One thing that is so convenient is that I can get almost anywhere I need to go…grocery store, Target, gym, drug store…in ten minutes or under. I don’t have to deal with traffic which I know is a major frustration in so many places. A few other great things are…my dry cleaner - he sells the best eggs that are sometimes still warm when I buy them and they’re only $3 a dozen!! If I can’t get there to pick them up, he’ll leave them on my front porch! I rarely ever lock my door (shhh…don’t tell anyone)! We are very centrally located so it takes about 3 hours to get to the beach and 2 - 3 to get the mountains. My best friend from high school lives right behind me! The list goes on! I guess it’s all about finally figuring out how to be grateful for the good things here!

Sometimes, I long for beautiful backdrops for photography (Eiffel tower, 5th Avenue shops…), museums, bustling streets and all the things that come with bigger cities, but also, I’m really grateful for the familiarity and open spaces of a small town. Who knows, maybe one day, Baldy and I will move (we’ve talked about it), but for now, I’m learning to appreciate my life with all of the blessings and the challenges. I always thought that if we moved some place more fabulous that our children would be more likely to visit, but they’ve told us that they want us to stay here! I can’t say that we will…who knows what life will bring! I think that’s one thing we’ve all learned in the first 6 months of 2020…you really just never know what might happen!

Just a word about my outfit! I thought this was such a cute outfit idea for July Fourth! The puff sleeves are trending everywhere and it’s a trend I’m on board with! The cropped jeans are cool and a little different than just plain white skinny jeans…the espadrilles are Chloe (very similar here) from last season and I’m still carrying the Cult Gaia bag everywhere! It’s such a great summer bag and goes with everything!

How has this quarantine made you more grateful? Let me know in the comments box below! Thanks so much for reading today!