Hello from Long Island, NY: Keeping up with The Westerlinds
Hello to my TFMY family! It’s been a loooonnng time since I’ve written to y’all - so let’s get to updating!
The scoop: if you’ve been keeping up with The Westerlinds via social media, then you know that we spent much of 2021 in the sunshine state & have traveled up and down the East coast more times than I’d like to admit. Although COVID as a whole has left a negative impact on the world, both Richie & I are eternally grateful for the extra precious time we were given in our home state that would have never been a reality for us if the world hadn’t stopped on a dime. We were given two summers of week-long getaways without being forced to take vacation days & made memories to last a lifetime. I was able to help celebrate both of my parent’s birthdays in person and enjoy homemade meals around my childhood dinner table for weeks at a time. Jake was able to experience Florida living at its finest & earned his Dock Master title while jumping in his first dock diving competition in West Palm - read more on that here. We spent time with our extended families and got to be a regular part of our friend’s lives again - something I’ve personally missed so much since moving to NYC. Truth is, the past 18 months have been nothing short of the best silver lining either one of us could have asked for. **and if I’m being brutally honest, a much-needed break from the hamster wheel of life.
The latest: after months of living between my parents in Jacksonville & Richie’s parents in Fort Lauderdale, we made the 20-hour journey north to New York at the end of June. We’re now staying on Long Island with his aunt and plan to be here for the foreseeable future as we look to find a place to plant roots of our own. That’s right - still no home for us, but we’ve learned a lot and have finally thrown our hands to God as we wait for his plan to be revealed on where we’re meant to be! We’re both still working remotely until September/ October-ish (I’m personally crossing my fingers for a 2022 return to the office as I’m not looking forward to commuting on the Long Island railroad #IYKYK). Richie started a new job today (!!!) and I couldn’t be more proud! His hours will be longer and his workload much greater, but we know it will all be worth it for our future. My side business is also coming along so, so beautifully and I cannot wait to share what I’ve been up to with you *more on that soon, I promise!!
What’s next: we’re off to London town for a wedding in two short weeks and plan to continue enjoying the summer sunshine as long as we can! We’ll be heading out East next Saturday with our friends who recently got engaged & Jake will be jumping in another competition on Sunday! We’ll continue to tour houses in NJ, CT & NY and will continue to pray we’ll have a home of our own soon (fingers & toes crossed!). I’ll be getting back into an OTF schedule and riding with Cody Rigsby on lunch breaks *if I’m lucky as my busy season starts to slow down. OH and I’ll be planning something big for Richie’s 30th! Until then, sending you a big virtual hug and all the positive vibes for the week ahead!
XO, Nicole
