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First, our backstory...
As suburbanites from Massachusetts, we got married at a country inn in Vermont. We stayed at inns and B&Bs whenever we needed to travel anywhere, and we escaped to Vermont whenever we got the chance. Though both of us were raised in Massachusetts, we never felt like we LOVED where we lived and always dreamed of someday moving to Vermont. About 15 years ago, we attended a weekend-long seminar for "aspiring innkeepers." Ironically, after that seminar, we decided we couldn't afford innkeeping, not the finances nor the lifestyle (we had two young kids and a couple older teens and a good sized mortgage). But the dream kept nagging at us. We finally cast aside our fears and misgivings, and followed our hearts to search for the perfect inn in Vermont.
The. Best. Decision. Ever.
We purchased Golden Stage Inn on December 30, 2010. We immediately fell in love with the magic of innkeeping. We increased the inn's services and amenities, earning five star reviews on all the rating platforms, and we grew the business into a viable income and lifestyle. We renovated the attached barn into cozy and substantial owners quarters, raised our two youngest kids in rural Vermont, and we have absolutely loved living here. We are surrounded by employees and guests who have been an essential part of our love affair with innkeeping. But, alas, thirteen years into our innkeeping career, we're getting pooped. We have started imagining what's around the next corner. While we don't know the exact answer to that, we do know that it's time to position ourselves for that next phase, whatever it may be.
Looking Forward
We've always been told that innkeepers should plan on their inn taking several months or even a couple years to sell. With that, we've just listed Golden Stage Inn as For Sale. In one sense, we are conflicted. We love what we do. We love our guests. We love where we live. Why change all that?! But we are yearning to see what's next. Michael's career as a CPA is still going strong and he has no intention of slowing down, but I (Julie) have no idea what the next chapter will be. Another entrepreneurial business? A career in writing or teaching? An antique home that needs fixing up? Unsure of specific answers, we are sure that we are asking the right questions at the right time.
Celebrating "Today"
Now we are faced with the challenge of poising ourselves for the future but living in the moment.
So, we will continue to wake up every morning, ready to greet both new and familiar faces, eager to share in the planning of guests' itineraries and to hear updates on the significant changes in their lives. But now we will do it with a new level of awareness. Like the person who has had to face their mortality, we will embrace each day of innkeeping with a keener appreciation and enjoyment, hyper-aware that our remaining seasons as innkeepers are finite. We will savor every breakfast, every guest greeting, every employee shift just that much more. We have always been grateful for our guests, our employees, and our lifestyle, but now this gratitude is infused with a sweet nostalgia we've not felt before. We look forward to seeing your reservations come in, so we can enjoy this phase of gratefulness and mindfulness with you!
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