Author: Elizabeth Ann

The Comfort of Home

Published by

Until this evening, I spent New Year’s Day in internet silence; and except for a run in the park, I stayed inside. I love inside. I love home. I love my stuff. So in honor of all those warm and materialistic feelings, here is a flashback to January 15, 2018: It’s happening now. Now! The Container Store came through with a design. The parts have been delivered, and installation will be complete in an hour or so. I’m stoked, but my energy is useless. I’m sitting on the couch just staying out of the way until I can jump into my favorite pastime: organizing. We came to New York with suitcases and had the luxury of living in a furnished apartment with all the essentials. For everything else, we were creative. I would vacuum the entire apartment with a dust buster. Instead of a ladle, we used a measuring cup, and who needs square baking sheets when your pizza can just hang off the edge of a rectangle baking sheet? I had forgotten ever having …

I love my problems!

Published by

I have latched on to a new theory, borrowed from an idea in the book ‘The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***’. Catchy, right? It is this: Life is a series of problems.  Wait, it gets better.  We spin our wheels working to graduate from one hierarchy of problems to the next. As soon as we conquer one set of problems, another begins. Hopefully, our new problems aren’t as bad as the old ones, but they’re still our own. So we fixate on them just the same.  Think about the approach to food by different economic classes. At the lowest level, people worry if they they will eat. Take a step up and the poor worry about quantity. Will there be enough?  The middle class is fixated on quality. Is it good? It’s the friend who invites you over for dinner, but you can’t get a word in around the self-deprecating critiques of the meal. Too much salt. Not enough salt. (I don’t cook so I literally can’t think of ANY OTHER spice that could make or break a meal….pepper?) Meanwhile, it never occurs to …

26.3 miles would be crazy

Published by

  On Sunday, my dad, brother, and I ran the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) in Washington, DC, and spent much of the afternoon post-run recounting signs that we saw on the road. My favorite: Good thing it’s not 26.3 miles. That would be crazy! This was a first for me and a significant cross off my bucket list. Of all the runners that I know, I am the worst. I look like I should be fast, but looks are deceiving. When we ran a half-marathon in Montreal in September, I wore purple spandex and the same cropped tank I wore for the marathon. Adam rightly called me out and said, “Girlllll, you better be pushing six minute miles looking like that.” If only. What about boyyyyy, #thehairofajp looks like a mushroom. So there.  My comfortable pace during the marathon was 10.30. All runners under the age of 60 are like Oh damn…. So yeah, it’s nice when you’re covering a distance for the first time and your PR is guaranteed. Timing was not my concern. …

Christmas Letter 2016

Published by

In February of 2017. Yes, yes, I know I’m late. All the noise of 2017 is making it hard to remember 2016, but that’s what I get for procrastinating. Here’s a consolidated reflection on 2016, and a glimpse of what 2017 may (or may not) look like for us. The adventure continues! This time last year, I was launching Venue at Postcard from Paris while Adam decided his startup T.I.E., (Time Is Everything), is not in fact, how he wanted to spend his time. The irony. This epiphany sent us spiraling into a year of self-discovery, and honestly, it was hard. Getting a job was Adam’s full time job, and my day to day routine often left me wanting. But over and over again, we were incredibly blessed by family and friends, and we have a solid highlight reel to show for it.  In April, I joined Kelly, her parents, Anna and Bradley in The Exumas where I ate conch salad and fed stingrays au natural in the clearest water in the world, according to Neil Armstrong. We went island hopping, …

Two Years enroute to Mars

Published by

Today is our second anniversary, and we find ourselves newly planted in New York City. For me, being here is an actualization of a dream since I was in high school. For him, the city is a perfect fit for his career aspirations. For both of us, it’s a new chapter. This city is bursting at the seams with opportunity. We feel we’re in the right place at the right time to push each other towards our best selves while enjoying the perks of the world’s best food and drink, entertainment, museums, and art. Two years ago, New York was nowhere in sight. We were headed for the hills in North Dakota. Four months later, we woke up in South Carolina with our future plans at ground zero. We fell into a bit of a mid-20s crisis. In response, I worked at an interior design firm, indulging in my creative interests, while Adam soul-searched. I know it was unconventional – working while Adam frequented coffee shops, went on lunch dates galore, and attended “cigar therapy”. …

The Fathers Who Are More

Published by

In my haste to find the perfect Father’s Day card at the last minute this morning, I went to CVS and read every card still in the stands. Struck by the quips and cartoons, I found that the messages on most covers relegated Dads to stereotypes and a basal list of responsibilities. If taken as true, what I was left to believe about Dads from my morning at CVS was this… Dads mow grass. Dads fire up the grill. Dads like power tools and muscle cars. Dads love dogs. Dads are really happy when they have control of the TV remote. Dads are even happier if they can drink beer and have control of the remote. Dads are happiest though, if you let them nap and do nothing. Dads really like to nap. Sure, there are the sentimental cards with less satire and more cursive, but in my humble opinion, most are full of fluff and void of sincerity. No card seemed worthy, because what I believe about a Father’s significance is so much more. …

Why It’s Been 8 Months Since I’ve Posted

Published by

When I started Living Unencumbered in April 2015, I made the tag line: Building a Life with Freedom. I laugh at that a bit now. Freedom is what we had and determined to protect, but as the months passed, what we were missing more than freedom and free time was purpose. It is purpose that we craved, purpose in our desire to contribute to a greater good or affect an exponential number of people. In our first post, we defined Living Unencumbered as eliminating the superfluous things that prevent you from dreaming of what you want to do and doing what you dream. That’s still pretty good actually, but after a year since the blog’s creation, my wiser self would emphasize the need for purpose. Today I define Living Unencumbered as the freedom to pursue your purpose, as opposed to merely reacting to the conditions and circumstances the world gives you. The truest freedom lies in our ability to pursue purposes that bring joy and ultimately, satisfaction. I stopped writing because I lost purpose, or …

A Birthday Poem

Published by

Apparently you cannot skip your birthday. September 21st was mine, and I wanted to  defer until next year. I’m 28 and officially in my ‘upper twenties’. No, I don’t think 28 is old, but beyond the fine lines that continue to creep in around my eyes, what have I gained from 27? Living in the meantime is beautiful in concept, but trying in practice. As my birthday approached, I did not feel like my usual festive and celebratory self. I was channeling Eeyore more than Birthday Princess.  So Mom, knowing my heart, wrote the happiest birthday poem combining the words of Dr. Seuss and Jesus like only she can. My family and friends’ birthday love was just the pep rally that I needed to make an attitude shift. I have been sitting on the sidelines since April, waiting, watching, and wishing since we moved to Greenville. I have blamed displacement for feeling sullen and slow, but sullen and slow was so 27.  My new year has spurred in me a new attitude, and I am excited to get back into …

We Lost the House

Published by

The Real Estate market has always appealed to Adam and me. We want to be investors in Real Estate as well as own our own home, and since we have been in Greenville, we have been shopping for houses to rent, flip, wholesale or call home.   The market in Greenville is ON FIRE, and while that sounds like good news, the bad news is that everyone else is shopping too – People whose pockets are a lot deeper than ours. We’re just the little guys trying to put our savings to good use, but bigwig investors are lurking in the shadows, waiting to sweep up our dreams at every opportunity. We have walked through approximately ten houses that were listed on MLS. We would see them at 8 am on the morning they were listed, and by 5 pm those same houses either already had several offers or were under contract. People are doing paperwork in driveways on the hood of cars to get their bids in first. In this market, it is imperative to …