It Was Here All Along
I grew up on Amelia Island, but for most of my childhood, I never imagined I would live here as an adult. I always assumed I would leave and only come back to visit. I was drawn to places that felt more adventurous and tropical. I wanted to live somewhere like Hawaii, Nicaragua, or even Southern California. Surfing was my favorite hobby in high school, and I pictured myself living somewhere with bigger waves, where the beach wasn’t just something you did on the weekends, but a lifestyle you built your days around.
After graduating high school, I spent a lot of time traveling, hoping that somewhere along the way I would find a place that I wanted to live long-term. I visited Puerto Rico, Ireland, Greece, the Pacific Northwest, South Florida, California, New York, and Hawaii multiple times. Each place was beautiful in its own way, and I loved the experience of being somewhere new, but none of them ever felt quite right for me. No matter how far I went, I still hadn’t found what I was looking for.
In 2021, I decided to start working with my mom, who had already been a realtor on Amelia Island for over a decade. The following year, I began dating my now husband, who was living in Jacksonville, Florida. We spent our first year of marriage living in Jacksonville while I commuted to Fernandina Beach for work. There were definitely things I enjoyed about living there: more variety of restaurants, more shopping options, and a more lively nightlife scene. However, between the traffic and constant crowds, I found myself craving the slower, more grounded feeling I had always taken for granted growing up on Amelia Island.
When I got pregnant, that feeling got even stronger. We decided to move back right before I gave birth to our son, and that decision changed the way I saw my hometown. Amelia Island was no longer just the place I grew up; it became the place where I was starting my family. I started taking my son on all the adventures I experienced as a child: stopping by Fantastic Fudge for ice-cream, exploring tucked-away parks like the Egan’s Creek Greenway, collecting seashells along the shoreline, and ending the day on quiet beaches at sunset, which quickly became his favorite. Watching him experience the island life for the first time gave me a whole new perspective, one I didn’t even realize I was missing.
One day, as I was walking back down a long trail from one of the hidden beach accesses on the south end of the island, it hit me that my son is too young to keep these memories. I had mixed feelings about creating memories that only I would remember, but ultimately, it made these experiences feel more significant. Because getting to show him these places meant I was seeing them through his curiosity and wonder. After living here for over 25 years, it felt like I was seeing my hometown with fresh eyes. Things I had once overlooked or taken for granted suddenly felt new and meaningful, like I was rediscovering them for the first time. I was relearning what made Amelia Island special in a completely new way.
That shift didn’t just change how I felt about living here; it changed how I approached my work. I realized I wasn’t simply helping people buy and sell homes. I was helping them step into a lifestyle. Amelia Island isn’t about having endless options or constant stimulation. It’s about a slower pace, a strong sense of community, and an appreciation for the small, meaningful moments that make up everyday life. The people who thrive here are the ones who value those things and are looking for something that feels supportive and grounding, not overwhelming.
For a long time, I told myself I would never become a realtor. I watched my mom work constantly, and it seemed like a job that you could never clock out of. At the time, I didn’t think I would ever want that kind of responsibility. What I didn’t understand then was that she wasn’t just working to sell houses; she was helping people find where they belonged. She was introducing clients to the same lifestyle she loved and raised her family in. She worked so hard because she was sharing something she believed in. Now I see that she wasn’t just “busy,” she cared and was deeply invested in helping people live in a place they would love.
Now, my favorite clients are the ones who aren’t from here. I get to walk them through that process, not just by showing them homes, but by helping them see what life here actually feels like. And almost every time, there’s a moment when something clicks for them, and they begin to understand what makes this place different. When that happens, it feels familiar to me. I spent years traveling, convinced that the life I wanted was somewhere else. I saw beautiful places all over the world, but none of them ever felt quite right. What I was really looking for was something that felt like home. And it turns out, I had it all along.
Watching my clients fall in love with Amelia Island while finding their dream home never gets old. If anything, it’s what continues to deepen my own appreciation for where I live. Because in helping others fall in love with Amelia Island, I find that I’m still falling in love with it too.