Hi, I’m Sarah, and I’m not from here. You can probably tell right away, particularly if you were one of the people standing behind me in line when I tried to make conversation with the kind soul ringing up my canned wine last week. I talk to strangers. Often. I’m sorry if that helps.
My Connecticut-born husband rolls his eyes at my enthusiasm for making everyone who’s ever handed me a cup of coffee into my new best friend. I can’t help it. I was born in western Pennsylvania, and talking to reluctant strangers is in my blood.
I’ve lived in Fairfield County, specifically in an almost-300-year-old house in the woods of Redding, for nearly seven years. Still, the surprise that cashiers want me to insert my card into the chip reader without making small talk about perimenopause has never really left me. I’ll probably be like this forever, terminally unable to stop waving at people I met once at a birthday party four years ago.
We came to Redding from the more immediate NYC burbs of Bergen County to have a better work/life balance. My husband had a soul-crushing commute that kept him away from our young kids for long hours, so when he got the chance to come to Connecticut, we jumped with both feet. We weren’t sure if it was the best idea ever or the worst, but also we needed a change enough that it didn’t matter.
Now, years later, we can’t believe our luck. We’re working corporate gigs from home with our two cats and a yard full of wildlife. We’re watching our son (12) and daughter (8) grow and thrive in our local school system. We’re exploring exotic new worlds like competitive club lacrosse and Irish dancing. (Well, they’re exotic to me.) We’re even sitting in town meetings just like on Gilmore Girls!
And I’m thrilled to join the Fairfield County Mom contributor team to share a little creative part of myself with my mom neighbors. I can’t wait to chat about everything I’m trying not to bring up with my favorite barista.
The way making something with your hands can reset your brain? Yes, let’s get into it!
What are the best reads for spring break? Let me bend your ear, my friends.
And don’t even get me started on sports parenting. (Which is to say, DO get me started on it because I LOVE to talk about it)
I’m so grateful for the opportunity to tell you about the wonderful life we’ve created in our cozy corner of Connecticut, even if no one wants to talk to me in the checkout line.
This is the best way to talk to strangers that I can imagine!
