Downeast where my heart lives.
In 2013, I was working for my dad’s business; a welding and demolition operation in CT. While I enjoyed building things out of metal, I was starting to feel a little clausterphobic being around my dad all day, every day. I found a housekeeping job post in June at a place called Oakland House in Brooksville, ME, was hired after a brief phone interview, and essentially, ran away for the summer.
My first few days were full of doubt. I had never been downeast, and there was a thick fog that stuck around for almost a week. Everything felt haunted and eerie. And then the sun cleared.
I felt home there in ways that I had never experienced before. The now-retired owner, Sally Littlefield, poured her heart into that multi-generation operation, preserving its heritage and applying hospitality skills and knowledge that have reshaped the way I look at the world.
Everyone was welcome. Everyone was made to feel at home. Magic was baked into every detail through careful attention and thoughtful dedication.
Downeast Maine will always be special to me. From Blue Hill and Castine, all the way down to Stonington and Ilse au Haut, that area has shaped me in ways I could not have imagined. The people I found there helped me find myself.
Over the years, I have continued to go back as often as I can, and every time, I am inspired, feeling something reignite inside of me brighter than before.
These are snapshots of my time there. I hope never to stop adding to this page.
Downeast where my heart lives.
In 2013, I was working for my dad’s business; a welding and demolition operation in CT. While I enjoyed building things out of metal, I was starting to feel a little clausterphobic being around my dad all day, every day. I found a housekeeping job post in June at a place called Oakland House in Brooksville, ME, was hired after a brief phone interview, and essentially, ran away for the summer.
My first few days were full of doubt. I had never been downeast, and there was a thick fog that stuck around for almost a week. Everything felt haunted and eerie. And then the sun cleared.
I felt home there in ways that I had never experienced before. The now-retired owner, Sally Littlefield, poured her heart into that multi-generation operation, preserving its heritage and applying hospitality skills and knowledge that have reshaped the way I look at the world.
Everyone was welcome. Everyone was made to feel at home. Magic was baked into every detail through careful attention and thoughtful dedication.
Downeast Maine will always be special to me. From Blue Hill and Castine, all the way down to Stonington and Ilse au Haut, that area has shaped me in ways I could not have imagined. The people I found there helped me find myself.
Over the years, I have continued to go back as often as I can, and every time, I am inspired, feeling something reignite inside of me brighter than before.
These are snapshots of my time there. I hope never to stop adding to this page.
