Greetings from The Catskills

Last week, I spent some time in The Catskills. 

If you were to tell me that when I moved to NY three years ago, I would buy a house in the countryside, I wouldn't have believed you. Frankly, I didn't even know where the Catskills were.

While it sounds pretty freaking cool, it's definitely not all glitz and glamour. 

A few weeks ago, a guest saw a mouse and asked to leave the next day. YIKES. 

To be honest, this sent me down a spiral of googling and worst case scenario thinking (don't recommend). 

But what helped me the most was hearing from another 5 star Airbnb Superhost I messaged on Instagram. She said that she did everything she could to get rid of mice on her property (regular pest control, plugging up holes, and more), but it still happens because it's a house in the woods.

So, while there are things that are IN our control, there are also a lot of variables that are OUT of our control, too.  

What's in my control: 

• Contacting pest control companies for quotes

• DMing other hosts to see what they've done about similar issues

• Plugging any holes where mice could get in

What's out of my control: 

• If a mouse gets in despite my best efforts

I share this not to scare you away from ever staying (I hope to host you one day!) but to be REAL about what goes on behind the scenes. 

Owning a house is a humbling experience with a lot of lessons you can apply to your work or life. 

It tests you. Rather than panic and spiral, you have to figure things out as problems arise calmly and rationally.  

I didn't know that I would be buying a house when I first moved here. I didn't know that I would be dealing with a mouse.  

But the learnings and fulfillment from the experience have been the biggest lesson for me. 

Even though it's a lot of work and might have to deal with unexpected issues, I have a creative project that lights me up, challenges me, and is a place I can share with friends and family.

So my question for you: What in your life is WORTH the investment?