Freshman year high school.
Looking at this picture, all you probably see is a big smile. 😊
What you don’t see is that my world had been turned upside down.
My parents had divorced, and we’d just moved from my beloved Southeast Georgia to St. Louis, Missouri. My mom was going to college full time, determined to build a better life for us. Every week, we’d pick up a trash bag full of bread from a local homeless shelter.
And yes… I absolutely felt sorry for myself. 😅😭
I was homesick as all get out.
I missed the beach. I missed the swamp. I missed the alligators. I missed the moss-covered oak trees. I even missed the sand gnat. And I definitely did not enjoy walking through snow to get everywhere 🥶❄️
But life doesn’t stop just because you’re homesick. So I went to school, worked three jobs, and did whatever I could to help. Looking back, those years built the work ethic that still drives me today.
Three years later, I finally got to come back HOME.
Maybe that’s why I love what I do so much now.
Every day, I get to help other people find home in the place I love most. When people ask me why Southeast Georgia is so special, I don’t have to think about the answer… I lived without it. I KNOW what it feels like to miss this place.
I don’t just sell houses. I help people find HOME. ❤️
Looking back at this freshman girl… she had no idea she’d end up right back where her heart had always been. #BeEncouraged #choosewatsongetmore #ritahalldoesitall #ServingWithLoveSellingWithPurpose #HomeSweetHome