02/11/2026
2016👉2026
10 years
Took me 2 months to really sit with this one. Full disclosure: At first I felt a little disappointed in myself or maybe looked at the past 10 years from a bit of a negative perspective. 2016 was the year we opened . The year we literally sacrificed it all to build this vision we created together. I was scared to death, didn’t believe I could do anything - let alone run a shop, and it was really hard for me to trust and make that jump. It took me a long time to really own it. That shop was everything to us, we poured every single ounce of ourselves into that space. There was endless struggle, endless f**k-ups and lessons that hit me hard. There were so many moments we had to push through together as a business and as loving partners - and honestly just to come out the other side still loving feels like a huge accomplishment ♥️
I think when I looked back to the beginning, I had this feeling of - fast forward 10 years and the shop has closed and what do I have to show for it?? What did I even accomplish? Did I fail? Could I have done a million things better?
Your mind will really take you down a deep black hole if you let it. But, once I let my mind run with that for a brief moment,
I started to find more clarity in all that was gained, all the immense blessings along the way. The friends that became family, the strength I found within that I never knew was there, the confidence as an artist that I NEVER felt good enough to own, endless
growth in the ocean and a lifestyle that and I DREAMED of when we lay in bed at our little Philly apartment dreaming up how we could just live by the ocean and really live it.
10 years ago we made that leap, and today we are living it. It’s not perfect, filled with storms, and endless battles - but really that’s where the beauty lies - that’s what I’m most proud of - and if I asked myself a million times, I wouldn’t change it for the world. Thank you for this life and for all the strength, love, and support through it all - love you, love hard ♥️
