In the 1960s, my parents were tenants of Villa Blanca Tortuga, the carriage house, while they attended the University of Arizona. When I was just a year old, they stumbled upon an ad in the paper listing the entire property for sale. To their surprise, the original owners of Villa Blanca turned out to be our landlords, who had grown fond of my parents and opted to sell the property to them over other potential buyers.
With the generous assistance of my grandmother for a down payment, my parents transitioned to the front house, where they raised us girls. During my college years, I, too, resided in the carriage house, while my sister lived "high above it all" in the upstairs quarters.
In 2010, Villa Blanca made its way through the generations—from my grandmother to my mother and sister—and ultimately landed in my hands. It's now my privilege to share this beloved property with you as Villa Blanca Tortuga.