I am an avid reader, intrepid traveler, shameless gourmet, unapologetic beer snob, and a wannabee artist / designer. I have a PhD in industrial and organizational psychology and teach executives how to mitigate their natural tendency to behave like Michael Scott.
In short, I am basically the stereotypical NPR listener. I am a fan of The New Yorker. I love cities with great food, great culture, and the great outdoors. Charleston, New Orleans, San Francisco, and of course Saint Pete are some of my favorite places to visit. I've walked the Great Wall in China, visited the oldest extant town in Denmark, gone on safari in Kenya, and been kissed on the mouth by a baby elephant in Zimbabwe. I love yoga, but do it badly and infrequently. I married a Bostonian with all of the implications that entails regarding professional sports. I own five different coffee-making devices and a milk frother (but in my defense, two are at the Saint Pete house). I believe that life is incomplete without a dog (even on vacation), and that the very best kind of dog to have is a boxer, but am willing to agree that whatever kind of dog you own is probably second best.
I'm the kind of person who takes her kids on a trip to New Orleans and surprises them with the most historically accurate ghost walk tour she could find, and who completely fails to recognize that her kids would prefer less historical accuracy and more sensationalism.
I live in DC, but have love affairs with other cities on-the-side. I enjoy nice hotels, but ones with character (e.g., The Arctic Club in Seattle, The Roosevelt in NOLA) and "divey" ethnic restaurants as well as fine dining. Independent coffee shops, bakeries, and book stores are some of the best things in life. I believe no one should ever have to drink bad coffee. I appreciate being surrounded by beautiful things and the soothing effects of being near the water. I believe in adventure, good food and drink, and sharing all of those things with others.

I chose this house for the water and the comfortable layout. I love to entertain with family and friends and I love nature. The wall of windows at the back of the house blurs the line between indoors and outdoors, and the light reflecting off both the pool and the canal is magical. In the morning I like to sit on the dock with a cup of coffee and watch for the dolphins or manatees or launch my kayak (sadly, my insurance guy won't allow me to share it with you) and paddle from the house to Wheedon. There are great photo opportunities and we've even passed manatees who like to come into the canal when the weather gets cool.

I also love the proximity to all of the cultural attractions that Saint Pete has to offer as well as the proximity to some of the best beaches in the world. I enjoy exploring the outdoors and trying new restaurants, and there are so many wonderful places nearby, including Noble Crust for upscale Italian and Southern and Mazzaro's Italian Market. The house affords easy access to Tampa as well, and is close enough to do a day trip to Disney or Universal. I also like that I can launch a stand up paddleboard or our kayak from the dock.