mansion

What We Think We Want

When Eat, Pray, Love first came out and I got the big check, I bought a big house, a five-bedroom Victorian with a wraparound porch in this small town in New Jersey. I put a ton of money into making it really magnificent. I spent four years restoring it, putting in amazing gardens, a new kitchen and bathrooms and steam baths, and a huge library. It was stunning—I mean really beautiful. But I never truly felt very comfortable there. I didn’t like being the rich lady sitting on the top of the hill in the biggest house in town. It made me feel disconnected. I felt as if I were living in a house that belonged to somebody else. ~ Elizabeth Gilbert

2 responses to “What We Think We Want”

  1. Sheril Gelmon Avatar
    Sheril Gelmon

    Interesting, maybe that house wasn’t her dream, she only thought it was.

    1. Andrea Cordonier Avatar

      Could be. I’m wondering if it was the adventure of the transformation that was the important piece, not the actual ownership/possession of the building.