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 says:

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

    • 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.