Why Maine?
The question we most often get asked...
So one question we have been asked more than any other is "Why did you move to Maine"?Here goes the condensed version written on the day we listed our house for sale.
As of right now, we're getting our cozy cabin in Maine ready to sell, and it'll be up on the MLS soon for everyone to check out. Our business, Whittle Bird Coffee + Kitchen, is also going on the market. We've poured our hearts into this place and business for the past two and a half years. It's been a tough ride, but I've learned so much about myself, and I wouldn't trade this experience for anything.
From dreaming of cabins to coffee: Our Maine adventure begins!
In 2023, we made the bold decision to split our time between Maine and North Carolina—because why settle for one state when you can confuse your mailman in two? That January, we bought two acres and a hunting cabin in Maine, sight unseen. Yes, you read that right. We bought a house the same way most people order mystery boxes online: with a mix of hope, excitement, and a dash of “what could possibly go wrong?” Two months later, we finally saw our new home in person. We had zero expectations—unless you count “please let it have a roof” and "no mice" as an expectation. But we already loved Maine, ever since our first visit in 2016, so we figured, how bad could it be? (Spoiler: it had a roof as well as mice!)
Our grand plan was to build primitive cabins on the property for rent, serving up handmade food and exceptional coffee to our guests. Think of it as a Bed and Breakfast, but with a lot more “rustic charm.” Owning a B&B has always been my dream, and this felt like the next best thing.In the spring, once the snow finally gave up and melted, we decided to plant 500 Christmas trees. I mean you know that they say "Go big or go Home"! I’m a total Christmas fanatic (Chris claims I’m obsessed, but let’s be honest, he’s just as jolly as I am, he just hides it a little better!).
We also put our North Carolina house on Airbnb, thinking we’d visit often to hang out with our kids and grand-kids. Turns out, managing a house from another state is a bit like herding reindeer ( in keeping with the Christmas lingo) —fun in theory, chaotic in practice! So, we decided to sell it and make Maine our full-time home. I'll post more later about our Christmas tree adventures but let's just say it did not go quite as planned!
Facing New Challenges: A Shift in Business Ventures
Things definitely took a few unexpected turns after that. Chris decided to trade in his window tint business in North Carolina for a new adventure—a seasonal coffee business! Meanwhile, I’d been running an online stationery shop on Etsy since 2013, which once fueled our full-time travels. But as the market got crowded and Etsy changed things up (and raised their fees!), sales started to dip, and we realized it was time for a new plan.
So, when we sold our house in NC we invested in a custom-built coffee trailer that would take 3 months to build. Chris whipped up a temporary coffee cart for Farmer’s Markets, which included a fun stint at The Lost Kitchen market for the month of December. When it got too cold to operate the cart we opened a pop up shop in Dover Foxcroft while waiting for the completion of the trailer. Coffee alone wasn’t quite enough to keep us afloat, so against my better judgement I dusted off my apron and got back into baking.
We finally launched the trailer in March, dreaming of traveling all over, but we had built a loyal following in Dover Foxcroft and chose to set up shop there most days. We also joined a handful of seasonal Farmer’s Markets hoping to stay busy for the Summer months. But just two months in, our trailer decided to keep things interesting—cue the water leak and a surprise mold problem. Let’s just say, it was a little more “adventure” than we bargained for! After negotiations, the company bought back our trailer, and we opened a brick-and-mortar shop in Guilford (just 10 minutes from Dover Foxcroft). The owner's generous owner-finance offer allowed us to start renovating upstairs suites for a Bed and Breakfast. However, she later rescinded the offer, leaving us in a difficult position after investing heavily in renovations and facing high electric bills. I had closed my online shop to focus on Whittle Bird, and we were stressed and depleting our savings. Then, a local bakery in Dover Foxcroft offered us a chance to move our business back there, hoping we could retain their daughter-in-law as a baker. We accepted this fantastic opportunity.
Farewell to Our Beloved Maine Community: On a serious note....
We returned to the town we had previously loved, situated on a busy street, with overhead costs about a quarter of what they had been at our previous location. It has been a wonderful spot for us, and it is with a heavy heart that we prepare to leave. This decision has been carefully considered and deeply felt. Chris has a promising business opportunity in South Carolina that offers more profitability than the coffee venture. We will be just four hours away from our kids, grand-kids, and my parents ensuring we won’t miss out on important family moments again. This makes the choice easier, but what complicates it are the wonderful people we have met during our time here. There’s a unique sense of community in Maine that is hard to find elsewhere. Our time here has felt too short, as we’ve poured so much effort into trying to stay afloat that we haven’t been able to truly enjoy the beauty of this state. Adventurers at heart, being unable to explore has been quite difficult.
Reflecting on Dreams and Lessons Learned in Maine
I’ll always treasure our time here, and who knows—maybe one day we’ll find ourselves driving past those two acres we adore, talking about the “what ifs.” What if the coffee trailer had become the next big thing? What if we’d built those cozy little cabins and turned this place into a peaceful retreat for others? What if we’d stuck around long enough to see those Christmas trees stretch a little taller? I could spend all day daydreaming about these possibilities, but instead, I’m choosing to trust that God has an even better adventure in store for us.
This journey has taught me so much about myself! I’ve leaped way outside my comfort zone and learned the beauty of living with less. I’ve also discovered that while I love baking, I definitely don’t want to bake 100 of the same thing—turns out, repetition just isn’t my thing!
I’ve learned that black flies are not my friends (and I hope we never meet again!). I actually prefer snowy winters to summers—funny, since we’re heading back south! Amazon Prime isn’t exactly “prime” out here, and home renovations? Let’s just say they’re not as glamorous as they look on TV. Maine has helped me appreciate the little things. Even with the wonderful people, stunning sunrises, and peaceful moments, nothing can quite fill the space in our hearts that’s reserved for our grand-babies. When we moved here, I secretly hoped our kids would fall in love with this place too, but sometimes life has other plans.
A New Chapter
So long (for now), Maine! You’ll always have a special place in our hearts. The future’s a bit of a mystery, but one thing’s for sure: our restaurant days are behind us.A lot of folks have asked if I’ll ever write a cookbook—maybe someday! For now, this blog is my playground. I’ll be sharing Whittle Bird recipes, family favorites, kitchen tips, and all sorts of tasty tidbits. Oh, and get ready for a coffee corner just for Chris—he’s basically a coffee wizard, and it’s time he shared his secrets!
Stick around and join us for whatever comes next. The adventure’s just getting started!
So one question we have been asked more than any other is "Why did you move to Maine"?Here goes the condensed version written on the day we listed our house for sale.
As of right now, we're getting our cozy cabin in Maine ready to sell, and it'll be up on the MLS soon for everyone to check out. Our business, Whittle Bird Coffee + Kitchen, is also going on the market. We've poured our hearts into this place and business for the past two and a half years. It's been a tough ride, but I've learned so much about myself, and I wouldn't trade this experience for anything.
From dreaming of cabins to coffee: Our Maine adventure begins!
In 2023, we made the bold decision to split our time between Maine and North Carolina—because why settle for one state when you can confuse your mailman in two? That January, we bought two acres and a hunting cabin in Maine, sight unseen. Yes, you read that right. We bought a house the same way most people order mystery boxes online: with a mix of hope, excitement, and a dash of “what could possibly go wrong?” Two months later, we finally saw our new home in person. We had zero expectations—unless you count “please let it have a roof” and "no mice" as an expectation. But we already loved Maine, ever since our first visit in 2016, so we figured, how bad could it be? (Spoiler: it had a roof as well as mice!)
Our grand plan was to build primitive cabins on the property for rent, serving up handmade food and exceptional coffee to our guests. Think of it as a Bed and Breakfast, but with a lot more “rustic charm.” Owning a B&B has always been my dream, and this felt like the next best thing.In the spring, once the snow finally gave up and melted, we decided to plant 500 Christmas trees. I mean you know that they say "Go big or go Home"! I’m a total Christmas fanatic (Chris claims I’m obsessed, but let’s be honest, he’s just as jolly as I am, he just hides it a little better!).
We also put our North Carolina house on Airbnb, thinking we’d visit often to hang out with our kids and grand-kids. Turns out, managing a house from another state is a bit like herding reindeer ( in keeping with the Christmas lingo) —fun in theory, chaotic in practice! So, we decided to sell it and make Maine our full-time home. I'll post more later about our Christmas tree adventures but let's just say it did not go quite as planned!
Facing New Challenges: A Shift in Business Ventures
Things definitely took a few unexpected turns after that. Chris decided to trade in his window tint business in North Carolina for a new adventure—a seasonal coffee business! Meanwhile, I’d been running an online stationery shop on Etsy since 2013, which once fueled our full-time travels. But as the market got crowded and Etsy changed things up (and raised their fees!), sales started to dip, and we realized it was time for a new plan.
So, when we sold our house in NC we invested in a custom-built coffee trailer that would take 3 months to build. Chris whipped up a temporary coffee cart for Farmer’s Markets, which included a fun stint at The Lost Kitchen market for the month of December. When it got too cold to operate the cart we opened a pop up shop in Dover Foxcroft while waiting for the completion of the trailer. Coffee alone wasn’t quite enough to keep us afloat, so against my better judgement I dusted off my apron and got back into baking.
We finally launched the trailer in March, dreaming of traveling all over, but we had built a loyal following in Dover Foxcroft and chose to set up shop there most days. We also joined a handful of seasonal Farmer’s Markets hoping to stay busy for the Summer months. But just two months in, our trailer decided to keep things interesting—cue the water leak and a surprise mold problem. Let’s just say, it was a little more “adventure” than we bargained for! After negotiations, the company bought back our trailer, and we opened a brick-and-mortar shop in Guilford (just 10 minutes from Dover Foxcroft). The owner's generous owner-finance offer allowed us to start renovating upstairs suites for a Bed and Breakfast. However, she later rescinded the offer, leaving us in a difficult position after investing heavily in renovations and facing high electric bills. I had closed my online shop to focus on Whittle Bird, and we were stressed and depleting our savings. Then, a local bakery in Dover Foxcroft offered us a chance to move our business back there, hoping we could retain their daughter-in-law as a baker. We accepted this fantastic opportunity.
Farewell to Our Beloved Maine Community: On a serious note....
We returned to the town we had previously loved, situated on a busy street, with overhead costs about a quarter of what they had been at our previous location. It has been a wonderful spot for us, and it is with a heavy heart that we prepare to leave. This decision has been carefully considered and deeply felt. Chris has a promising business opportunity in South Carolina that offers more profitability than the coffee venture. We will be just four hours away from our kids, grand-kids, and my parents ensuring we won’t miss out on important family moments again. This makes the choice easier, but what complicates it are the wonderful people we have met during our time here. There’s a unique sense of community in Maine that is hard to find elsewhere. Our time here has felt too short, as we’ve poured so much effort into trying to stay afloat that we haven’t been able to truly enjoy the beauty of this state. Adventurers at heart, being unable to explore has been quite difficult.
Reflecting on Dreams and Lessons Learned in Maine
I’ll always treasure our time here, and who knows—maybe one day we’ll find ourselves driving past those two acres we adore, talking about the “what ifs.” What if the coffee trailer had become the next big thing? What if we’d built those cozy little cabins and turned this place into a peaceful retreat for others? What if we’d stuck around long enough to see those Christmas trees stretch a little taller? I could spend all day daydreaming about these possibilities, but instead, I’m choosing to trust that God has an even better adventure in store for us.
This journey has taught me so much about myself! I’ve leaped way outside my comfort zone and learned the beauty of living with less. I’ve also discovered that while I love baking, I definitely don’t want to bake 100 of the same thing—turns out, repetition just isn’t my thing!
I’ve learned that black flies are not my friends (and I hope we never meet again!). I actually prefer snowy winters to summers—funny, since we’re heading back south! Amazon Prime isn’t exactly “prime” out here, and home renovations? Let’s just say they’re not as glamorous as they look on TV. Maine has helped me appreciate the little things. Even with the wonderful people, stunning sunrises, and peaceful moments, nothing can quite fill the space in our hearts that’s reserved for our grand-babies. When we moved here, I secretly hoped our kids would fall in love with this place too, but sometimes life has other plans.
A New Chapter
So long (for now), Maine! You’ll always have a special place in our hearts. The future’s a bit of a mystery, but one thing’s for sure: our restaurant days are behind us.A lot of folks have asked if I’ll ever write a cookbook—maybe someday! For now, this blog is my playground. I’ll be sharing Whittle Bird recipes, family favorites, kitchen tips, and all sorts of tasty tidbits. Oh, and get ready for a coffee corner just for Chris—he’s basically a coffee wizard, and it’s time he shared his secrets!
Stick around and join us for whatever comes next. The adventure’s just getting started!