When we think back on 2020, it will be remembered as one of the most horrible years in American history; a once in a century pandemic, an economic depression, civil unrest around society inequalities and a contentious presidential election.

But, despite these setbacks, I was fortunate enough for one of my decades long dreams to finally come true in 2020.

If you have been around me for the last 15 years, you know my dream has always been to live in Scottsdale, Arizona. Whenever I visited here for business and vacation, the daily sunshine fed my soul and I felt connected to the desert Saguaro cactus and the native American culture. I loved that I can hike and bike every day. I have always been a warm weather outside kind of person.

Fifteen years ago, I started looking for a home here and during the Great Recession of 2008, I bought 5 acres at a bargain price from a bank who had foreclosed on this property. We continued to look for homes with a fabulous realtor on and off over the next ten years in the desert even bidding on some, but nothing quite fit the open esthetic   Sara and I wanted.

In 2017, we hired The Ranch Mine as our architects to design a modern home on this property I felt so connected to.  When we first saw the drawings, it was like a dream becoming a reality. But the project lay dormant for 2 years and we continued to look for a home already built not wanting to embark on the crazy task of constructing a house in Arizona from Chicago.

Then when my mom and dad passed away over the last 3 years, we decided to pull the trigger last year and apply for the permits to build the house on our land in Scottsdale. We broke ground in February of 2020 and then COVID-19 came with the economic mess that followed. We started to second guess our decision but pressed on realizing that building a retreat where our family and friends could gather for the next 20 years was worth the financial risk.

Because of the pandemic, we only traveled once from Chicago in June to see the “framed out” house and make some key decisions. Until we moved here at the end of October, we only saw the building progress from weekly pictures posted by our contractor, Boxwell Homes (who did a fantastic job).

What is it like when a long held dream comes true especially during the pandemic?

I was in shock the first time I saw  this desert house completed. Later, I had tears in my eyes. Having designed the place with our architect, we immediately felt at home. When my sons  visited for Thanksgiving this year, I was so happy that I was speechless (which is a hard thing for me!)

Now, I am so happy everyday that I wake up in this home. The sun is out and it’s warm. I can cycle and hike every day from my front door. I can walk peacefully through the neo classical Chelsea labyrinth my family built. It is a welcome balance to the pandemic that rages outside our door daily.

I want to thank all of you for who listened to me ramble on endlessly about Arizona after all these years. Dreams can come true and I am the luckiest guy in the world being fortunate enough to achieve one of mine.