A MESSAGE FROM OUR TEAM

In the North where I’m from, June is a special month to me. In addition to it being my birthday month, it’s also when warmth finally arrives and stays. In the South, heat has already been around for some time, but I still retain fond memories from my childhood, of when the peonies bloomed just before my birthday, and the last day of school coincided with my birthday parties.

This month also marks the five year anniversary of the Coastal Insider as well as my tenure with it. In those early days, I remember the brainstorming sessions and excitement we all felt building something new, and how proud we were when the first edition was published and hit the stands.

How far we’ve come since then— with a name change, the expansion of our publication to include a wider geographic area, and a new office, not to mention so many additions to our team. But one thing has remained constant over the years— and that’s the passion and excitement that we put into the compilation of each and every edition.

As our team’s senior staff writer and editor, I interview the people who make up this varied, dynamic, and beautiful community. It’s an honor to listen to their stories and hear what they have to share with me: their background, what fuels their ambition, and what they offer. I’m constantly humbled by the heart that motivates them and inspired by my task— that of capturing and putting into words what they share with me with the same essence and passion in which I receive it.

As I look back and reflect on the past five years, I’m proud to be such an integral part of a company whose aim and purpose is to share the best of what we all have to offer with the community. This month, we feature the story of Brookgreen Gardens. Their mission is one that is very dear to me, combining, as it does, their commitment to conservation as well as promoting beauty and the arts. Brookgreen has always held a special place in my heart because of this, and I’m delighted it made our front cover for my birthday month.