Imagine waking up calmly and getting ready for the day knowing your rewarding work is just steps away; there’s nowhere to be but here. Feeling a sense of wonder for the day ahead, you stroll down the staircase and into the kitchen where you prepare a large pot of coffee for you and your overnight guests. As the coffee brews, you make your way out to the garden with your trusted wicker basket and scissors to pick some herbs and flowers for the breakfast plates in the early dew. The fresh air feels delightful, the sun embraces you, and the wind sweeps the aromas of the garden over you. You take a moment to take a deep breath and notice the folks of the village rushing to get to work in their cars. Returning to the kitchen, you lay out the most colorful assortment of local produce; it’s time to prepare breakfast. Enjoying your first cup of coffee and the sounds of bacon sizzling, you sprinkle mushrooms, spinach, and sweet red peppers onto your omelet in the pan. When it’s ready, you flip the omelet, grab a salty, fresh wedge of local feta, and fill the middle before you slide it onto the plate. Your beautifully decorated plate with a warm omelet, toast, and bacon is ready to be served.

You hear the faint laughter of your guests as you approach the dining room. They are seated, enjoying the coffee, juice, and fresh fruit while they share about their excursions from the day before. The table is perfectly set, with all the homemade jams and butter ready for them to indulge. You set down the plates in front of them just right, displaying the herb and flower-topped dish. “Wow! This is too beautiful to eat”, you hear one of them say. Another pulls out their phone to capture a photo while humming at the sight of it. You acknowledge their exclamations and share with them the farms that have produced the ingredients in their breakfast. They may not know how, but they can feel and taste the love and intentionality that you’ve poured into their meal. As you smile and instruct them to enjoy, you feel your heart warming from the joy of your guests. Reflecting on all of the moments like these, and the ones yet to come, you feel an immense sense of gratitude for choosing this life, the innkeeping life.