The Spring Break to New Home Pipeline

The Spring Break to New Home

Pipeline by Fiama Mastrangelo

Like many other families that have moved to the Gulf Coast, the Wallersteins fell in love with the charming lifestyle offered by the Rosemary Beach community. In March of 2020, the family left their life in Washington D.C. behind for a spring break vacation that never ended. Now, just two years later, Ben, Sarah, and their children, Elle and Ford, have become fully immersed in the community through engaging in service opportunities and local pastimes.

“It was really an accidental move,” Ben said. Though Ben and Sarah have been vacationing in the area since their daughter Elle was just three months old, they never expected to be residents of the coastal town they found themselves in multiple times each year. “We had a really idyllic existence in a lot of ways in Washington D.C.” In the capital, Ben founded his business and Sarah worked at the White House. “We had great friends and a tremendous sense of community,” he explained. When the pandemic arrived in the U.S. however, Ben’s office and the kid’s schools were closed “indefinitely.” After making the trek down to Florida, Ben and Sarah found that Rosemary Beach had lots to offer the family in times of great uncertainty and educational instability worldwide. “It was really about school and educational opportunities for the kids and creating a sense of community in a place where they could be outdoors and engage during the pandemic,” Ben said. Elle and Ford attend the Ohana Institute, a fully accredited and private school for grades K-12. The Ohana Institute delivers an “experiential, student-centered blended education model” through providing their students with real-world experiences and extraordinary educational opportunities. Beyond their schoolwork, Elle and Ford have been hard at work honing in on their passions. For Ford, it’s all about early morning fishing trips with his father and performing local gigs with his band, Patch of Grass. In April, Patch of Grass played a live show at The Big Chill, formerly known as The Hub. Elle spent her downtime during quarantine launching a virtual platform for her baking business, Baking Camp. As a burgeoning entrepreneur, Elle is often hard at work baking custom cake orders, assembling birthday party packs, or teaching both online and in-person baking lessons. Patrons can place their custom orders and purchase merchandise at bakingcamp.com. Though Elle and Ford are heavily invested in their individual passions, they also love to work, alongside their parents, on community service opportunities. “We’ve also loved being a part of The Foundation,” Sarah said. The Rosemary Beach Foundation promotes community and philanthropy in the area through organizing events, fundraising for local causes and gathering supplies through drives. Some of the ways that the kids have gotten involved has been through “helping stuff Fourth of July bags for the Fourth of July contest [or] encouraging others to bring their pets to the Rosemary Beach ‘Unleashed’ activity.” “We [also] participate in the cornhole tournament, and we help gather cans for the canned food drive, so that is all something the kids have loved being involved in as well,” Sarah added. While the Wallerstein’s never expected to be “trading hockey skates for paddleboards,” as Sarah put it, their move to Rosemary Beach has been a blessing for the whole family. “You don’t have to seek out opportunities to do things as a family, it’s very much a part of the culture,” Ben said. Now that traveling for work has been significantly reduced in the wake of the pandemic, the Wallersteins have even more time to spend at home, soaking up sun rays in paradise. “I think something that a lot of people don’t experience as much when they are coming on vacation is the splendor of the natural community around Walton County,” he added. The family often gets to experience the joys of walking to the beach or exploring the nearby hiking trails. Though life as we know it has changed drastically since March of 2020, Rosemary Beach has continued to provide an escape from the hectic world around us. From the natural beauty to the tight-knit community, the Wallersteins are thrilled to call Rosemary Beach their home.

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