Move-in ready.

When I lived on the Cape as a teen, I couldn’t wait to leave. After I moved away, I couldn’t wait to come back. This homesickness manifested in an unhealthy obsession with the idea of having a beach house. When I was here on vacation, I pored through real estate ads, with no realistic hope of being able to afford anything, but just to imagine how it might feel to inhabit one place or another.

A couple of months ago, I was in Key West and came upon this incredible sculpture garden at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park, and this piece made of PVC pipe and steel, aptly entitled Dream House (2009) by Susan Rogers. “Susan has created an ephemeral floating, unobtainable façade of the perfect Dream House.” So says the catalog for the Sculpture Key West collection (all of which is fabulous if you have an opportunity to see it).

Genius in its simplicity. Breathtaking views. Affordable. Low maintenance, which is particularly appealing after having spent these past weeks raking and sweeping away winter. And so now, after all these years, I finally have my dream beach house, which I come home to each morning as I fire up my laptop.