Deep down inside we all question our sanity when we step out of our comfort zones. Often it is simply the fear of the unknown that will stop people from pursuing their life’s dreams. We tend to over-analyze our decisions, seek a risk-free adventure and look for affirmation of our life choices from our family and friends (and even the clerk at the check-out register at Lowes). But sometimes this confirmation comes from the strangest places.

Earlier this month, our “new” 150-year-old home, the one that we’ve spent the last 12 months renovating, was featured as part of the Bethlehem Historic Museum and Sites 23rd Annual “Rooms to View” House Tour. (Renovating seems too simple a term to explain what we endured in negotiating bids, variances and easements, navigating the permits and inspectors, not to mention designing, and utilizing the talent and skills of what felt like a cast of thousands)!

Friends thought we were crazy. Our kids just moaned when we asked them to bring their painting clothes on their weekend visits. And my parents, well, I can only imagine the conversations that went on after their first visit to the property as we began our renovation. But we survived and have come through the challenge stronger and wiser.

We were grateful for the opportunity to show off our hard work, blood, sweat and tears to others that appreciate a good renovation saga. But we really had no idea of what we were in for when we agreed to be one of the nine homes throughout Bethlehem Township to be showcased.

Any seasoned hostess will tell you there is nothing like the deadline of a big party to make you get your house in order. So besides wrapping up the odds and ends of trim details and planting flowers in the window boxes, I took the time to gather photos that chronicled our journey so that we could put together a slide show for our visitors. We also put out framed “before” photos in each room to show our guests the true magnitude of what we had accomplished.

But even though we had finished the last details on our to-do list, put away the breakfast dishes, made the beds and thought we were totally ready, nothing could have prepared us for the day ahead. Who invites 300+ total strangers to their home on a Saturday morning in June? Well that’s a no brainier, people like us who take pride in the countless hours of toil that it requires to accomplish what we did AND people who need confirmation that they are not crazy!

However we were totally surprised by the sheer number of people who passed through our front door, ticket in hand, waiting to see the inside of our little teal brick house on East Broad St. But we were also blown away by the appreciation we got from our curious guests, who not only offered praise but sincere gratitude for allowing them access to our humble abode. (I am sure the fact that we allowed them to use the rest room and offered everyone a cold bottle of water on the back patio got us brownie points, as well.)

We felt the joy of people who shared with us personal stories of their own renovations. (Yes, we are considering starting a support group, 1-800-GOT-SPACKLE.) And we even made some new friends in our historic neighborhood, too. Many people that said they had seen our progress through the many months, even if only through the evidence of debris on our front porch. By opening up our home we surrounded ourselves with others in the Lehigh Valley (and as far away as Maryland and Virginia) who had the same appreciation for the beauty of the past and the value of ingenuity and perseverance.

As I sit here in the car writing this (don’t worry I’m not driving) I turn to John and ask him, “Would you do it again?” And to my surprise he says, “Yes!”  (Honestly, I have been too afraid to ask him until now.) So I really have to thank all of our visitors, our volunteers who helped us guide our guests, and the dedicated folks at the Bethlehem Historic Sites and Museums for allowing us to be part of the Rooms to View house tour. The day was a celebration of the rich history that is found in Bethlehem and its architecture and the many people who work so hard to preserve it! And for confirmation, for John and I, that we weren’t crazy after all!