a dream brought to life — a new beginning for a bigger vision.

Living in a tiny 65 square foot room to moving into a studio apartment between the years of 2017 - 2019 when we first started dating, Ralph and I have always shared the big dream of living in a beautiful apartment in New York, which is highly unlikely for two immigrants with no history in this big and new city.

When our lease was about to be up and we were in the middle of talking about our plans on marriage and settling down, we decided that it was time for the big move.

After a long and strenuous search, one old, ragged and small apartment after another, we found our West 5E. It was a newly built condominium building in the heart of a neighborhood in Queens with a view of the tip of the Empire State Building right by our living room. It was (and still is) perfect and everything we wanted.

We didn’t get it the first try though. The first real estate broker we spoke to was reluctant, with just enough savings and little to no credit score - we got denied on the first application.

After the first try, we felt defeated but we couldn’t stop thinking about how it and what could’ve been. We paused but within the next couple of months, we were back in the search. Lo and behold, the listing on the same apartment came up again. But this time, it was through the owner herself - so we tried again.

You know what they say about “seeing life flash before you”? This was it, but in a good way - even before everything happened. A week of viewing the apartment and submitting the application, on a cold winter evening, we found ourselves signing our lease and being handed the keys. Stepping into one empty house we are about to make a home.

Then the big wave came when the pandemic hit about a month after moving in, I got laid off and it seemed impossible to sustain it. But even in the most impossible circumstances, God’s grace & provision provided it all for us.

Our humble apartment in the busy streets of New York City has hosted countless gatherings both big and small - that were filled with laughter, tears from loss, grief, failures. Cheers from celebrations and milestones. 

Hearing the first time people tell you about their life stories or how they met and got to where they are today. It has been a ground that created new friendships & established relationships. Rebuilding broken ones and nurtured those that are continuously growing. It has heard and seen it all and has become everyone's "casa".