Susan: My father was born and raised in Raleigh, and as children we spent our summers on the North Carolina shore, but my mother was the daughter of a diplomat and traveled all over the world. As a child, I listened to her stories and developed a case of wanderlust for myself. I was fortunate in finding a partner who felt the same way I did.

James: I came from a New York based family without any diplomats. However, early on I knew I wanted to work and be exposed to the diversity of living overseas. I don't think I was aware of Susan's wanderlust when we first met, but something must have clicked since we have been married for over 30 years and have three wonderful daughters

Now, after 27 years in Europe and Asia, we are happy to be settled in one place. We have been very fortunate in the places we have lived (Paris, Hong Kong, London, and Singapore) and have been able to travel extensively, collecting art and furniture along the way. This has all been augmented by family pieces. Susan loves the fact that the small Victorian what-not shelf in the parlor here traveled from her great-grandmother's house in Charleston to her parents' home in Connecticut, and then it circumnavigated the globe only to end up back in North Carolina. The portraits of James' ancestors have a similar tale and now adorn the walls of various rooms at the inn. As expats, you learn to welcome all sorts of people into your life and to embrace aspects of other cultures, which augment your own. Paris gave us art and great food, Hong Kong and Singapore gave us exposure to Asian hospitality and warmth, and London and the UK gave us a love of green spaces and gardens. We hope to bring all of this together in the Carolina Bed & Breakfast to create a uniquely warm and welcoming home for our guests.