There's Truth in Your Fiction

The inspiration behind the fictional beach town, Bliss Bay!

A central part of Brandy’s story is about her summer share in Bliss Bay. While Bliss Bay is fictional, it is inspired by the numerous, small beach towns, dotting the coast of New York and New Jersey that many city dwellers escape to on their summer weekends. You can spot the weekenders from a mile away! Standing around Penn Station with their duffel bags and brown bags of alcohol for the train ride. Eyes darting between their cell phones and the giant boards indicating the track number to their destination. Whether it’s via New Jersey Transit or the Long Island Rail Road, from the high end Hamptons to the low key vibes of Kismet, Fire Island, this part of the experience is the same.

If you aren’t from the area, you may wonder how this set up even works. Basically, an individual or group secures a lease and then gathers a larger group to buy “shares,” or a set of weekends, where they can use the house and its amenities. Sometimes the housemates know each other in advance, but sometimes they don’t! Especially if it’s a newly established house.

When I first joined a house years ago, I had the privilege of being good friends with the couple who was starting it. Our core group reached out to fun folks in our network that might be interested - or at least curious - about our plans. We also used the technology of the time (Craigslist!) to recruit. We’d meet up with other New Yorkers at bars around the city to see if they matched our energy, interests, and vibes. We managed to meet enough cool people to make up a full and fun house. (We also met some wackadoodles, which is a story for another day. But it was a mostly fun experience engaging professionals like us!) Similar to Brandy’s story, there is often an opportunity to invite guests for the weekend. That variability always brings different and new energy to the mix. Also, similar to the story, cross friendships form and relationships flourish back in the city. 

I think the best fictional stories have enough of a dose of reality in them! While Brandy’s experience is fictional, many of the characters, conflicts, and conclusions, have an ounce of inspiration from someone or something that’s happened to me or my friends. 

Have you ever experienced a summer share? Share more about your experience below!

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