How Being a Homebody Saved Me
Plus my current fixation, the SF reunion vlog and national media opps!
If you follow me on TikTok, you likely saw this very emo post towards the end of last year. My entire page (& social media identity) has turned into a “city girl forced to move to the suburbs” account. Well, because… it’s pretty accurate.
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Part of being married to someone in the military is getting used to change, which is always a lot easier when that change is a welcomed one.
When we got the news in spring 2021 that we’d be moving to San Francisco, it was one of the most thrilling times in our lives. We had both lived in big cities before (NYC & Chicago) but NorCal felt like something special. And it really was.
However, when we found out we were moving to Louisiana in 2024… tears were shed. Not only because we’d have to leave a city we’d grown to love so deeply but because we had never heard of the town we were being sent to for the next three years.
Most notably, it would be the first time I wouldn’t be living in a proper city, of which I am very much a fan. BUT, I did have one thing in my back pocket.
I’m a natural homebody.
This would’ve been a way harder move if I were in my twenties looking for a “scene,” but the reality is I’m an introverted 34-year-old married woman with an online business and two senior dogs. The perfect recipe for a slower-paced life, right?
It took a few months after relocating to fully emotionally adjust, but once I did, I made the decision to stop complaining and look at the bright side.
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So, if you ever find yourself in a similar situation or particularly difficult life transition, here’s what helped me:
JUST ACCEPT IT
The sooner you wrap your head around the change, the better. But don’t force it. My partner took all of a week from hearing the news, while I took A LOT longer and had to use social media as a sort of diary to work through it. Take the necessary time to fully accept your new reality so you can move on to the fun stuff.
FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE
Trust me. I had a very hard time turning my move from a stunningly beautiful city to a town littered with chemical refineries, a hot and humid climate and mosquitos the size of my head into a positive, but I eventually managed. At the end of the day, this is a first-world problem. I’m very aware (by nature of my job and consuming the news daily) that there are far worse things happening in the world. But our personal experiences are relative, and they matter, too.
So what did I do? I turned to Yelp and searched for restaurants I would look forward to trying, learned we were a very manageable drive away from Houston (the fourth largest city in the country), and began the house hunt, which became extremely fun considering our cost of living was about to plummet. Now, we live in a four-bedroom house on a golf course for nearly half the monthly rent of our one-bedroom condo in San Francisco, are geographically closer to our friends and family in Florida, and get to experience a pocket of the country we otherwise never would have.
MAKE FUTURE PLANS
This is super easy when you’re in the midst of planning a wedding in Napa (we recently had an SF reunion trip for our wedding tasting). So naturally, I’m already talking about where we’ll go to escape the summer heat when it’s time. Road trip to Rosemary Beach, anyone? I also see an Austin, TX road trip in our near future.
Lots of possibilities! But it is so powerful how when you get something concrete on the calendar, the everyday monotony becomes kind of fun because you know there’s a goal you’re working towards.
DIVE INTO A PROJECT
This is something that happened so naturally for me as soon as I ran out of places to go and people to meet up with in the “big city.” When my options were limited and my mind was quiet, I suddenly had this insatiable thirst for creativity and was inspired to finally take action on some of the “someday” projects we all have.
Now, I’m committed to posting on YouTube every Sunday, growing this Substack, and sharing more on TikTok… all on top of running a freelance business. And there are even more hobbies I want to explore outside of the internet. Golf is a way of life here, and I’m determined to get the hang of it.
This is just what’s been working for me so far. I know I’ll eventually want to network more and meet new friends, but one thing at a time. Stay tuned!
CURRENT FIXATION
Almond Butter Cookies
I originally saw this recipe on Emily Didonato’s Instagram a while back, but I’ve tweaked it a bit to make it my own.
Ingredients:
1 cup all-natural creamy or chunky almond butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract // 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
I eyeball the following: chocolate chips, oats, dried cranberries
Sprinkle top with Maldon sea salt & sliced almonds
Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 & enjoy!
🏡LATEST YOUTUBE VIDEO
After six months of living in the suburbs, I'm finally heading back to my favorite city ever... San Francisco! In this video, I'm taking you along for my emotional reunion, wedding tasting in Napa, and some fun around the city. Enjoy!
YOUTUBE SCHEDULE: (posting every Sunday AM)
3/16 - Day in My Life as a WFH Publicist
3/23 - Spring Cleaning Vlog
Today’s Media Opps 📰✨
Submission deadlines are listed below. If you need pitching tips, refer to this post and/or email justine@hydeparkpr.com with the subject line “PITCHING HELP”
Follow us on Instagram for the most up-to-date media opportunities @hydeparkpr
If you’re a journalist with a media request to share with our community of home lifestyle brands and experts, please add justine@hydeparkpr.com to your sources list.
PLEASE NOTE:
These opportunities are time-sensitive, and sources may have already been filled. Enable Substack push notifications so you don’t miss a thing.
Look out for my pitching mini-course coming summer 2025.
BRANDS
Martha Stewart
Deadline: 3/14 @ 12pm ET
Wendy Rose Gould is putting together two image-heavy roundups:
Water Feature Ideas
Game Room Ideas
Requirements: I’ll need original images alongside some commentary.
Email wendyrosegould@gmail.com
EXPERTS
Real Simple
Deadline: ASAP
Wendy Rose Gould needs the following experts for upcoming articles:
Makeup artists to help with Best Eye Makeup for Mature Skin + Where to Apply Concealer for a Lifted, Youthful Look
Hairstylists to weigh in what size curling iron to pick for (like a guide on sizes!) and Korean "Mul-Gyul Waves.”
Nail artists to dish on Licorice French Nails + Korean Nail Trends to Try
Email wendyrosegould@gmail.com
Verywell Mind
Deadline: ASAP
Wendy Rose Gould is seeking a licensed relationship expert to help with a story on “How to Get Out of the Friend Zone Unscathed.”
Email wendyrosegould@gmail.com
Martha Stewart
Deadline: 3/13 @ 4pm ET
Heather Bien is looking for dark academic interiors from interior designers only.
Requirements: Include a high res image (must be yours, no AI renderings or Pinterest images) + 1-2 sentences describing it.
Email heatherbienpitches@gmail.com
The Strategist
Deadline: 3/14 @ 4:30pm ET
Amelia Jerden is looking for recommendations of how to train yourself to stop sleeping on your stomach. I'd love to hear from physical therapists, chiropractors, or other physical health experts who've helped clients with this exact issue with specific strategies. I'd also be open to hearing from non-experts who've simply tried this themselves and had success, whether they had to stop sleeping on their stomach while pregnant, due to back pain, or any other reason.
Requirements: Please no product pitches (happy to hear product recommendations, but not from brands please). And please only reach out if you have either professional or personal experience here.
Email amelia.jerden@voxmedia.com
Glamour
Deadline: 3/17 @ 1pm ET
Alexandra Frost is looking for recommendations for an upcoming product roundup on the best shoes for plantar fasciitis. Would love input from both patients and medical providers (podiatrists and physical therapists) on specific shoes they've found helpful for PF and why. Would also appreciate thoughts on shoes that did not work, despite the brand's reputation for possibly being helpful for PF.
Email team@frost-freelance.com
You can also catch us on Instagram and LinkedIn. Have a great rest of your week! <3
About
With a decade of PR and Marketing experience, Justine D'Addio has executed PR campaigns for indie beauty brands, tech startups, influencer-backed fashion labels, consumer packaged goods products, film festivals, art galleries, and more.
Since 2021, Hyde Park PR has built a reputation for securing top-tier national placements that deliver massive visibility and business growth opportunities for its roster. Hyde Park PR operates remotely and represents clients globally with experience in the Tampa Bay, San Francisco, New York City, London, and Hong Kong markets.
Justine is an avid lifestyle YouTube consumer, amateur content creator, Substack author, and a bona fide homebody.