An End of an Era. Day 508.

My phone rang. It was Tyler. He was on his way home from a long-awaited and well-deserved mountain vacation with Deaven and their two German Shepherds in Bryson City, NC.

“Hi,” I said, a bit concerned that he was calling out of nowhere.

“They laid me off,” he said. I could tell he wasn’t kidding.

Tyler began working for Treasure Realty over a decade ago. It was his first job. He started as a runner, tirelessly carrying items to the different vacation homes on Topsail Island, up the stairs with portable air conditioners, refrigerators, and more. He made his way up the ladder and quickly became a permanent fixture in the company, befriending many and calling them family.

Vacasa, a company based out of Oregon, purchased Treasure Realty last summer, but Tyler remained as a sales executive. All of us were working there at the time: me, Tye, Sammy, Max, Baylee, and Deaven. Now, there’s only one, Sammy.

Deaven gave her notice and today is her last day. Max and Baylee moved on to the school year. (Plus Vacasa doesn’t hire under 18.) They offered me two positions but I declined. I don’t want to manage people and answering Google reviews all day every day would kill my spirit. Sammy is an owner relations manager, and Tyler is looking for a new job. So are 1299 others.

It’s funny because although I felt a little ill and mama bearish when I first heard the news about Tye, I swiftly centered myself and remembered who my child was. He’ll be fine, and I can’t wait to see what he does.

I told Tyler it’s a liberation, his time to shine, and to wait until he’s offered something that is just what he wants. I also told Sammy, the lone Adams wolf at Vacasa, it was his time to shine, because ironically, he passed his state and national real estate broker test hours before Tye called.

Both boys are currently shining on opposite sides of the vacation rental spectrum, rooting for each other, experiencing two different liberations: one with true freedom, another to help pick up the pieces of a struggling company, and I could not be more proud.