Three weeks. That's how long Adam and I have lived in our first home before it tried to humble us.

We knew buying a house meant accepting some risk. We budgeted for the unexpected. We told ourselves we were ready. We were not ready.

What we thought was a slow drain turned out to be a failing sewer line. The kind of repair that comes with a five-figure estimate, a very patient plumber, and a lot of staring at each other across the coffee table. We've barely learned which key opens the front door. We have not yet found a good pizza place. And now we are intimately acquainted with the infrastructure beneath our yard.

We're not looking for a handout. We're actively pursuing loans and doing everything we can to cover this ourselves. But the repair needs to happen now, and the gap between what we have and what we need is real.

If you're able to contribute anything, we're genuinely grateful. If you just want to share this page, that helps too. And if you've been through something like this yourself, feel free to leave a comment. We could use the solidarity right now.

We love this house. We're going to figure this out. We just need a little help getting there.

Thank you,

Maggie & Adam