Why I Love Fair Oaks and Why This Platform Exists
I have always been a writer.
Before websites. Before blogs. Before social media made visibility unavoidable. I was the kid who loved writing stories and essays, the one who felt most at home with a blank page. My mom was a writer too. She wrote constantly. Entire books, never published, but deeply loved. I still have some of her manuscripts. That love of words was passed down quietly, long before I knew what I would do with it.
For a long time, I stayed in the background.
I took classes in English, design, photography, and visual storytelling. I learned how to build websites, shape stories, and communicate visually. I started blogging in the early 2000s, when blogging was still new. I loved writing, but I was shy about being seen. I preferred creating quietly, without attention.
That worked for a while.
Until it did not.
Learning to Be Visible
Little by little, I realized that if I wanted to create, I could not hide. Visibility was not optional. It was part of the work.
Around 2009, I stepped more fully into the world of social media and digital storytelling. I joined Social Media Club and volunteered alongside marketers, journalists, and creatives. For the first time, I felt like I had found my people. I started writing more. I shared ideas. I received feedback that mattered.
Some of my writing was published on Sacramento Press and Active Rain. A few pieces were picked up by local journalists and news anchors working on stories. I was interviewed. And when that attention came, I froze.
I did not know how to hold it yet.
I pulled back again. Writing became harder. Visibility felt overwhelming. At the time, I did not have language for it. Now I know how common that experience is. Especially today, when being visible feels required just to exist professionally.
That understanding shapes everything I do now.
The Day I Love Fair Oaks Began
One day, I was in Fair Oaks Village by myself.
I was doing what I had always loved. Walking the Village. Feeding the chickens. Sitting at the coffee shop and deli with a sandwich. Wandering through the art gallery that once stood where Brahma is now. Taking it all in.
I went home and built a website.
I called it I Love Fair Oaks.
At first, it was a quiet place. A hobby site. Somewhere I could write and create without pressure. But long before it was popular to promote communities online, I was doing exactly that. Telling stories. Sharing moments. Highlighting what made this place special.
For a long time, I had to explain what I was doing. There was nothing like it yet.
Now, community platforms are everywhere. But Fair Oaks grew into something rare. A tight knit place where people recognize each other. Where relationships stack over time. Where you can go somewhere alone and never really be alone.
I like to think this platform played a small part in that. At the very least, it connected people. And connection changes everything.
What I Do and Why It Works
I Love Fair Oaks is not a news site. I am not a traditional journalist. I do not try to cover everything.
I follow curiosity.
I write about what interests me. What moves people. What feels meaningful. And when I meet business owners, creatives, or community members, I listen first. I interview them. I find the heart of their story. Then I write it in a way that makes them the hero.
Most people know their work.
Few know how to tell their story.
That is where I come in.
Through Local Legends, I work with local businesses who want more than promotion. They want presence. They want to be known. They want to become part of the ongoing story of Fair Oaks. We start with storytelling, then build visibility around it in a way that feels aligned and human.
I do the same thing in my real estate work.
I have been in real estate for nearly thirty years. I help people navigate transitions. Upsizing. Downsizing. Moving into the area. Moving into the next chapter of life. Homes are not just properties. They are containers for identity, memory, and future plans.
Understanding place matters.
Understanding people matters more.
Because I know Fair Oaks deeply, I can help others find their place within it.
A Platform That Keeps Growing
I Love Fair Oaks has become more than a website. It is a living archive of community life. A place where stories live longer than a social post. A place where traditions are documented. Where businesses are introduced thoughtfully. Where newcomers feel connected faster.
It has also given me a network everywhere I go. I know people. I connect people. If you are looking for someone, something, or some direction, I usually know where to start.
Looking ahead, I want this platform to do even more. To support local students interested in writing, media, photography, and creative work. To mentor. To open doors. To show that there is a place for thoughtful storytelling in a world that moves too fast.
Why This Matters
We live in a streaming society now. Content is consumed everywhere. Visibility is no longer optional. But how you show up still matters.
I Love Fair Oaks exists to prove that community centered storytelling still works. That presence can be built without noise. That people respond to care, consistency, and authenticity.
If you are a business owner, a creative, a longtime resident, or someone considering Fair Oaks as your next chapter, you are welcome here.
Fair Oaks is more than a place.
It is a shared experience.
And this platform exists to honor it.
If you love Fair Oaks, want to stay connected, or are finding your way into a new chapter here, you are in the right place.