For Tanya Meda, living in New York City played such an integral part in shaping who she became. Living there meant taking some of her first leaps of faith, forging her own path in the big city, working in fashion and immersing herself in all New York had to offer. Living in New York meant […]

For Tanya Meda, living in New York City played such an integral part in shaping who she became. Living there meant taking some of her first leaps of faith, forging her own path in the big city, working in fashion and immersing herself in all New York had to offer. Living in New York meant learning to believe in herself. It meant finding the love of her life, Carlos, and knowing immediately he was the man for her. The couple married, and after years of living in the city, the idea of a family home began to take root. Tanya recalls their early thought process for house hunting, ?We were both still working in NYC, so we knew we wanted to be in commuting distance. I?ll be honest, when Carlos suggested New Jersey, I was wary? as is most everyone when they hear ?New Jersey.? But all of that changed the moment we got off the train in Maplewood. It was a cold day in February, and it had just snowed. All of the dads and their children were sledding down the hill behind the train station. It was like a scene from a Norman Rockwell painting. In that moment, we both looked at each other and knew this was the place we wanted to be.?
A similar feeling of certainty struck Tanya when she walked ...