Childhood Dream Come True

Kristen Bronander lives in Northern New York State around the Adirondack Mountains. Though she lived in New Jersey, she fell in love with the Adirondacks while spending time at summer camps there during her youth and vowed to one day return there to live. Her journey getting back there is an interesting one. She began her career in the world of banking, taking on big responsibilities at an early age and leading an extraordinary lifestyle. Unlimited expense accounts, entertaining clients and world travel were common. After six years and some trying personal experiences, she asked her company for a leave of absence so she could go to the Adirondacks and do some soul searching. While there she restored the 1812 homestead at her childhood camp and made it a living museum. She also created nonprofit organizations and restored old buildings. With the purchase of her 1868 house she realized a love for antiques and decided to start an antiques shop right there in her home. In addition to her home shop, she sells her wares out of an old church she restored, firmly establishing her reputation in the community for rescuing buildings. She also volunteers at the local animal shelter. It's part of the small-town life she loves. She concedes that making such a daring career move was both scary and risky, but she thinks it was all worth it.