West Friendship, Maryland is the place I now call home. It’s been a long, circular journey to get here, one that began in Columbia, MD, circled through Baltimore, down to northern Virginia, then up to western Montgomery County, and now full circle.

Home to Howard County. It feels great to be back. So much has changed since I grew up in Columbia, and yet so much is the same. Now I’m living on my dad, Robert H. Kittleman’s, farm, just behind the homes in Fox Valley, right off Rt. 32. Have I mentioned how great it feels to be back?

I decided to create Thoughts from Home as a more personal part of the website, where I can post items that have more of a “Laura” flair. (Hint: I almost called this section “Life in the Pink Aisle,” so be warned!)

My dad, Bob Kittleman, at the farm many years ago with our three daughters.

I will update the site as I learn about my “new” neighborhood – one that I’ve actually been a part of since the 1960s when my dad first bought real estate in West Friendship. Good grief, I’m sounding OLD!

My plan is to use this space to connect you with local resources, interesting places and faces, tidbits, and things I find interesting as I reconnect with the neighborhoods in Howard County. As a longtime resident and professional real estate agent, you’ll no doubt realize that I have a certain flavor to my observations. And coming from a political family, you know I’ll offer no shortage of opinions!

Let the journey begin!