From Breckenridge to Here

As close as they are to the massage tables and the restaurant serving international cuisine in Richland Pointe, Till and Renee marvel mostly at their proximity to nature.

[Renee] I was four months pregnant at the time. It was October 2020. We were at our home in Breckenridge. My pregnancy would be difficult at 10,600 feet, and we know that newborns at high altitude often need oxygen support. So, we decided it would be best to go to our home in Naples, Florida. We planned to drive because we also had our Australian shepherd, Mowgli.

[Till] I thought there would be no decent hotels along the way that allowed dogs. But Renee came across a Ritz-Carlton online at this place called Lake Oconee.

[Till] We were surprised when we arrived. Families were water skiing. Kids were playing on slides. People were playing golf. It looked and sounded like everyone was very happy.

[Renee] We went for a walk on a trail and fell in love with the smell of pine and the sight of pure beauty. Then we saw a few houses tucked into all of it. I looked at Till and we were thinking the same thing.

[Renee] I’ve traveled a lot for business. There are beautiful places in Europe and the U.S., but until we began looking around Reynolds I’d never seen a naturally healthy place quite like it.

[Till] Naples is pleasant in the winter, but for much of the year it’s too hot to be outside. Breckenridge is beautiful, but very cold in winter. We thought maybe this could be the answer to having a home where we can be outside year-round.

[Till] Our conversations got more serious when Ally was born in March 2021. Where would we want to raise her? We were told about this new community being built within Reynolds: Richland Pointe. Honestly, it sounded too good to be true. Convenience to a vibrant restaurant and spa? Year-round golf and boating, hiking and biking? New architecture with lots of windows and high ceilings, space for horseback riding a few miles down the road? A clean and quiet community? If you want to try finding all of those things in one place, good luck.

[Renee] We were the first people to move in here at Richland Pointe Village. I think we had a mix of excitement and curiosity about seeing whether the daily life would live up to the promise.

[Till] I remember using the fitness center on day one and then going out with Ally to explore. But what really stood out, more than anything else, were the people. Everyone we met was so welcoming, right away. We decided this would not be an experiment for us. This would be permanent.

[Renee] Having horses had always been a dream of ours. The altitude in Breckenridge and heat in Naples made it too challenging. But after moving here we were able to buy barns and land 15 minutes away, and we now have two horses — Promise and Wish. They’ve become part of our new lifestyle. We plan to open an equestrian center on 155 acres, where we can invite others to come and enjoy this lifestyle, too.

[Till] Living here reminds us of our best childhood memories. I grew up in Starnberg, Germany, 60 miles south of Munich. My friends and I were always outside. We would ride our bikes to go canoeing in a beautiful lake, which reminds me of Lake Oconee — except for the Alps in the distance. People from the city would vacation there to get away from noise and busyness.

[Renee] My story is similar. I lived near Cologne, Germany, where my grandparents had a grocery store and bakery. I’d go there to organize things for them, but mostly I enjoyed chasing rabbits in the hills with friends. When Till and I were married, we both said we wanted to raise our children in an environment similar to what we experienced growing up.

[Renee] Ally has names for our homes. She calls Breckenridge “the mountain house.” She calls Naples “the ocean house.” But she calls this “home.” We call it home, too, without thinking about it.

[Till] We can look back and see the interesting journey that led us here, and we will always be grateful that the destination has made our lives richer.