During September 1937, the Eiffel Tower was reimagined not just as a marvel of engineering, but as a luminous beacon in the Paris night.

During the Paris International Exposition, the tower was illuminated from base to tip in a breathtaking display of electric lights that captured the world’s imagination.

Although the tower had stood since 1889, this night marked one of the first times it was fully lit after dark, which heralded a new age of modern lighting and nighttime urban design. For those fortunate enough to witness it firsthand, the scene was unforgettable.

This moment redefined the Eiffel Tower as a structure and as an experience. Parisians and visitors alike gathered in awe as it sparkled against the evening sky, setting the stage for a future where cities would glow after sunset.

From Times Square to Tokyo Tower, this new approach to illumination would ripple around the world.

Today, the Eiffel Tower’s nightly light shows remain one of Paris’s most-cherished sights. What began as an engineering feat has become a symbol of magic, imagination, and enduring beauty.

September has a way of making everything feel more grounded. The pace slows, routines return and even the air feels as if it’s urging us to reset. Whether you're easing out of summer travel or jumping back into a full schedule, this month’s newsletter is here to help you feel more centered.

I always aim to fill these pages with helpful ideas, thoughtful shifts and some inspiration to make life more enjoyable — at home and beyond.

And, of course, if you have real estate questions, want to refer a friend or need a trusted opinion about anything home-related buying or selling, then I’m always here for that, too.

Wishing you a cozy, clear-headed and beautiful September.

Warmly,

Gino Pezzani

As children, many of us learned this rhyme:

Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold.

It’s actually a paraphrase of a quote by 19th-century Welsh composer Joseph Parry, and its message still rings true today.

It’s easy to assume that growing apart from oldfriends is just a natural part of life. And while that does
happen, it doesn’t have to. In fact, building friendships takes a surprising amount of effort—research published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships shows that it takes about 50 hours of time together for someone to move from acquaintance to casual friend, and around 200 hours to
develop a close friendship.

That’s a serious investment—and one worth protecting.

Yet many people hesitate to reconnect with old friends. In a study shared in Communications Psychology, social psychologists Lara B. Aknin and Gillian M. Sandstrom found that over 90% of people had lost touch with a friend, and most felt either neutral or uneasy about reaching back out.

As time passes, it seems, people begin to view their former friends almost like strangers.

But maybe that’s exactly why reaching out matters. Because behind the time and distance, those old friendships might still hold something golden.

Here’s a health trick that takes almost no effort: Breathe in for four seconds and out for six seconds. Doing this for 60 seconds can lower your heart rate, calm your nervous system, activate your parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” mode), reduce stress and support cardiovascular health.

A 2023 study published in Cell Reports Medicine found that this kind of slow, controlled breathing, especially with a longer exhale, had a more significant effect on stress reduction and heart rate variability than mindfulness meditation.

It’s free, instant and requires no yoga mat. Just breathe.

As summer fades, a growing number of people are quietly unplugging. The emerging trend is a “digital quiet season,” in which users delete apps, reduce screen time and post more intentionally. According to a 2025 Pew Research report, more than 34 percent of Americans under 40 have removed at least one social media app since June, and several more are using features such as Focus Mode or setting time limits to reclaim their attention.

Instead of constant updates, people are turning to private group chats, voice notes and face-to-face hangouts. The energy has shifted from “look at me” to “be here now.” This shift reflects growing digital fatigue and a hunger for a deeper and more personal connection. For many people, social media feels more like work and no longer feels fun or fulfilling. And during a time when attention is the most-valuable currency, people are choosing to invest their attention more wisely.

There are growing micro-movements, too, such as screen-free Sundays, app-free phones and the return of the analog planner. A surprising number of Gen Z users are embracing flip phones and digital cameras for more-deliberate and less-curated content creation. Others are simply turning their attention toward hobbies, community or real-world experiences that don’t come with like counts.

In the near future, even the most brilliant humans may no longer be the leading experts in any field. Artificial intelligence is rapidly redefining what it means to be accomplished, and our children and grandchildren will grow up in a world where intelligence is no longer a uniquely human advantage.

Writing in The Free Press , economist Tyler Cowen and Avital Balwit of Anthropic describe a looming identity crisis sparked by AI’s ascent. As machines outperform us in knowledge, strategy and creation, the question becomes: How do we stay relevant? Their answer: double down on the things only humans can do.

Here's How We Adapt:

1. Get Your Hands Dirty: Carpenters, electricians and tradespeople remain irreplaceable for now. Blue-collar work might evolve into a new status symbol of skill and independence.

2. Inspiration Will Still Matter: Coaches, speakers and leaders who move people emotionally will continue to be essential. The ability to stir hearts isn’t something AI can fake.

3. Charisma Is Currency: People who can genuinely connect will stand out. In a world where machines are smart, being human will be rare.

4. Human-Only Spaces: Hobbies, art, relationships and family, areas in which presence and emotion matter, will grow more valuable.

A woman stepped outside for her usual morning walk when something made her pause. The air felt different — crisp enough to hint at autumn yet still holding summer’s warmth. Above her, a single maple leaf drifted down and then landed softly on the sidewalk in a splash of golden yellow.

For the first time in months, she wasn’t mentally rehearsing her to-do list. The urgency that had driven her through summer’s packed schedule seemed to have lifted overnight. September had arrived with its quiet invitation to slow down.

As she continued her walk, more signs revealed themselves: Children’s laughter echoed from the school playground, she noticed more people wearing light sweaters, and beach visits were being replace with apple-picking trips, and the morning light seemed gentler, casting longer shadows that whispered of shorter days ahead.

She realized September carries a secret gift that most people miss during their rush toward year-end goals and holiday preparations. It offers a natural pause and a moment to breathe deeply before life accelerates into October’s harvest rush, November’s gratitude gatherings and December’s joyful chaos.

This month asks us to notice what we’ve learned and what truly matters as we prepare for the season ahead. It’s nature’s way of saying, “Rest a moment. The beautiful busy-ness is coming, but not yet.” 

September invites us to take evening walks instead of working late, to have unhurried conversations over dinner, to call an old friend just because. The holidays will arrive soon enough with their wonderful whirlwind of activity. But September offers something equally precious, the gift of intentional rest before the celebration begins.

Wishing you the peace of September’s gentle pace.