I Love Folly Beach Facebook Page founder Debbie Pustorino has found her happy place at the edge of America
Debbie Pustorino was born in Johnson City, Tenn. and grew up in Bristol, Vir. Then in 1989 she visited the mountains of Asheville, N.C. and fell in love with them. Pustorino says she felt as if she had found her “soul home” and five years later moved to Asheville. But it was also that year she discovered just how close the Carolina beaches were and made a trip to Folly Beach and also fell in love with this town. Years later she found herself living at the Edge of America. And last year, while hunting for shark teeth one early morning she met her soul mate Jeff Ford.
Pustorino is a former counselor and social worker who now owns Mindful Cleaning, an eco-friendly house cleaning service based on Folly Beach and is the founder and manager of the wildly popular I Love Folly Beach Facebook page. The Folly Current had a chance to catch up with Pustorino recently and chatted with her about why she loves Folly Beach and about the popularity of the site. Here is some of that conversation:
How did you find your way to Folly Beach?
It called to me as the mountains did, not just because of the land and energy I felt, but also the people I met during my visits. It had the same loving feeling to me as Asheville. So I visited for the next 20 years. In 2014 I made a decision to leave a job and home I loved to come here again to help a friend of mine bring his elderly dad, who suffered from Parkinson’s after his wife of 63 years passed. At one time my friend’s father owned land by the lighthouse but sold it, much to his dismay now. So we brought him here to spread some of her ashes and while here he decided he wanted to live here for a while. So I decided to make the move with them in May 2014.
What is your favorite thing about the island?
Now that is a tough question. What is there not to love about Folly Beach? Because the beach faces East to West you get to view the most breathtaking sunrise and sunset without leaving the island. The marsh and the smell of the pluff mud, the many varieties of birds, dolphins, the turtles nesting, fishing and fresh seafood, the locally-owned restaurants and businesses, and most of all the lovely people that love to call this place home even if just in their hearts.
When I cross that last bridge onto the island I feel like I have entered into another world much like I do when I first see the mountains come into view when arriving in Asheville. So my heart now flows from the mountains to the sea.
Why did you start the “I love Folly Beach” Facebook page?
I must say it was started with somewhat selfish reasons of wanting to meet others that loved it here as much as I do and wanting to make new friends. Also all of my life I have loved connecting people and feeling a sense of community and belonging. I also love sharing when I find beautiful places and people that touch my soul. I searched online and only found a few groups but none that had what I imagined would be a place for people to come together to share in the love of Folly Beach. I don’t believe one has to be born in or live in a place in order to love it and call it home. None of us can help where we were born or grew up but we can acknowledge when a place speaks to us and calls us to it. So I guess I am saying I wanted to create a place to come home to.
What has been the most rewarding part about creating this forum?
All of the beautiful souls I have met and continue to do so daily. I do not like recognition and sometimes find it crazy-weird when people stop me and say hey you are Debbie from I Love Folly. But, hey if I make one soul happy for a few minutes, then that is awesome! I love hearing the stories of how others that are part of the group love waking up and checking the group page with their morning coffee. The Meet and Greets that I have held so far and look forward to others where we put faces to posts and just knowing that it has not only helped me but also others. For I truly believe that is what life is about. And now almost 6,000 members later I know why I felt called to do this and it makes my heart happy.
What is one thing people might be surprised to learn about you?
I don’t think I could share anything that others might be surprised about since I use social media as my online diary. I am a transparent soul just trying to live and love every moment of my life to the fullest and meet as many people as I can and share in the beauty of life here on the Edge of America. Folly Beach.
Miranda Jordan is a guidance counselor, musician, and freelance writer. To reach her, you can email her at mirandaalicejordan@gmail.com.
