HereHome is the culminating vision of three generations of hosts.

In the mid-1900’s, both born and raised in a small Creole town in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, Norman “Norm” Christophe and his wife, Christine, lived to nurture those around them. Whether it was Norm defying the odds of his impoverished surroundings and going on to share his strategies for success as a respected spiritual and community leader, or Christine sewing strong familial and cultural values into their five children — my grandparents were the source of comfort and guidance for many.

My mother and my father, Tony Woods, met in Panama City, Panama while stationed there with the U.S. Air Force. Dad had been there a few years already, a far way from his hometown of Savannah, Georgia. He was a bit of a black sheep among his traditional Southern family. Born to an elementary school teacher, my grandmother, and the first Black U.S. Postal Service postmaster in Southeast Georgia, my grandfather, my dad often got in trouble for being too inquisitive. He bonded, as a young child, with his mother over their shared love of cooking, insisting they repeat recipes over and over again until the finished products looked identical to the cookbook photos. He went the engineering route in the military, over culinary school, but always found harmony between his left and right brain. Like father, like [future] daughter.

My parents connected over a shared “joie de vivre” and an eventual desire to raise a family of critical thinkers who would, hopefully, contribute a bit of good to the world.

This is where the HereHome story really begins.

My younger brother, Evan, and I have been highly fortunate and privileged in that our upbringing was full of adventurous travel, yet always balanced out with regular family dinners at the kitchen table.

Over my dad’s Michelin-Star-level home cooking, we talked about everything, and asked questions about most.

My first significant memories of gatherings are from my childhood in the suburbs of Philadelphia. My parents were big entertainers and they would sprinkle in hosting details that they had enjoyed while in South Africa, or France, or Panama, or whatever country my Dad most recently had a business trip. I find myself doing the same thing today — respectfully embracing new rituals, trinkets, or recipes from other cultures that resonate.

Growing up, our house was often also our childhood friends’ places of refuge, and only now into my adulthood can I clearly see why. There was always an overabundance of acceptance and generosity to go around. We were taught to value “the village,” the power of exposure and education, and to be someone who makes people feel special.

As I grew up and into my career, this people-focused upbringing translated into my studying anthropology in college, working at museums and magazines, hosting bespoke gatherings for hundreds of women, writing an e-book, owning an event consulting business, organizing an event that Vice President Kamala Harris keynoted, and finally, HereHome.

HereHome is my contribution. It’s my way of welcoming you into my home, and empowering you with the tools to do the same intentional nourishing for yourself and your people. It’s my way of sharing the gift I’ve found in my family with all who could use it.

I wish you endless lively conversations, spectacular meals, inspired solitude, and “just right” moments that all add up to make a life well-lived.

— Aysia, HereHome Founder