Residents of Thornblade may have noticed that they have some new neighbors. Well, maybe not exactly new. Robin and Paul Green have actually lived in The Enclave for 11 years. But now that they’re retirees and empty nesters, they’re looking forward to spending more time getting to know their neighbors and taking advantage of all the community has to offer.

Because of their different backgrounds, the Greens have earned the nickname “The Belle and the Brit.” Robin grew up in Williamston, South Carolina. Today, her big, extended family all live in Greenville. The daughter of a retired Navy seaman and postmaster, she and her brother and sister thrived on small-town life.  Robin was a cheerleader and spent years training in dance, studying tap, jazz, and ballet. She was also a frequent contestant in beauty pageants.

“She must have won everything because she is so beautiful,” Paul says.

Robin attended Anderson College and Winthrop University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in education. She spent her career teaching students in grades one through three.

“I always loved the kids, especially at this age,” she says. “They brought joy to my heart every day.”

Paul was born in London, England. The son of a nuclear power engineer, there were more similarities between Paul’s childhood and Robin’s than you might think.

“I lived in a small town just outside of the city with my brother and sister,” he says. “Soccer was my passion as a boy. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in electronic engineering from the University of Essex in the U.K., I began a long career in technology which led me to the computer and software industry. Robin and I graduated in the same year, just thousands of miles apart! I moved to the U.S. for work in Silicon Valley, eventually settling in Atlanta, where I fell in love with the South. I became a U.S. citizen and have now lived here for more than 30 years.”

The Greens met in a coffee shop in downtown Greenville more than 20 years ago. Paul was the single father of sons Sam and Jake, and Robin was the single mother of a son and daughter, John and Gabby.

“There were so many things that connected us,” the Greens say. “Our birthdays are one day apart. Our kids were all so close in age; Gabby and Jake were born just five hours apart, albeit 5,500 miles apart. We shared a passion for travel, pets, family, and life. We moved to Atlanta and brought together our family: four teenagers, a bunch of dogs, and each other.”

It was not always easy.

“Smashing together a family takes work and understanding,” Robin says, “but we did it, and it worked. For a while we had four at college all at the same time, and we didn’t want anyone saddled with student debt, so we worked hard and dove into our careers to help get the kids off to a good start!”

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Even the happiest families can experience great sadness. In 2014, Robin’s son John passed away at the age of 24. Robin and Paul returned to Greenville to be close to her family.

“John and I were especially close,” she says. “There is not a day that goes by that John is not in my thoughts and prayers.”

The last decade has been something of a whirlwind for the Greens. After nearly 30 years in the education field, Robin retired from teaching. Retirement meant that she could spend more time with Paul as he traveled for his business in the computer and software industry. They frequently added personal time to his business trips to explore the countries they were visiting.

“What experiences we had together!” Robin says. “We were able to truly get to know Poland, Romania, Germany, China, India, England, France, Spain, Columbia, Brazil, and Costa Rica, just to name a few. It was awesome as often, we were with friends and colleagues from these wonderful places. It meant we didn’t travel as tourists but as locals, and we really got to immerse ourselves in the cultures of the places we visited, sometimes for extended periods of time.”

After Paul’s retirement earlier this year, the Greens are settling into life in their Thornblade home, 11 years after they moved in. Their nest is empty… or mostly empty. They share their lives with two big, white standard poodles, Markle and Lukah; a toy poodle, Bunny Queen; a little Yorkie named Lisi; and Bentley, a French bulldog.

“Our kids, who inherited our love of exploration, are all living abroad,” the Greens say. “Gabby is engaged to Mishiko, an amazing young man from the Republic of Georgia, where they now live. Jake and Sam both live in England, Jake with his wife, Emma, who is from the South of France, and Sam with his wife, Rachael, who is from England. We also have three grandchildren, Amelia, Noah, and Archie.”

Unless they are visiting their children and grandchildren, the Greens are content with not traveling as they enjoy their lake home and their beach home, but most importantly, their home in Thornblade.

“Life has been so busy, and we are now looking forward to joining the club, meeting our neighbors, and enjoying this incredible community. If you see us walking in the mornings, stop and say hi. It will be great to meet you!”