When Christa Sullivan moved into her West of Trail home in January, she wasn't simply changing addresses. She was beginning a new chapter.

 

Just a few months earlier, Hurricane Helene had destroyed the Longboat Key home that had been part of her family's life for years. Like many Gulf Coast residents, Christa suddenly found herself navigating an unexpected transition.

 

Today, she chooses to focus not on what was lost, but on what was gained.

 

"It's the best neighborhood in Sarasota," she says.

 

With its majestic oak trees, proximity to downtown, and easy access to the water, West of Trail quickly felt like home. Yet Christa's connection to Sarasota began long before she moved into the neighborhood.

 

Originally from Oklahoma City, Christa and her family spent years dividing their time between Oklahoma and Florida. While raising her children, they maintained a home on Longboat Key and spent nearly every major holiday there.

 

"We would spend all of our major holidays on Longboat Key," she recalls.

 

Those years created a deep connection to the area, and when her middle daughter graduated from high school, the family decided to make Florida their permanent home.

 

For Christa, the move required more than relocating. Already an established attorney, she sat for the Florida Bar Exam and began building a new chapter of her legal career. Today, she practices law with Shumaker in Sarasota.

 

Family has always remained at the center of everything she does.

 

Christa is the proud mother of three children: Claire, 25, who lives in Denver; Cate, 23, who is preparing for a move to Austin; and Elijah, 16, a student at Out-of-Door Academy.

 

Each child has developed unique interests and talents. Claire enjoys running, hiking, and skiing. Cate expresses her creativity through painting, drawing, sewing, and needlepoint and has a special love for animals. Elijah stays busy with baseball, fishing, boating, and skiing.

 

Maintaining family connections remains a priority despite busy schedules and growing independence. One of the Sullivan family's favorite traditions is gathering for Sunday dinner whenever possible. Annual ski trips and summers in Beaver Creek provide additional opportunities to reconnect.

Christmas is another cherished tradition. Every year, the family decorates gingerbread houses, bakes candy cane cookies, and prepares a homemade holiday meal together. Everyone pitches in, and the menu often includes a scratch-made Beef Wellington.

 

For Christa, creating shared experiences has always been important, which may explain her passion for travel.

 

Over the years, the Sullivan family has explored destinations around the world, often seeking experiences that combine history, culture, and adventure.

 

One particularly memorable Christmas was spent in Egypt. Among the highlights was traveling the Nile aboard a traditional dahabiya, a wooden sailing vessel reminiscent of those used by European travelers more than a century ago. The family also stayed at the historic Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan, where Agatha Christie wrote portions of Death on the Nile. A camel ride around the Pyramids of Giza completed an unforgettable journey.

 

France remains Christa's favorite destination. During one memorable trip, the family visited Normandy's D-Day beaches and Mont Saint-Michel before touring local orchards and distilleries known for cider and Calvados. In Paris, they explored the city by bicycle before continuing to Bordeaux to visit several vineyards.

 

Ireland offered a different adventure altogether. The family rented a car and drove around much of the country, with highlights that included watching border collies herd sheep and participating in a private falconry experience at Ashford Castle. Additional travels took them to England and Scotland, where they enjoyed a private evening tour of the Tower of London, witnessed the centuries-old Ceremony of the Keys, and toured Winston Churchill's World War II War Rooms.

 

For Christa, travel is about more than seeing new places. It is an opportunity to learn, experience different cultures, and create lasting memories together.

 

That love of learning also fuels one of the causes closest to her heart.

 

Christa serves on the Board of Directors of the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, an organization she intentionally sought out after moving to Sarasota.

 

When she decided to become more involved in the community, she researched nonprofits throughout Sarasota and Manatee counties, studying their missions and impact.

 

One organization immediately stood out.

 

"The Education Foundation believes, as I do, that education transforms lives," she says.

Christa believes every student deserves access to resources, mentorship, encouragement, and a pathway toward success after high school. Wanting to learn more, she reached out to Education Foundation President Jennifer Vigne and invited her to coffee.

 

"After our conversation, I knew I wanted to be part of it," Christa says.

Today, she is proud to support the organization's mission of helping students reach their full potential and pursue their dreams.

 

When she's not practicing law, volunteering, or traveling, Christa enjoys boating, gardening, cooking, reading, and walking her two energetic border collies. Recently, she has also taken up golf and is enjoying the challenge of learning a new sport.

 

Many of those simple pleasures now take place in the neighborhood she proudly calls home.

 

Whether she's enjoying dinner with friends, walking beneath West of Trail's canopy of mature trees, or appreciating Sarasota's vibrant downtown and waterfront, Christa has found a place where she feels deeply connected.

 

It's also why she enjoys receiving Stroll each month.

 

"I love learning about people in the neighborhood and local businesses and events," she says.

 

That curiosity about others, and the belief that strong communities are built through meaningful connections, seems to define much of Christa's life.

 

After navigating loss, embracing change, raising three children, building a legal career in a new state, and dedicating herself to helping students succeed, she understands something important about home.

 

Home isn't simply a place.

 

It's the people you love, the traditions you create, the community you serve, and the memories you make along the way.

 

For Christa Sullivan, West of Trail has become the perfect place for all of those things to come together.