‘Looking for a little change’
City girl adjusting to pace of life in Monongahela
EDITOR鈥橲 NOTE: This is one in a monthlong series of profiles of the people who live and work in Washington, Greene and Fayette counties, in celebration of the nation蘑菇视频 250th anniversary.
Lauren Kelly can probably count on one hand the number of times she蘑菇视频 been truly astounded.
鈥淚 always know what every surprise is,鈥� shrugged Kelly, an effervescent millennial who grew up in Ross Township.
But within the last year, life has gifted Kelly three grand surprises: a new home, a timeless treasure, and a dream realized.
The most apparent is that timeless treasure, the ring on her left hand.
Last July, the day before her birthday, Kelly and her then-boyfriend were en route to his grandfather蘑菇视频 99th birthday party.
鈥淚 fell asleep in the car,鈥� Kelly recalled. 鈥淚 woke up, and he was just holding the ring while he was driving. He said, 鈥楢re we doing this or what?鈥� It was the only way he knew he could surprise me, I think, because I always, I just know.鈥�
Before they began dating eight years ago, the pair had been good friends, so it was an easy 鈥測es.鈥� That surprise engagement followed the couple蘑菇视频 unexpected move south, to Monongahela.
鈥淚 had never even heard of it,鈥� laughed Kelly, who鈥檇 been living in Pittsburgh蘑菇视频 South Side. 鈥淲e were kind of looking for a little change and some quiet.鈥�
Her fiance蘑菇视频 friend owned a house in the little city. Kelly蘑菇视频 beau showed her a map of the area (鈥淗e was like, look, it蘑菇视频 cute. They like Christmas! And I was like, OK, yeah, you sold me,鈥� she smiled) and that was that. In June, Kelly and her fiance celebrated one year as Mon Valley-ians. They鈥檙e currently settling into the slower lifestyle.
鈥淚t蘑菇视频 quiet. It蘑菇视频 certainly out of the city,鈥� Kelly said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e calling it our retirement year.鈥�
Retirement is quite the understatement.
When Kelly arrived in Monongahela, she was a seasoned corporate-world employee working remotely.
鈥淚 was like, I don鈥檛 want to do this anymore. I want to experience what蘑菇视频 going on here. I applied at City Mission. I thought it was just going to be for the summer, and then I worked there until they closed,鈥� said Kelly.
Late last year, with the Mission蘑菇视频 final day set for March 14, 2026, Kelly began brainstorming her next career move.
鈥淚鈥檝e always been a thrifter. That蘑菇视频 me and my mom蘑菇视频 favorite activity: We go thrifting and antiquing,鈥� said Kelly. 鈥淚 had always talked about opening a store. It never seemed like the right time, or I didn鈥檛 know how to go about it.鈥�
As the Mission蘑菇视频 closing loomed on the horizon, Kelly revisited her thrift store dreams.
鈥淢y fiance was like, OK, I got you something for Christmas. I鈥檓 gonna give it to you early. And we also have to go to it,鈥� Kelly said, remembering how she drove herself crazy trying to guess what the gift might be. 鈥淲e got in the car. I was like, it蘑菇视频 a store, I know it蘑菇视频 a store. We got here and he pulled up and he was like, 鈥楬ere蘑菇视频 your store. Get to work.'鈥�
Kelly and her fiance transformed the space into what is now Solo Thrift & Vintage, which opened April 20 along Monongahela蘑菇视频 West Main Street.
鈥淭here蘑菇视频 definitely stuff to work out and a lot of adjusting. But overall,鈥� Kelly said, 鈥渋t蘑菇视频 amazing. It is better than I thought it would be and harder than I thought it would be. It feels worth it.鈥�
A lesser surprise is how Kelly蘑菇视频 background in English and acting has come into play as a small business owner. She writes and produces quirky sketches for the shop蘑菇视频 social media account (find her on Instagram at @watch.solo.tv). Fittingly, she蘑菇视频 the star of those reels, the leading lady she wasn鈥檛 during her childhood acting days, when she was a character actor at Pittsburgh蘑菇视频 ACT ONE Theater School. During her last year with the program, the troupe performed a play based on C.S. Lewis鈥� 鈥淭he Chronicles of Narnia.鈥�
鈥淭hey like to give all the senior kids an actual role. So I got a role. They made it up. It蘑菇视频 not even in the play, I don鈥檛 think. It蘑菇视频 called the Old Hag. I just did a little monologue to introduce a scene. I was like, all this time and I finally made it, I鈥檓 the Old Hag,鈥� she laughed.
Now, she plays an enthusiastic small business owner growing roots in the Mon Valley, along the Monongahela River, a waterway her English student sensibilities might romanticize for the way it ties Kelly蘑菇视频 old home in Pittsburgh to this little river town.
鈥淚t was a little bit of a culture shock,鈥� said Kelly, about her move to Monongahela. 鈥淧eople say hi to you. You don鈥檛 even look up when you鈥檙e walking around in the city. It蘑菇视频 nice to have community, like actual community.鈥�