About Amanda

Hi there! My name is Amanda, and I own Best Box with my husband, Marcelo. I grew up in the suburbs of Baltimore and spent my childhood vacations on the humble beaches of Ocean City, MD. While attending college in the early 90s, I interned at Norfolk Naval Station. On the advice of a co-worker, I made a solo day trip down Highway 12 one warm spring weekend. I was hooked. Since then, I've shared this special place with my family and closest friends. We've gotten to know every village on the island, and we're frequent visitors to Ocracoke. During the long, uncertain days of the pandemic, many of us took up new hobbies like knitting or breadmaking. I lost my mind and convinced Marcelo to buy a fixer-upper beach house with me. We could see she needed work, but we didn't realize until many months after closing the full extent of renovation required to make her safe and whole again. Our fun pandemic project turned into a two-year renovation journey that tested our marriage, our faith, and our finances. Ah, but the sunsets. And the stars. And the clean ocean Hidden Sometimes a difficult journey has a way of opening your heart to the beauty around you. Because our renovation took so much longer than anticipated, we had the chance to build close friendships with our neighbors in Brigand's Bay, and we've gotten to work with many long-time Outer Banks residents and their families. The people here are extraordinary. We've been vacationing on Hatteras Island for decades, but it's been an honor to live like a local.