Something we’ve noticed since living here is that seemingly everyone has a cabin somewhere within two hours of their primary residence. To say that we’re jealous wouldn’t be entirely correct (although we definitely feel those wistful pangs now and then), it moreso gives us a strong desire to make this dream into our own reality. It would be/is a good goal for us to work towards together with an eye to the future of keeping this cabin to be passed down to our kids, and maybe even our grandkids one day.
For me, the ideal scenario would be to find a beautiful piece of land around 5 to 10 acres in size on a small, non-motorized lake and surrounded by beautiful birch and aspen trees. We could swim in the lake over the summer, gaze at the golden foliage in the autumn, and possibly ice skate over the winter. I absolutely love interior design and to have the opportunity to design, build, and execute my vision for a quaint lakeside cottage would be a dream come true!
In the meantime, we have the most amazing neighbor that practically has this exact set up I just described (with a vintage wood-fired hot tub to boot!) and he offered up his dry cabin to us this past summer to enjoy a weekend at. It was bliss. We canoed, swam in the (chilly) lake, soaked in the hot tub, enjoyed the fire pit, played lots of board games, and just had the most wonderful family time. I really hope that one day we can make something like this happen for our own kids.
The cabin was cute and snug with a loft for beds and the kitchen and living area below. You could hear the loons on the lake and sitting on the front porch was so peaceful and relaxing, listening to the screen door creak open and slam shut as our girls ran in and out and down to the lake and back again. It was simple living at its finest.
This is where my husband and I would sip our morning coffee.
The highlight of the weekend for the girls was swimming in the lake. Now, I have quite an aversion to cold water, but even I couldn’t resist a quick dip. The bracing water was absolutely exhilarating and I hadn’t felt that alive in years. There’s something about swimming in nature that feels both terrifying and right. Of course, this could also be due to the fact that I grew up in Florida and lakes meant snakes and alligators, so it may just be me that has an extreme (yet reasonable) fear of swimming in still bodies of water…
Post lake swim warm up!
Going through these photos from last summer has so warmed my heart. What an incredibly beautiful place we live and how fortunate we are to be surrounded by equally beautiful people who love to share their piece of paradise with us!