Moving to the cabin...is it the same??

[stick]

I"m not sure where to post this, so I thought this might be the best forum.

I live in the Twidies and have a cabin in northern MN. I have toyed with the idea of cashing in my "cities chips" and building out the cabin and moving there. My question, and musing, is...if you move to the cabin site, does it lose some of the allure? When I am driving north, I feel my blood pressure drop as the cabin is the "get away" and allows me to punch out. When I'm home, it is almost all business and has become a place to hang my hat until the next trip to the cabin. It has had a profound change on my life. Now, is there anyone out there who has made this life change, and has the cabin location lost any of the theraputic value?

Does this question make sense?

[LakeDocktor]

stick, YES YOU DO!. I moved up to Hackensack to work for the summer while my house is being built. It definitely doesn't feel like vacation anymore. Granted, I get out in the boat 4-5 times a week, but I don't remember a night where I was up here typing on the computer when I didn't live up here. I was in the boat all weekend long and dreaded having to go back home. I don't know if I could do it all winter long. There isn't much for civilization during the week and even less in the winter months. Don't get me wrong, I love the privacy, but would also like some other options for things to do. With that being said, the theraputic aspect of things is still there, but it is difficult to find vacation in what used to be vacation.

[Surface Tension]

We adapt to the changes in our lives. Excepting the not so good and on the other end, taking things for granted.

I live where I want to be, which happens to be a lake home.

IMO, I'm not missing out on the allure because I live it every day.

Earlier this summer we went on vacation to a resort.

Wasn't long after I got there I wondered why I was there. I had the same at home but better.

I do enjoy remote camping and fishing other lakes, in fact I fish other lakes more then I fish the lake I live on.

In the end you'll need less reasons to get away from home and will enjoy coming home when you've been away.

[BoxMN]

Stick, we are in similar position. On the drive "home" on Sunday nights, I am already thinking of the next weekend at the cabin. Contemplating a move, and talking to folks up north who have done it. Nobody has said they wish they didn't do it, they only say they wish they had done it sooner...

But, I am not quite ready. My wife is. I think it will happen, but maybe in 5 years. Or until I lose a job as if that happens one of the places will go, and it won't be the cabin

My main reason for not moving yet, I like my friends and neighbors here at "Home" and close family is close by. Ideally, we will keep doing the drive, even though I don't really like it - but afraid of the same things you mention if we do move.

Good luck. Will be interesting to see other's thoughts on this topic.

[Bigbartguy]

I havent made the move, but have considered what it would be like. I think the biggest reason I enjoy the cabin so much is that it's 'different' and a short vacation from my everyday life.

If I moved to the cabin, I think it would definitely lose some of that appeal, as my everday life WOULD be the cabin.

I agree w/ Lake Doc on this one also. I enjoy entertainment/restaurants/etc too much to live at my cabin (Mcgregor) year round. I would need to relocate my full-time lake home to more 'urban' area (Brainerd would probably work) before I could contemplate the move.

[jerkbait]

Well the wife and I decided to make the move in 2006. A little different though as this was a career change for us. I found a good job upnorth and we had to sell our house and build new up here. All I can say is I don't regret it one bit. We go home after work (to young to retire) everyday to the lake. When I am home relaxing it feels like I am on vacation. The smell of the air at the lake is always distinct. Some day when we are done building the house(we are doing it all ourselves), soon we can go fishing anytime we want. I had the same thoughts you are back a few years ago when we were sitting at the hunting land around a campfire wishing I could live upnorth. Will it feel the same? Honestly it does feel little different. FEELS WAY BETTER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD!!!! Still have not lost that upnorth feeling. And when you take trips down to the cities you can't wait to get back home.

Good luck on what you decide!

[Iron Cowboy]

yep, It does lose its "escape every day life value" been there done that. others I know that have done the same agree and moved back mostly because they want to be closer to grandkids/family around the metro. along with the conveniences, one person told me "I miss wanting pizza and just picking up the phone to order it"

I would love to do it for the cost reduction of having one place compared to two but have come to accept its not the same and that I cant have my cake and eat it too ..... just my .02 cents (and with two mortgages I dont have a lot of those left )

[machohorn]

Well Cowboy, if you worked a full week like the rest of us, lol

[Bigsmitty]

I moved up from the Twin Cities in 1991. I miss the feeling that I used to get when heading up to the cabin. I remember being so pumped up about heading up especially on big weekends like opening fishing and deer hunting. I wouldnt trade it though.

[SkunkedAgain]

I'm just a 30-something guy, so take my advice with a grain of salt. Getting away to the cabin helps you get away from all of the problems at home. You'll drag those problems with you when moving to a new home, albeit a lake home. You won't find that same feeling unless (carefree relaxation) unless your life is at that point - most of us call that retirement.

I bought a cabin years ago but have no illusions that moving up there would be difficult until we are ready to let go of all the little things in life, and just enjoy being up there. If you really just want a lake setting, find that in the Cities until you are ready to really retire and really enjoy being up there.

[Black_Bay]

Plus when you live on a lake it's mandatory that you yell and complain about all those "other" people using "your" lake.

If it's a cabin you're too busy relaxing to care.

[BoxMN]

Plus when you live on a lake it's mandatory that you yell and complain about all those "other" people using "your" lake.

If it's a cabin you're too busy relaxing to care.

Ha! Good one, and more accurate than it first appears I hear that type complaining when I go to the lake assoc mtg and listen to the old ferts.

[larryz]

Make sure that the lake area has all that is necessary to you, such as good doctors,adequate hospital, shopping, church etc. Some areas are good places to visit but not really a good place to live. Also after we moved it became too windy, too cold, too hot to go fishing. I could always go tomorrow but tomorrow never comes. For us it just wasn't the same, not as much fun.

[Muskie456]

Stick,

I just did the opposite and find it incredibly difficult to live in the cities. I came down for the good paying job and to make life easier finacially for myself and my family. It's not easier it is way more difficult. Cost of living is much higher here and that creates more stress than we could of imagined. Sure I make way more but we bottom line the same amount every month. What has happened to us is we now put up with everything associated with the city but do not have immediate access to what we love. We are now tring to figure out how to get out of here. Will the cabin have the same feel? no. It will be different but still good. The way you recreate is different. You only go out at primetime not all day. You fish week nights not weekends. Exploit game when it is most vunrable depending on the season not when you can get out of town. Figure out annual patterns that stay consistant from year to year. That applies for everything from chasing crappies in the spring to whitetails in the fall. The problem with the cities for me is the quality of the experience. Sure I can go muskie fishing on Tonka but it would be painful after living on the shores of Leech for a decade. Sure I can go down to Rice Lake and bowhunt but it sucks. If you can pull it off it will change your life.

My situation is I am 37 with a wife and 3 young kids. If we could rewind the last year and a half of our lives and make that dicision again we would of never packed.

Good Luck,

Pat

[stick]

AWESOME feedback in all directions. "The cabin" in our case happens to be 5 minutes from the heart of Grand Rapids with all of the convenience of the "Twidies". L&M...the man's mall of the northland; Cub, Target, Wallmart, hospitals, Church, the list goes on.

I would be able to still do my current job and instead of heading to the cabin on the weekend, it would be to head to the Twidies for a few days here and there.

My main hangup is my 8 year old and the friends that she has developed. Kids recover, but I don't want to take anything away from her and her childhood...you just can't get that back.

I did a pilot a few weeks ago to see if I would relax and "do" the fun northland hobbies. I put in a full day of work, grilled overlooking the lake, checked the trailcam, went out and caught fish, and got up and worked again the next day. Then I started the weekend...pretty nice. However, that was just over a 4 day period.

Keep the thoughts coming.

[bak2MN]

I lived in Sioux Falls for 12 years and we would go up north to visit all the time the four to five hour trips one wat got real old. Long weekends were spent in the car. Finally made the decision to put the house up for sale and see what happens. Well what happened for us is sold the house found a new job moved to the Detroit Lakes area and have never looked back once. Now I am 10 minutes to the water instead of 1 hour to decent fishing waters. I dont have a cabin on the lake like you are talking about the "allure" of being at the cabin or lake or whatever if it relaxes you when you are there for a weekend or week, it will relax you everyday. Good luck with your decision it is one that you will have to live with. Dont be second guessing yourself and make the move otherwise you will not relax and enjoy the good life. See you on the water.

[Tom7227]

I knew a guy who retired without a lot of thought and moved up north to a very remote cabin. When he came back down a few weeks later to get the wife he was served with divorce papers. Failed to check it out with the squeeze before he made the move.

A long time ago I took a job as a newspaper reporter in Mankato. It was my first experience at not knowing anyone and it seemed at the time that there was an awful lot of 'he's the outsider' going on. The smaller an area the more contact you have with folks and sometimes that can get to be troublesome. If you're from the Twin Cities you most likely have contacts with friends, family, co-workers on a fairly regular basis. If you're 200 miles away and you're 'that rich guy from the cities' it may not be the same. You may be able to buy frozen pizza's to solve that problem but you may have a tougher time finding folks to spend time with.

[Heidi]

The Chips you cash in better made a rather large pile

since there aint too many jobs up here in the Rapids

area.

[fishlips]

Funny, I was just thinking the same thing this past weekend as I was sitting in front of the cabin with a cigar. I think the answer depends on where you are at in your life along with your personality. Living full time at a lakehome with kids would be difficult for us as they have too many estabilished friends and activities.

Living full time at the cabin later on in life probably would be something that I'd step into very slowly....I think it would definately lose some of its allure. Winter would be a challenge!

[Bigbartguy]

Stick- I could handle living near Grand Rapids. It's got your everyday conveniences and is still in God's country. I dont think I could permanently move away from 30 yrs of friends and family though....even if it is only 3 hours away.

for me the ultimate setup:

*condo on Gulf in Fl for winters

*lakehome up North for summers

*city home for holidays/visits/taking breaks from the other 2 homes.

now if my Powerball numbers would just hit - maybe this could actually happen.

[jeffreyd]

Wow i am totally opposite, if i could go i would find the most secluded place, the only person i want to see is the grocery and beer delivery driver. I think that if you have a modest cabin, not big and flash vehicles and carry yourself as just a good ole boy, the small town folk will accept you more than just pulling in to town and announcing yourself. I remember leaving SF to move to rural Neb, it was similar to a post, where the people did not want us there since we were not from there. Those old friends will likely take advantage of the fact that you live on the water and it will give them a place to vacation. Good luck, it would not be a hard decision for me, however my wife might put up a fight.

[Iron Cowboy]

It was my first experience at not knowing anyone and it seemed at the time that there was an awful lot of 'he's the outsider' going on.

If you're 200 miles away and you're 'that rich guy from the cities' it may not be the same. you may have a tougher time finding folks to spend time with.

Boy oh boy brother theres a lot of truth to that. At My cabin place the locals dont want anything to do with you. At times It makes you feel like what the helll is wrong, what did I do? Its like your not welcome at "they're lake" and any time I have to go to the local store I think well its time to go be the "lepper"..with the stares and such,,,makes me think of what it must of been like for the black guys in the 50's (now im not saying its the same so dont get excited, just maybe a little bit of the feeling it was).. but thats maybe a whole other topic for a different post.... I remember a friend once saying I moved here ten years ago and i'm still an outsider from the cities...like a lot of small towns if you werent born and raised there you will allways be an outsider.

[Minnesota Fats]

Black_Bay...

Truer words have never been said! Well done.

[Muskie456]

There is truth to the fact that you may not be a "local" but there are plenty of baby boomers that have moved to northern Mn in the past five years. I don't know about GR but in the Walker area(my parents moved there full-time in 2000)my parents have never been so social. There are all kinds of people that are there age that they are hanging out with. As a matter a fact they find the summers to be too busy socially. I also know for fact that locals like traffic it = $$$$.

[Black_Bay]

A good way to break into a new town is to join a sportsmans club or something similar.