June 17th, 2016
By Jason Parr
Summer vacation means different things for different people. For me, growing up in the land of 10,000 lakes, summer vacation came with the promise of long, warm days at the family cabin. It wasn’t only the humidity that filled the air of the un-air conditioned elementary school building that made summer vacation an ever more urgent need, but the fun that awaited at the cabin! My grandparents have a cabin two hours north of the city that they share with the rest of the family. This is the only time I can get excited about living without neighborhood friends, lack of WI-FI, and no air conditioning. The cabin has so much to offer in terms of simplicity, friendship, family, nature, good food, beautiful sunsets, lazy evening drives, and lots and lots of fun on the lake.
The sense of “togetherness” is huge at the cabin. From the close quarters inside the cabin to the activities on the expansive lake, everything is done in groups. No one has the luxury of staying in their own room, but the moral support needed once the lights go out is much appreciated. Planning meals, cooking, eating, swimming, grocery shopping in town, etc. are all done together. Even though everyone loves being in “togetherness” there are still places to slip to when the family gets to be too much. Whether it is walking the dog or taking a lap around the bay, there is time and space to be alone.
Life at the cabin is all about simplicity. The simplicity that the cabin has to offer is so warm and refreshing. The food that we eat is far from the gourmet, organic, food that my health- conscientious parents treat all of us to at home. The meals at the cabin are classic summer dishes with ingredients purchased at the small, local grocery store. Watermelon, brats, and corn on the cob are my favorite staples! Simplicity in what we wear is key. We like to sport zero makeup, sunburn, messy buns, lounge wear and it is oh so carefree. Activities at the cabin are all about living simply! There is no WI-FI to fall back on when you’re bored. You have to make fun for yourself!
The lake is what it is all about. The entire schedule of the day revolves around spending more than enough time on the lake. The cabin lake is a small, spring fed lake with three bays. It is small enough that many of the residents on the lake know each other, but large enough that there are enough fishing and boating spots to explore. Whether it is swimming by the raft, jet skiing, tubing, lounging on the dock with a good magazine, pontooning at night to get a good view of the sunset, everyone eat, breathes, and lives the lake.
Saying good bye to the cabin is never the fun part. The sunburn has set in from the long lake days and it is time to pack up. Even though the long weekend is over, the promise of future cabin weekends keeps the cleaning going and people moving. The fun memories made over the weekend stays with me and the rest of the family as we roll down the dirt road and onto the country highway that will lead us home.
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