Urban to Rural: Back to the Moon Lodge

After talking to a few people this week about what I've been up to lately, I realize I never mentioned we've moved back to our cottage near the lake! It's been a whirlwind of a summer. When I talk to different clients and blogger friends, most are like, "Oh! You're not in town anymore?" Nope, we moved back to our house, lovingly called the Moon Lodge.

Why we moved back to the lake

We kept finding ourselves in the city escaping to a body of water. We grabbed dinner and drinks at Rose's on Reeds Lake a lot last summer. We laughed about moving to the city just to do what we did back home; spend time together by the lake.

During more stressful times at work and with my sick cat, Belle, I would drive out of town to an old farmhouse and dream about starting a family, having chickens and bees, and sitting on the front porch with Joel listening to the cicadas sing in the open space. I found myself escaping the city more than staying in it.

From Joel's rational and pragmatic perspective, it was a financial loss to have an expensive place in the city we were never at. He was right. Don't get me wrong, we had an amazing time in the city. We were more accessible to meet up with friends after work. It was easier to be part of a community of blogger ladies and attend events with them. I'm so happy to have met women in similar walks of life with blogging and owning a business. The city led me to my tribe and allowed me to be present for friendships to grow that I can't always do when I'm at the lake.

Joel and I had a fun city routine and Tiger got a lot of walks to Wilcox Park. We don't regret our year in the city AT ALL but ultimately, the beach was calling...and we had to go.

When we decided to make the change

Quite simply, we love the lake life, in all her seasons. There were so many times last year we craved the water. We went on a vacation to Florida a few months before our lease on the apartment was up. We needed to make a decision if we'd stay or go.

Traveling brought us clarity and a fresh perspective at a time we needed to figure out our next move. We didn't put pressure on ourselves to have an answer by the end of the trip but talked about the topic a lot. It was ironic that our vacation was in Ft. Myers Beach. We were surrounded by water again.

We stayed in a one-room cabin on the bay, waking up to dolphins and the marina out our window each morning. Each night we'd watch the sunset over the bay after biking to the beaches. Our answer kept showing itself every time we did something.

By the time we landed in Michigan in time for New Year's Eve, we agreed the lake was where both of our hearts really were.

What we gained from our year in the city

It would be have been easier, and definitely cheaper, to ignore the idea of moving to the city. There were many logistics to consider and financial preparation to make it possible. However, it was good timing for Joel and me in our new marriage with our steady careers. It also worked for my brother and his friend who rented our house for the year. We would have always wondered "what if?" if we didn't just go for it.

We learned a lot about each other through it all. Joel needs at least 30 minutes of uninterrupted time to wind down after work. I need uninterrupted Netflix and wine when I shut down work for the day. Some things challenged us immensely, like finances, schedules, and my aversion to committing to ANYTHING. It required we become better communicators with each other and helped us to empathize with one another on how we view money and what motivates us.

What's next...

So what's next? Well, we both agree we want to own a boat soon! There's a lot of things to fix, organize, and update now that we've moved back. We've been reminded of the woes and wonders of homeownership and we're trying to respond accordingly with as little blaming each other as possible. It's tempting on days when the kitchen sink keeps leaking and the front yard keeps sprouting weeds and the lawnmowers broke...again...to say we made a mistake moving to the city. To think we should have stayed home, ignoring the call for an adventure.

But then we take to the tree-lined trail with a happy Tiger. We turn the corner and see the lake, smell the fresh air. The gratitude we feel and the new perspective we have of an old familiar place.

Home.

It was all worth it.

Why we moved back to the lake

When we decided to make the change

What we gained from our year in the city

What's next...

August | Life Lately

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