No Place Like Home

Years ago, when I moved to Carman, I began to lose interest in my cottage at Canyon Lake.  When I lived in Winnipeg, the cottage was a place I needed to have to escape from the city.  The Carman acreage replaced it in my mind because it was definitely an escape from the city.  You couldn't see the neighbours, it was very quiet and peaceful there, and there was always something to do there.  The only thing it didn't have was water.  A lake to look out over would have been great.  I had to be satisfied with walking to a nearby river or driving a few miles to a small lake not too far away.  Fewer and fewer trips were made to the cottage.

Last weekend, it was really nice to get back to the cottage and to introduce my friend, Margaret, to it but I realized that I felt better getting home to our place in Charleswood.  I knew that the cottage was now an escape for my kids and that, very soon, title to the property would be transferred to them, as promised when they were very young.  I hope the cottage eventually gets passed on to my grand-kids when they start their families.  I think that will happen, even if it's after I'm gone.

These days, I still feel the need to get away to 'a lake' occasionally but not necessarily to 'the lake'.  Now, I'm just as happy renting 'a place' somewhere for the weekend, as long as it's close to water and a beach.  Perhaps, now, as I get older, I also want a more comfortable place to go to, complete with all the modern conveniences and at least one nearby restaurant with good food.  I guess, too, I no longer want to be responsible for the cottage maintenance and upkeep.  Perhaps, too, I just want to explore different areas of Manitoba and Northern Ontario.  There are still so many places that I want to see for the first time or want to revisit that are within easy driving distance of our home in Winnipeg.  Meanwhile, there's no place like home.