The Cabin Quest

Since I made the decision to quit my job and dedicate every second to the completion of my novel, I’ve been searching for a quiet cabin somewhere in the woods of Wisconsin or Minnesota. While there are slews of property overlooking pristine lakes, I have not found the “one” that fits my price range. First of all, most cabins are rented by the day or week… nobody wants to stay in these things for months at a time. My goal is to watch the leaves turn and hear the birds chirp, at an affordable price, while I write away. I’ve been quoted everything from $4400 to $1200 a month.

When I ask if they give military discounts, the answer is no or “we’ll take off a day or two, bringing the total to … let’s see here … $3300.” This is where I begin to have a mild heart attack. When I talk to a friend of a friend type, I run into… “well, I’d love to help you out, but we like to go up there on the weekends.”

In two weeks, my lease runs out and I’ll either be living out of my car, writing in a cabin or back to sleeping on couches of friend’s houses. The fact of the matter is I really want to get away and enjoy nature. All my friends live in the city, and to be honest, I am due for a change of scenery. I love Milwaukee, but I’m tired of waking up at night because of the sounds of beer bottles breaking against concrete. I need some good old country life for awhile, especially while I write. But it’s not easy finding that perfect cabin. I and my detailed squad of cabin finders will keep looking, though, because that’s what we do… we don’t give up.