Recently I had the pleasure of traveling back to the Midwest—my first foray into that part of the country. Fortunately for me, I was in good company. We spent four fabulous days in Door County, Wisconsin with dear friends who are fortunate enough to suffer from place attachment to two distinctly different places (for an understanding of what place attachment is, please see my two previous posts).

Door County is the thumb of land that rests between Green Bay and Lake Michigan. It is comprised of several small but quaint towns and is somewhat of a vacation Mecca for people who live in the Midwest. Each of these little towns has its own nuance, and is filled with its own unique delights.

Our discoveries were extra special because we were the beneficiaries of a built-in tour guide with a severe case of place attachment. You see, our friends have a much-loved vacation home in Door County in the quaint town of Egg Harbor, which has a whopping year-round population of 201. We happened to be there on one of the biggest weekends of the year: the annual Pumpkin Patch celebration. They closed down the streets of the village, and filled them with arts and crafts and fresh food vendors (think caramel apples, homemade butternut squash soup, corn on the cob dripping with butter, deep fried cheese curds, and even a roasted pig!).

Our hosts took us on a tandem bike ride through Peninsula State Park, where we stopped at the charming lighthouse overlooking the Strawberry Channel. We enjoyed amazing homemade fresh bread in sandwiches from the Macready Artisan Bread Company in Egg Harbor, and laughed hilariously at the down-home Wisconsin humor of “Guys and Does,” a musical production by Northern Sky Theater.  And, we ate one of the best steak dinners we’ve ever had at Donny’s Glidden Lodge on Lake Michigan.

We saw a lot in a short amount of time because our host is so attached to his home away from home. It got to me to thinking, if I could pick anywhere to be place attached to, besides where I live now, where would it be? What would it be like to not just visit there, but to actually live there part time?

Obviously, many people who are snowbirds live out this scenario, annually fleeing cold northern winters for the warmth and sun of the southern parts of the world. Some people like to have a lake house, a place by the seashore, or perhaps a cozy cabin in the woods or a ski chalet in the mountains.

If I were to have a second home, I would like a waterfront retreat within driving distance of where I currently live—far enough away to feel like a get away, but close enough for us and our adult kids to easily reach it. I even have my eye on a place! I envision a small picturesque home on a saltwater beach with plenty of indoor and outdoor space for our active family. When the timing is right, I hope to make that a reality.

How about you? Where can you see yourself loving a new place to live—without giving up your first home? If the timing is right for you to start looking for that place, I encourage you to give me a call, whether your destination is close by or far away. If your chosen location is out of state, I can help you make the right connections. I understand and celebrate the joy of place attachment, and would count it a privilege to help you find your own “home away from home.”

Doug Lawrence loves to travel and find new places to love, although most of the time he makes his home on Fox Island in Washington State. He has been a Pierce County resident since 1990 and is a huge fan of the Pacific Northwest. Doug is a real estate broker with Keller Williams Realty and would be happy to help YOU find YOUR perfect place, too! Contact him at dlawrence@kw.com or visit his website, http://www.douglawrencerealestate.com.