In 1973, my great grandparents and great uncles built the family cabin. We all refer to it as “Lone Pine.” It is on a lake called Lone Pine Lake in the Northwoods of Wisconsin near Presque Isle. It is at the end of a mile and a half long dirt road up the hill from the lake. When it was built, it was the second house built on that lake. It was built as a retreat for my grandmother’s family to come together a few times a year whenever people could get away from their jobs. When my mom’s generation was growing up, they spent their summers and their winters there. When I asked my mom if there was ever a summer or winter break until she was an adult living in a different state that she wasn’t at the cabin, the answer was no. The first time I ever visited our cabin was my very first Christmas. Until I moved from Denver to Minneapolis in the summer of 2025, I hadn’t had the same opportunities that my mom or my cousins had. One of the best things about this big move is that I have had so many more opportunities to be able to come visit our cabin, in both the summer and winter and spend time with my family. I am so lucky to have this cabin in my family and consider it a safe haven of mine. I look forward to continuing to go and create memories there. 

– Eli L.

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