“Despite contradiction in terms (‘vacation’), the vacation home operates as a mechanism of escape from the everyday and from one’s customary identity. Like travel, it provides the promise of adventure, albeit in the guaranteed comfort and control of the home away from home. The second home.”
This is a very interesting discussion in my perspective, the perspective of someone who has spent the majority of their life living in “vacation”. I grew up at my idealized, lakeside cabin lifestyle at my family’s resort in rural Manitoba. I know I’m unlike the majority of our population, but growing up with that experience and history, then suddenly transforming into a new urban dweller (moving to Winnipeg), I can begin to understand the notion of vacation from both ends. This entire discussion may be due to our context, but I feel that this obsession with a cabin lifestyle is something truly valued in Manitoba.
I always pitied the people who had to leave a hot Sunday evening, a calm lake and perfect sunset in order to get back to the reality in which the city established. Plus watching the mad rush of cars pouring in on a Friday evening I began to realize that what I adored so much about the rural life, most people increasingly thrive for. It’s starting to lead into an extended version of the American dream because aside from having the perfect house in the city with a large yard, picket fence and ideal family, people are starting to thrive for more: they now need double!? Maybe this reverts back to human’s weakness of always wanting more and never being satisfied with what we have. Don’t get me wrong with my semi-biased opinion; I think that the lake life is extremely important and beneficial to all who may experience it, but I think it requires rethinking the idealized American dream, as we know.
We are currently faced with urban sprawl dilemmas where everyone is interested in the largest house and biggest yard, but in retrospect how often are these yards used, especially if people head to the lake every weekend? Is it all just a public war of commodities and space? Are these backyards an attempt to provide everyone their own piece of nature and if so what is the need for a cabin anyways?
This is a very interesting discussion in my perspective, the perspective of someone who has spent the majority of their life living in “vacation”. I grew up at my idealized, lakeside cabin lifestyle at my family’s resort in rural Manitoba. I know I’m unlike the majority of our population, but growing up with that experience and history, then suddenly transforming into a new urban dweller (moving to Winnipeg), I can begin to understand the notion of vacation from both ends. This entire discussion may be due to our context, but I feel that this obsession with a cabin lifestyle is something truly valued in Manitoba.
I always pitied the people who had to leave a hot Sunday evening, a calm lake and perfect sunset in order to get back to the reality in which the city established. Plus watching the mad rush of cars pouring in on a Friday evening I began to realize that what I adored so much about the rural life, most people increasingly thrive for. It’s starting to lead into an extended version of the American dream because aside from having the perfect house in the city with a large yard, picket fence and ideal family, people are starting to thrive for more: they now need double!? Maybe this reverts back to human’s weakness of always wanting more and never being satisfied with what we have. Don’t get me wrong with my semi-biased opinion; I think that the lake life is extremely important and beneficial to all who may experience it, but I think it requires rethinking the idealized American dream, as we know.
We are currently faced with urban sprawl dilemmas where everyone is interested in the largest house and biggest yard, but in retrospect how often are these yards used, especially if people head to the lake every weekend? Is it all just a public war of commodities and space? Are these backyards an attempt to provide everyone their own piece of nature and if so what is the need for a cabin anyways?
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