Scouring the shelves at Roxy’s camper, I find a book called, If You Lived Here You’d be Home by Now: Why We Traded the Commuting Life for a Little House on the Prairie by Christopher Ingraham. Now this guy is truly looney tunes. He left a suburb of Baltimore for the tiny town of Red Lake Falls, MN – population 1400 – after visiting one time. Ingraham is a writer for the Washington Post and had written an article that placed Red Lake Falls at the bottom of list ranking the most beautiful to the uglies US counties. When people from Minnesota, and Red Lake Falls in particular, found out about this, they protested in their Minnesota Nice way and invited Ingraham to their town to prove him wrong.

They proved him so wrong in fact that he and his family eventually moved to the little town. I do not think he is looney tunes for leaving a suburb of Baltimore, I just can’t imagine the culture shock of moving to a town of 1,400 that has winter for 8 months a year. Moving to Bismarck from Denver was a big shock, I can’t imagine if I’d moved somewhere even smaller.
 
Although, after reading this book, I can see myself now being ready to move somewhere even smaller, especially after spending a few summers in MN Lakes Country. I currently live outside of a 1,300-person town and about 10 minutes away from Detroit Lakes, which has about 9,000 folks. I’m guessing that’s permanent residents and doesn’t include summer folks.

As I become more and more overwhelmed by the news and events in the world, I keep telling myself to focus on where I can help and that is my local community. Last summer when I was here, staying in my mom’s RV with her, I made lasagnas for Lasagna Love and delivered them weekly. I was turned on to this organization by my bestie Paula and I’m so glad. This is the first volunteer organization where I truly can feel the impact of my time, when I make and deliver a lasagna right to someone’s front door. However, after using up all my mom’s propane this summer, I think I’ll wait until I get back to Bismarck and a real oven to resume my lasagna making. In the meantime, I need to find something to do here…a way to feel like I’m helping.

In Ingraham’s book, he talks about the transition for he and his wife to small town living. He continued to work remotely, and his wife took on the task of staying home with their two-year old twins. In Baltimore/D.C. she had a career she had excelled at but felt burned out by the time they decided to move to MN. But the transition from career woman to stay at home mom was tough for her, as anyone could imagine. Ingragam writes,

“Service and volunteerism- the forces that keep many rural Minnesota towns afloat- happen to be the same thing Briana (his wife) thrives on. Economists and demographers have a name for this-social capital. ‘The links, shared values and understanding in society that enable individuals and groups to trust each other and work together,’ as the Organisation for Economic and Co-operation and Development calls it.”

This is one reason I am grateful for my new lifestyle. I work less and volunteer more. In Bismarck I volunteered in the English Language Learner classroom, which I started doing because I needed practicum hours for my TEFL certificate but even after I decided I probably won’t be teaching English as a main job, I stayed on because the people were so wonderful, and I felt like I was really helping. I also volunteered at the State Archives which was originally for experience for my degree but can now see how important the work is to history of the state and am looking forward to returning there in the winter.

Sometimes I start writing these posts and they go in completely different ways than I thought. Which is to say, I’m not really sure what my point is here except maybe I really wish everyone would get more involved in their communities. It’s easy to give money. It’s hard to give time. I get that. But it’s also so much more rewarding to give time than to give money. To see where your contribution is going. Make lasagnas!! Read stories to elderly folks. Walk shelter dogs. Take your neighbors soup when they are sick. Watch their kids so they can have a much-needed date night. Get to know your neighbors! (Also, a great way to make friends when you move to a new place!)
 
That is one great thing about this campground community. These folks will help you. The best part is you don’t even really have to ask. Maybe you mention that you need to figure out your gate. Then you go into town to the store. When you come back, someone has fixed it for you!

Also. Read this book. The stats he shares about how people in rural areas are happier than urban dwellers, even though most urban dwellers look down their noses at rural areas (I was one of those, I can attest to this) are fascinating and really make a person think. And don’t be too surprised if I move to an even tinier town someday…

(Ingraham mentions he and his wife stopped at Itasca State Park on their drive out to Red Lake Falls to find a house before they moved and that his wife said it was there in Itasca that she knew this was what they were going to do. Itasca is where I decided to buy this camper and figure out how to spend summers in MN. It is a truly magical place! Come visit. I’d love to take you and see what new life decisions it brings to you.)