we must take adventures in order to know where we truly belong.

Cottage life is not exactly my favourite. I am definitely an air conditioning, binge-watching, indoor kind of person. Despite this, my summer plans included a week at a rented cottage in the Kawartha Lakes area. The reason? My family. We went to a cottage last summer, because it seemed like the safest way to do something different in the midst of the pandemic. This year, they wanted to repeat the experience. Though we did not stay in the exact same cottage or the exact same area...it was not too far from the last place. Since I am not really an outdoor person, and cottage life is all about embracing the great outdoors, the week was a bit of a struggle for me. I was definitely missing my laptop, my Netflix, and my everyday routine. However, I did my best to make the most of the time there. Here are some cottage highlights from my latest adventure...

It all started on a Friday afternoon. We didn't have access to the cottage until four o'clock, so the morning was spent packing everything and doing some last minute cleaning. Then, it was time to hit the road. The cottage was only about an hour or so away. Not too bad of a drive! Unfortunately, it took ages to unload everything, settle in, and get acquainted with our new home-away-from-home. But all in all, it was a good start to the trip. The next day, we visited Fenelon Falls and did a bit of antique shopping. I found a few exciting odds and ends and we grabbed some lunch at a restaurant with a view of the falls. 

The next day was a little more low key. My husband and I went for a long walk, we hung out with the family, played some games, and welcomed my sister, her boyfriend, and their child to the cottage. The following day was a little more exciting for me and was definitely my favourite from the entire vacation. Last summer, we went to Bobcaygeon a lot, because it was nearby. This time, it was further away, but no less alluring. Not only was there the Kawartha Dairy factory in town (where I chose a Campfire Smore ice cream cone) but there was also the store that I fell in love with previously, Kicking Cowgirl Designs. I bought a few pieces, which will be included in the Small Town Shopping Haul YouTube video at the end of this post. We also browsed some of the other shops in town. Then it was back to the cottage to play games and spend time with the family. 

On the following day, my family went to the beach, but my husband and I stayed at the cottage instead. (If I am not a cottage person, I am really not a beach person.) We went for a walk and read the books that we brought. It was very relaxing! Then it started to rain outside, so my mom and I did some diamond painting and the family watched a movie together. The next day, my husband went fishing, my brother went in the kayak, and eventually, we all went to explore another small town. And after that, we played some badminton at the cottage. We bought the set last year and brought it again, since we all seemed to have a good time playing. The next day was more of the same: movies, games, reading, diamond painting, and badminton. And the day after that, we packed everything up into our cars, locked the cottage for the last time, and headed home. 

It's true that cottages aren't my favourite. However, it was a notable week that I was able to spend with my favourite people on the planet. As for the Small Town Shopping Haul YouTube video that I mentioned earlier, here it is. It features some items from antique stores, local shops, and of course, my favourite store, Kicking Cowgirl Designs. Take a look....

Have you visited a cottage recently? How are you making the most of the summer months?