I've never lived alone

Write at Home is a continuation of my essay series exploring what it means to be at home. The rituals, the values that guide you, and the connection within the four walls.

Somewhere in Northern Michigan, in a beautifully designed home lent to me for the week; I find myself - alone. Not even the dog to keep me company, which I considered, but without a fence, would have defeated the purpose of being truly unburdened, which was what I felt I needed by taking this time. In fact, the idea to ask a friend if I could borrow their cabin came swiftly, a response to my own intuition, that I needed to just be. A period of time to rest, reflect, write, and be with my own thoughts, in nature, by myself. Sometimes, I find it hard to connect to myself, often internally overburdened by what others think and need, or worried about unseen and unknown things.

You can view more of this home by reading my interview with the owner, in our At Home With series:

Outside, Uninterrupted

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August 14, 2025

Ann Goethals is a retired high school teacher and union leader who has rediscovered her love for writing and will publish her first novel, The Doublewide, in September, with a sequel, Sheltering Place, due out in 2026. She and her husband Richard divide their time between Northern Michigan and Chicago. They are never far from the lake. Preorder The Doub…

This privilege is not lost on me, to have a community that shares their second homes with me. I’ve done this before, in 2023, I took a month in Montecito, at another friend’s graciously gifted second home, but never fully felt the relaxation I’ve already felt with just two nights here, as the house was too big, (I was scared at night) and I was in my hometown - there was always something to do, a person to have coffee with, or an event to attend. But I know no one in this small community, and there’s nothing to do here except read, get ice cream, hike, listen to the birds and my own thoughts, or more aptly, my own intuition, which is coming back, quickly, as I rest.

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