Cathrine Wichmand: The Magic of the Summer House

Would you rather hear Cathrine Wichmand tell the story? Listen to Episode 5 of Landfolk’s podcast “Sommerhusliv” here.

Summer houses are magically designed in such a way that they hold only fond memories. Even rainy days are cozy in a summer house. That’s when we break out the board games and light a fire in the wood stove. That’s why it breaks our hearts a little when we no longer have it. And it wasn’t by choice, either.

It Needed Some Love

To make a long story short: We’d sold our apartment a couple of years ago and were living in the summer house while frantically searching for a year-round home. Everything was snatched right out from under us—outbidding, scams, and nonsense. And when we finally found a house—which we discovered through a flyer in our mailbox and bought after viewing it one evening at dusk—we could clearly see in daylight that it needed some love. The summer house had to go so that a renovation could take place.

And we haven’t regretted it. Not really. Not most days. Being lucky enough to have a garden as part of our daily life—rather than just a few weekends a month—makes our family life so much better. But then those sweet memories pop up on our phones… Or the sun is high in the sky… Or the beach is calling. Or the sometimes-frantic pace of everyday life leaves us breathless. And then we miss the summer house.

I remember so vividly that pure sense of happiness that washed over us when we were there. We were better partners, better friends, better people when we retreated to Rågeleje, far from the big city. It was the perfect yin to our yang existence in the city. And when, barely two years and a pandemic later, we had to face the fact that we needed a bigger, more family-friendly home with our second child on the way, we had to sell the summer house. And it wasn’t without a thousand twists and turns first, to see if we could make it all work out. It was the hardest adult decision, made purely out of reason, with our desire so deeply suppressed—swept all the way under the rug. :box[title="Læs også",layout="context",body='Historien om et sommerhus']

The Natural Law of the Summer House

Because that’s what the summer house does. As soon as you get in the car or hop on the train, your heart rate slows as you slowly approach the summer house. It’s almost a law of nature. You can’t get stressed out in a place like that. At most, you might worry about whether you’ve had enough ice cream.

For us, it was that interplay that was the genius of the summer house. It was the yin to our everyday yang. The contrast. We were forced to slow down. Forced to relax. Forced to do the bare minimum. Forced to be more offline. More present. It was such a great gift—and truly a privilege to be able to experience it. And the dream is that it will happen again. Until then, the plan is to rent! Rent summer homes, and do so in all sorts of places we wouldn’t otherwise get to experience.

Because, if we really dig deep, there are certainly a few downsides to owning your own summer home. One is a busy family life with kids—spending every Saturday at the handball gym, birthdays, and all the hustle and bustle. Weekends fill up fast, and you can either commute back and forth from your summer home. Or you can just opt out—either of the weekend activities and stay at the summer home, or skip the summer home altogether (and feel guilty about it). There’s maintenance, just like with any home. And very few of us can afford to buy them outright, so the monthly expenses associated with the house also make you feel like you have to use it (unless you rent it out—smart!). So the cost per visit makes the most sense (I’m married to a certified public accountant).

The Life We Live

And then, of course, there’s the feeling of not seeing much else of Denmark or the world, because you have to head up to the summer house (or down). And then there’s the practicality of driving on Friday. Packing up a place where you’ve been from Monday to Friday, only to drive off and arrive late on Friday. Just to have an awesome Saturday. Packing up the summer house again and then heading back to the city.

There are ways to handle all of that, though: grocery delivery right to your doorstep when you arrive at the summer house. Packing the car the night before, and so on. You learn the ropes and find your own little rhythms!

And once you’ve got the practical stuff under control, the summer house is simply magical. The life lived there—magical. The pace, the light, the happiness—magical.

So right now, we’re counting down the weeks and days until we head out ourselves. Admittedly, not to our own. But that’s okay! Maybe the magic doesn’t lie in the house itself, but arises together with us as soon as we check in? When the kids kick off their shoes, the wine is chilled, the grill is lit, and the sun slowly sets over the Danish summer landscape. I think so.

Have a GREAT summer cottage trip!

Check out my ultimate bucket list for a vacation in Denmark