Everyone Needs a "Cabin"

Do you have that “special spot” that you can go to? Maybe it’s a comfortable leather chair in your den or a rocking chair on the porch? It could be the treadmill in the basement or a workshop in the garage?

Some people have a specific activity which is their getaway – like running or walking or cycling. Others might frequent locations like a neighborhood park, a coffee shop or restaurant.

It’s the kind of place where you really can be yourself. When you’re there, everything feels “right.” You could be there alone or with friends; you could be totally engaged to the world around you at the moment or just “kickin’ back” going with the flow.

Today I found “that place” for one of my good buddies. I had the pleasure of being invited to lunch in Newark, Ohio by Patrick and Andrew Guanciale. Patrick and Andrew are two of the top Realtors, not just in the Coldwell Banker Newark branch, but in all of Licking County. They are #58 and #59 in my 101 Most Influential People in My Life so when they invited me to join them along with fellow Guanciale Team member Lisa Stewart and Licking County Chamber of Commerce President, Cheri Hottinger, for lunch at the OSU Newark campus, I quickly looked for a date on my calendar. Today was that day.

After a casual lunch catching up about the real estate market and family activities, we turned our attention to the Chamber’s big Groundhog Day Breakfast event. Cheri and Patrick and the rest of the Chamber were pleased with the event (over 500 people attended) but they were exhausted from their early morning wake up calls to get ready.

We said our goodbyes but Andrew invited me to stop by on my way out of town and see his “cabin.” It really is a “cabin” that sits off of his main house in downtown Newark and he has converted it into his “special place.” Most people would call it a bar or a “man cave” but it is much more than that.

Andrew and his lovely wife Jill have put a lot of time, energy, money, thought, creativity and passion into this 20′ by 12′ room. From the rustic beamed ceilings to the space heaters and fireplace, this place is sweet. He shared photos from many great nights in “the cabin” and regaled me with stories about the place – how his dad built the bar and about his friends donating many of the decorations. It turns out that “the Cabin’s” reputation in Newark is growing as people have paid top dollar at local charity auctions to host parties there.

I enjoyed spending some time in The Cabin with Andrew and his neighbor Mark Evans this afternoon and will look forward to my next invite to do it again. Thanks Andrew, for making me appreciate those moments when you truly get to just kick back and relax, knowing that “your cabin” can be anywhere you allow it to be.

I hope you all get to enjoy time in your cabin this weekend, wherever that may be.

Until next time…keep building relationships…solving problems…and having fun.