A Note From The Seller

A Letter to the Future Owner

What exactly does "going to camp" mean? It took me about 45 years, but I finally figured it out.

As a gal from the deep South, I found myself in New England in the late 60s, working in Boston. My coworkers kept saying they were "going to camp up in Maine." For all the years I lived and worked in Boston, I always thought it meant they were going camping, like in a tent or RV.

In the mid-70s, I was promoted to a new position in Maine. I kept hearing the same phrase, "going to camp," and thought, "Wow - people sure like to go camping in Maine." I bought a home overlooking the ocean and thought, "Now this is Maine – the beautiful rocky coast and spectacular views." Yet, I continued to hear my coworkers saying, "going to camp."

Curious and clueless, I finally asked what it meant. My friends from Maine invited me to join them when they were "going to camp." I absolutely fell in love with it. I discovered it had nothing to do with the size, the amenities, or the location. It ranged from a small tent to the Rockefellers' "summer camp" with 12 bedrooms and baths. It was all about a state of mind and getting away from the sameness of everyday life and work. Going to camp in Maine is something special.

I contacted a realtor. I already owned two homes – one facing the ocean and one in the mountains for skiing – but I wanted to find my Maine camp. After almost two years and countless visits, my realtor finally called in 2006 with a few options. When I walked into this house and saw nothing but lake as far as I could see, I knew this was the one. The house was so close to the lake that I could walk about 40 feet and be in the water. Standing in the kitchen, looking out at the view, I felt it – this was my camp.

The house was a year-round home and needed a lot of work, but it was going to be camp, right? No worries. Weekends in the summer, holidays with friends, kids, and cookouts. Lots of swimming, fishing, kayaking, and canoeing. With 150 feet of owned lakefront, a shallow sandy beach, deep water, and a fire pit, it had everything I wanted – and only a one-hour drive from the Portland area where I lived.

Every time I went home, I constantly thought about when I could get back to camp. Eventually, I wanted to be there more and more. I made improvements, turning it into a labor of love over the years. It was worth it. It became an updated year-round home or a vacation home, but to me, it was always "going to camp."

Around 2012, I retired, sold my other two houses, and made this my full-time home. Exactly where I wanted to live – my happy place. To this day, I still look out at the lake every single day and feel the same joy I did the first time I saw it.

Selling this home will be a sentimental journey, but it’s the right time for me. I’m moving into a new stage of my life, wanting to travel more and spend time with friends and family.

I hope that whoever I have the honor of passing the torch to has the same feeling I did: This is the one.

Warm regards,
Deborah Reynolds