There’s a remarkable little town in southern Wisconsin called Cambridge that G took me to shortly after we started dating. His grandparents had lived there on the lake and G (who grew up in a neighboring town) had so many wonderful memories of being there. He showed me the house where his grandparents had lived, and then took me to a beautiful hiking trail just outside of town. Afterwards, we walked up and down Cambridge’s historic Main Street lined with antique stores, quaint coffee shops, and art and pottery galleries.
It was the most charming town I’d ever seen.
A few years later we bought our first house close to our jobs in Madison, WI…but Cambridge always called to us. When driving to G’s parents’ house we’d often opt to “take the scenic route,” going the long way just so we could set our sights on that beloved little town. We visited as often as we could and found it absolutely mandatory to get there at least once each autumn to explore our favorite hiking trail (Cam-Rock Park), unplug for a day and enjoy the views.
When it came time to purchase our second house G asked, “What about Cambridge?”
At the time I was working in downtown Madison and the 8 mile commute from our westside Madison suburb was unpredictable, lengthy and draining the life out of me. I couldn’t imagine tacking another 20 miles on to it, so we decided to stay in Madison, close to our jobs.
Eight years and one little girl about to start kindergarten later, G and I were back to discussing where we were going to live. This time around, however, the stakes were higher. We weren’t just choosing a house – we were choosing our daughter’s school district, and a community we could call our home. G and I are both from small towns and small schools and we knew we wanted Kate to have a similar experience, so we started looking at real estate in towns bordering Madison.
And then G asked, “What about Cambridge?”
We discussed it for weeks.
What about Cambridge?
That charming little town that we’ve always adored. It was a lot further from the city than anything else we’d been looking at, but I no longer had a commute to worry about now that I work from home. On the flip side, G’s commute would double, but he doesn’t loathe driving like I do and was confident he wouldn’t mind. We’d be much closer to G’s parents and the rest of his family which was a major plus, although downsizing from a city of 250,000 to a town of 1,500 would be an adjustment – one that appealed to us more and more each day. It was the small town life we’d been imagining for our family, with the convenience of the city only 20 minutes away.
The only question left was the school district. We didn’t know anything about it, so we started researching and were amazed to discover it offered so much! The elementary school, for example, has a school forest – utilized as an outdoor classroom – with a system of trails built and maintained by the students. There is also a school farm, and many other extracurriculars. In addition, the Cambridge School District is rated in the top 10% of school districts in our entire state. It became clear to us from everything we’d read and through feedback from local residents that this was a town that valued educating its young people.
“So…what about Cambridge?” G asked again. “Should we do it?”
We could do our research and weigh the pros and cons all day long, but sometimes it all comes down to a feeling – that feeling we both had so long ago when G first introduced me to Cambridge, WI and I fell in love with a town.
I’ll never forget that day.
As I mentioned above, we had just finished our hike and were exploring the shops along Cambridge’s beautiful historic Main Street. And it was right there on Main Street, walking hand in hand, that we looked at each other and said, “Someday we’re going to raise our family here.”
I was 19 years old. G was 22.
That feeling has stayed with us ever since, and it was stronger than ever when I looked at G – giddy as a teenager all over again – and replied, “Let’s do it!”
Cambridge, we can’t wait to call you our home.
Kate, on a hike through Cam-Rock Park in Cambridge last fall.
This sounds amazing and perfect! Can’t wait to hear more!
Thank you so much, Ashley! More details to come – we can’t wait to share them with you all!
I’m extremely impatient
I can’t wait to see the wine that goes into the next house!!!
LOL! Oh there will be plenty of wine going into the next house, I assure you!
YAY! Good for y’all!
Thank you so much, MissCaron – we’re excited!
What a great story!!
Thank you, Ellen! We still can’t believe that vow (or wish?) we made when we were still pretty much kids ourselves is now coming true, 16 years later. We are so darn excited!
Good luck with your move. As someone who also grew up in small town WI, moved to Madison for 3 years, then moved to my husband’s small WI hometown, it’s great decision!
It’s amazing how life comes full circle sometimes, isn’t it, Jodie? Hope you are loving getting back to small town life!
Ok I must have something stuck in my eye – cuz I am tearing up over here. Wonderful story. So happy for you Dusty – God’s timing is perfect, isn’t it?
Aww, you are so sweet, Diane – thank you! We are so blessed and definitely feel like God is steering us in the right direction, away from all the noise and distractions, and toward a simpler life. We cannot wait for this next chapter to begin!
How fun! Congratulations! We live in a town of 2800… but the next biggest town is 45 minutes-an hour away… 20 minutes is totally doable! Can’t wait to read about your next adventures. Congrats again!
Thank you so much! Yes, 20 minutes is much easier to manage than 45 minutes. I hope you have Amazon Prime, haha! I signed up for it as soon as we decided to move to Cambridge. I actually think it will be a blessing to my budget not having a Target within walking distance like we do now. Fingers crossed that’s the case!
This is very exciting!!! I can’t wait to read about this new phase in your life. I live in a small town on some land but am still only 20 minutes from the closest city. I love it, we even got some goats this year, but I do wish the town was more of a cute, quaint town. Cambridge sounds amazing!
Thank you so much, Amber! Your small town life also sounds idyllic. And goats? How fun! We’d love to have a little chicken coup in our backyard – maybe someday!
How romantic! I can’t wait to hear more!
Thank you so much, Heidi!
Nearly 7 years ago we moved to our small town. 10 day old baby in hand. We havn’t looked back. We even bought a small farm this last year that we have poured our heart and soul into for the last 6 months. Soon the kids will be picking out their lambs and goats. Good luck on your small town adventure…..that is what life is all about!
Aww, I didn’t realize you guys had purchased a farm – that’s so wonderful, Jamie! I’m sure the kids are loving all the land, and the animals you’ll soon be adopting. We had lambs and goats when I was a kid and they were so much fun!! Thinking of you guys and wishing you all the best!
Amazing story! So so happy for you and your precious family! I’m a long time reader but don’t know if you remember me from previous comments. My husband and I along with our 2 year old son just sold our house last October and are moving into what we are deeming our family home now at the end of this month. It’s been a long time coming from living in our starter home for 10 years to now this but I’m excited to see your journey as we are going through a similar journey of moving! <3
Hi Adinda, of course I remember you! Thank you so much for your sweet comment, and congratulations to you on your move! G and I have taken to calling our next house our “grown up house” so I can relate to what you’re saying about deeming it your “family home.” Such a fun next step! Best wishes to you!
Well you know how I feel! 😉 We went from a 30 min commute to 1 hour each way, but totally worth it for the perks of a small town. Happy for you guys!!
Thank you so much, Jenna! You are an inspiration in so many ways. <3 So happy to hear you're enjoying your new town!
Welcome to town! I just moved to Cambridge with my husband and two boys two months ago. I’m looking forward to getting out and experiencing the town. Loved your post!
Oh how fun! Thank you so much for your comment – I hope we have a chance to meet once we move there!
Lived in New York for a long time and liked big cities. As getting older I find small towns more and more charming. Started to like small neighborhoods where everybody knows each other well. A desire for something new disappears.
Beautifully put, Lily – thank you so much for sharing!
Just randomly read your Cambridge story and thought it was so cute. I live in Cambridge, New Zealand. You just descscribed my Cambridge right down to beautiful Lake Karapiro. Our township is quaint, filled with beautiful old english oaks, antique shops and cafes. It is autumn right now in May, the leaves are falling and in my mind Cambridge is just how it should be in Autumn and Winter – gorgeous!!! Your cam rock park would equate to our Lake Te Koutu which is a small lake in the centre of town in a valley with beautiful trees and ducks. We also have the most amazing river trails to enjoy too. Enjoy your new town!!!
Wow, Lynley – your Cambridge sounds so beautifully! Maybe someday we will have the opportunity to visit each others’ towns – I would love to see our New Zealand counterpart!