Peter and Cassidy Fisher’s boomerang home
From staff reports
One of Michigan’s most acute problems during the economic downturn over the past couple decades has been the state’s “brain drain” — the bleeding of young talent and native youth, who’ve left for greener pastures — Chicago, New York, San Francisco.
It’s also a problem for Leelanau County, this tourist paradise whose year-round population grows older and older with each year. Here in Glen Arbor, the average age, according to the 2010 census, is 63. Jobs in this seasonal economy are plentiful, but buying or renting a home, or land, is nearly impossible for a middle-class millennial who wants to stay in Glen Arbor, or return to the nest after testing the wider waters.
Peter and Cassidy (Edwards) Fisher are exceptions to the rule. Natives of Glen Arbor and bearing last names that are part of the town’s fabric, they forsook the East Coast and returned five years ago to make Leelanau their home. Cassidy left Leelanau County in 2005 to attend Middlebury College in Vermont. She returned in 2010 after working for a year in Colorado. Peter left in 2000 to attend the University of New Hampshire. He spent his summers back home. He moved to Philadelphia permanently in 2004. He returned to Leelanau County in 2010 with Cassidy. They live in Cedar.
We asked them why they “boomeranged” back, what they left behind, and what this region could do to attract young talent home.
Glen Arbor Sun: Why did you two return “home” to Glen Arbor after leaving?
Peter: I was working in Philadelphia and I wanted to get closer to home. I considered Chicago but ultimately decided that was a half measure — and in terms of travel time it really wasn’t much closer at all. Cassidy and I had been dating long distance for several months (after having been re-acquainted at Art’s while both back on vacation) and when she expressed little interest in joining me in Philly, I suggested moving home and she agreed. It was probably a bit sooner than she was ready for but we’re happy we made that leap. And it goes without saying with both of our parents in the area, we wanted to be closer to them.
Sun: What did you miss most about this area while you were away?
Peter: I missed summers on Glen Lake. We both missed the Park and the access to a variety of outdoor activities right out your doorstep. I’d spent the better part of a decade on the East Coast and Cass was out there for college and returning to be surrounded by fellow Midwesterners was also appealing.
Sun: Did you have any second thoughts about returning here? What did you have to give up to move here?
Peter and Cassidy: Sure, and I think it’s the same question for anyone contemplating a move back here, “How will I make a living?” Peter left a career in banking in Philadelphia, Cassidy having graduated college a year before was still figuring out her future and had to pass up some interesting opportunities. And the first year back was a little rocky — moving back in with our parents temporarily, finding work, the first long Northern Michigan winter we’d both experienced in a while… I’m sure we had the discussion more than a couple times “was this the right thing to do?” But then things settled down, the uncertainty passes, and you hit a point that it’s clear you’re happily here to stay.
Sun: What kind of impact do you think you’ve been able to have, as young people, on the community?
Peter and Cassidy: I [Cassidy] work for the Women’s Resource Center in Traverse City, counseling victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. I also sit on the Genuine Leelanau board and I’ve done some coaching for the local Nordic ski teams. Peter joined his father at Coldwell Banker in Glen Arbor, and has been fortunate to work with several other young families and individuals in finding homes in the area. He’s also on the board of the Glen Lake Chamber of Commerce. We’ve made a point of getting involved and it’s helped to build our own sense of community. But surrounded by so many people who have carried the torch for so long, I think any real impact we’ll have will be measured over a longer-term horizon.
Sun: What could Glen Arbor, and Leelanau in general, do to attract more talented young people back to this area?
Peter and Cassidy: That’s a tough one. A college loan forgiveness program? Countywide healthcare? Seriously though, maybe I lack imagination, but I’m not sure the area has the governmental or organizational resources for any broad efforts. With young people it comes down to employment opportunities. And most of our friends in the area have created something of their own. They’ve made the decision they want to live here for the quality of life, and they’ve figured out a way to make it work. That takes a person of a certain temperament. Still, we see plenty of opportunities for younger people, but they aren’t necessarily in the sexy things that attract recent college grads or in the same areas of work for those more advanced in a career. The trades, service based business that cater to an aging population, agriculture, and existing businesses that will be changing hands as the current owners look towards retirement.
Better access to broadband Internet seems achievable and would remove one barrier for anyone with a career that allows them to work remotely. Mediocre DSL is the best you can get in much of the county, and that’s just not fast enough for video conferencing, or streaming Netflix in HD.
Sun: Anything else you’d like to add about being millennials who “boomeranged” back to your native community?
Peter and Cassidy: It hasn’t necessarily been an easy transition, and we’ve had to work pretty hard, but we’ve built a life that is more fulfilling than what we’ve had up to this point. We both left the area only to discover that maybe our parents had figured a thing or two out in deciding to raise us here in the first place.
