“Train and Rock Cut Cashmere,” by Pictoscribe. Used under the Creative Commons BY 2.0 License.
1. Work/life balance – Living in a small town nestled in the eastern slopes of the Cascades affords me the opportunity to blend the things in life that are of importance.
2. Involvement in the community – I feel very fortunate to be integrated into the lives of the people in our community. It provides an opportunity to connect with people and families, whether it is at school activities, church, the post office, or the grocery store.
3. Chance to contribute to the community – Being in Cashmere has allowed me to be involved in many community activities that provide an opportunity for me to give back to my community, including Rotary, City attorney, School Board, and chairman of the Tree Committee, among many.
4. Good environment in which to raise a family – One of the primary reasons my wife and I chose to live in Cashmere was to provide a good place to raise a family. My kids have gone on to become a lawyer, an archaeologist, and a teacher with a Masters degree from USC. Half of my children have chosen to return to the area for the very reason I moved to Cashmere nearly 40 years ago.
5. Cost of living is reasonable – I am not an economist, but I suspect that the fundamental of “supply and demand” is the reason that the cost of living is simply less in Cashmere than in a metropolitan area.
6. Chance to live where I am most happy living – I have always enjoyed the outdoors. My office is two blocks from the Wenatchee River. The Alpine Lakes Wilderness area trailhead for hiking is about 30 minutes from my office.
7. Shorter connection between “effort” and “reward” – As a sole practitioner, I feel that when I do a good job for my client, that reward is felt immediately and fully. Before law school, I worked for a large corporation and realized I was but a cog in the wheel of the corporation and the distance between effort and reward was vast.
8. Nurtures my sense of independence – From early in my life, I realized that I am fairly independent. Being a sole practitioner, I enjoy the luxury of being able to “do it my way.”
9. Rich personal connection with my clients – It seems that I have the great joy of not just representing clients, but rather families and generations of families. I feel very connected to them professionally through this close personal relationship.
10. The ability to enjoy the best of both worlds (big city and rural small town) – It isn’t as though Cashmere is remote. I am inclined to drive two hours to enjoy the opportunities of Seattle as well, and do so often.
11. Shorter commute (eight steps… literally) – For some lawyers, practicing where you live or living where you practice may not work. I find that I am self-disciplined enough that I can easily separate my personal and professional life to allow each to co-exist quite successfully.
12. Oh, did I mention work/life balance? …Sorry, there may be even more than 12.
Did I miss your favorite reason? Leave it in the comments!
Stephen Crossland. Steve has been practicing law in Cashmere for 39 years. He graduated from Stanford University with a degree in political science, and received his JD from Lewis and Clark College, Northwestern School of Law. Steve is Past President of the WSBA and also served on the WSBA Board of Governors from 1995-1998. Evolving over the years, his practice now focuses on real estate, estate planning, business, and mediations. Steve enjoys spending time with his four grown children and five young grandchildren. Running, biking, hiking, and gardening are pastimes that take some of the free time he has.
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