For Sarah Vogl, the allure of Northern Minnesota was a constant thread in her life, pulling her closer to the wilderness from an early age. Her journey from bustling city life to peaceful acres in Ely is a testament to resilience, adaptability, and a deep love of nature. Today, Sarah thrives as a digital marketing and graphic design professional serving local Ely clients, while fostering a lifestyle grounded in sustainability and outdoor exploration.
The Early Call of the North
“I spent a lot of time in Northern Minnesota camping in the Boundary Waters, up here by Ely, at Split Rock, and spending time at the family cabin near Bemidji,” Sarah recalls. “I knew from a very young age that I wanted to move from the city to the forest and grow and raise my own food.” That childhood dream remained a guiding star.
Her professional path began with a graphic design education in Duluth before leading her to a software company in the Twin Cities. There, Sarah and her husband settled into city life, raising two young children. Yet the north called persistently. “We got really claustrophobic in the cities. It felt like we were always spending our PTO, our money, and our weekends trying to get up north,” she says.
The Turning Point
A significant opportunity arose when Sarah’s sister selected Ely for her medical residency. “We had been talking about buying land to have a base camp since we spent so much time at campgrounds in Northern Minnesota,” Sarah explains. She and her husband purchased 10 acres near Ely in 2019, initially as a getaway.
The pandemic unexpectedly turned her childhood dream into reality. When her husband transitioned to remote work in 2020, the Vogls decided to leap. “I had already been connected to a couple of clients up here, so we sold our house and moved to Ely,” Sarah says.
Finding a Professional Niche in Ely
Initially, Sarah assumed her career would remain tied to the Twin Cities. However, the local business community in Ely quickly embraced her expertise. “I had wholly anticipated keeping most of my cities clients, but the other week I signed my ninth Ely client, and I only have one Twin Cities client remaining,” she shares.
Working as an independent contractor, Sarah is amazed by the variety of industries in the area. “I’m very pleasantly surprised at the amount of varied industry up here. Everyone seems to also understand that good branding, good design, and good marketing is fundamental to a business's success, so I’ve kept busy with work. It’s been a blast to work with all of these different clients.”
Her professional evolution mirrors her personal growth. “It’s taken me many years to get to this point,” Sarah says. “But I’ve found my way to really nature-centric clients that are in the hospitality and outdoor space, which is perfect for me.”
Rooting the Family in Ely
The move to Ely has been transformative for Sarah’s family. “Our kids are thriving in the school system and also in hockey and baseball,” she says. “We found our community with the Ely Folk School crowd and the other local families.” Contrary to her expectations, Sarah discovered that Ely offered a more integrated social life than the cities. “We are busier than we were in the cities, but it doesn’t feel as rushed. There’s always something going on, and we’ve had more invitations to hang out with like-minded people than we ever expected.”
The rural lifestyle has also brought culinary and agricultural rewards. “We grow a lot of food now,” Sarah shares. “This year, I grew cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, kale, spinach, peas, and all kinds of herbs.” Her dream of being in an environment where she can have chickens has also come true, “we have chickens and an abundant amount of eggs.”
Her family has embraced the outdoors as an extension of their home. “Our 11-year-old was out on our lake all summer catching northern pike and recording his biggest fish. We feel very fortunate to give our kids access to nature right out their back door.”
New Art Inspired by New Surroundings
Another new, creative journey began shortly after Sarah moved to Ely. She was inspired by the trees and wildlife that were her constant companion that first winter. She felt she needed something to contrast the digital nature of her work. That’s when her linocut printing artistic expression began. “This was all a very needed balance to the digital world I live in for my career. That world is often full of proofing, copy/paste, rules, neatness, formalities, and rigidity. The world of painting and printmaking is messy, varied, organic, joyful.”
“I loved the fact that I could create many prints from the same artwork, but each was different because it was hand-printed and painted. My print consistency started to improve, but I also took comfort in the fact that imperfection and variation are kind of the point. I also loved the fact that no technology or electricity is required to make these. I can carve and paint without the internet or power.”
Find her northwoods-inspired prints here- https://www.littleforestlife.com/store
A Commitment to Conservation
Sarah’s love for nature extends beyond her personal life. “I grew up with my parents being heavily involved in environmental advocacy efforts, so I’ve been engaged with conservation most of my life,” she says. This ethos informs both her work and her family’s values. “We know that our resources are finite, and we understand the importance of preserving and protecting our spaces.”
Whether identifying mushrooms with her children, paddling across a serene lake, designing impactful campaigns for Ely businesses, or creating new art, Sarah embodies the harmony of a life deeply connected to the wilderness. Her story is one of passion, persistence, and the joys of building a life in sync with nature.
“For me, Ely is more than just a home—it’s the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.” “It’s taken me many years to get to this point,” she says, “but every step along the way has brought me closer to the life I always imagined.”
Find out what Sarah is up to now:
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