Meet your Cook County Neighbor: Cory Quirk
Dec 28, 2023 06:55AM ● By Editor
Images provided
A Boreal Community Media Exclusive - December 28, 2023
How did your journey lead you to Cook County? The bigger question is, was finding housing a challenge for you when deciding to relocate?
I first visited on a high school Boundary Waters trip with the School of Environmental Studies, a magnet school at the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley. Having grown up in the Twin Cities, I was dazzled by the landscape and sense of solitude (although that trip in May was marred by cold and rain that had us pulled out early by motorboat for a cozy early ending at the Gunflint Lodge).
A couple years later, I met Charlie Lawler and Owen Höglund at Hamline University in St. Paul, and meeting their friends and family on my visits to Cook County made me feel more and more like a fit over the years. In 2023, the ability to work remotely as a software developer allowed me to bridge the gap and move north from Minneapolis.
To find housing, I used as many channels as I could, entertaining the idea of living in a camper and/or without running water. Within a few weeks, via Facebook I met Jack Thomas, a fellow transplant from Missouri, who was looking for a roommate at his rental. We get along great and the house has everything I need, so I’m very lucky. I think it also helped to search during the winter for a spring move, when everyone wasn’t so busy with the summer season.
When I first moved here, I enjoyed writing code as a software developer, but my contract ended in May with the company on a hiring freeze. I hope to get back to that when the right opportunity arises.
During the summer, I had lots of fun working for Electric Trails renting eBikes. I’ve also done live sound mixing for musicians playing at Up Yonder, being a musician myself, and I’ve taken a few freelance photography gigs.
This fall, I began IT work with Cook County Higher Education and started as a para and technology teacher at Great Expectations. I also volunteer with the Cook County Pride Committee. I don’t mind wearing a lot of different hats, and at the end of the day I’m just grateful to do work that interests me, broadens my skills, and feels meaningful in some way.
What is your favorite way to spend a day off? Any special spots in the County that you love to go to?
Cooking, reading, sometimes video games. In the winter I love cross-country skiing. I’m still exploring all the trails but Pincushion is a go-to.
I love having time to make music too. I recently started drumming in a band with Carly Puch, M Baxley, and Will Moore. We’ve had a blast playing covers at Tuesday open mic nights at Up Yonder. Will and I also make more freeform music with Adam Kirsch, a talented local guitarist and instrument-crafter (check out souphunter.com). For Halloween, we performed an improvised score for a 1922 Swedish film: find “Häxan Halloween” on YouTube for the resulting piece.
What is the best advice you were ever given and how did it impact your life?
To live in the present moment as much as possible. As cliché as it may sound, it helps me in all areas of life. I can treasure my memories, analyze my past mistakes, or prepare for the future with anticipation, but trying to focus on today brings me the most joy, peace of mind, and success towards my goals.
What do you love most about living in the County? For some it's the love of nature. For some it is the sense of community. What is it for you?
The nature is a given. People appreciate and create unique music, food, theatre, writing, and visual art. Our community has a good sense of care and responsibility for each other. Despite a cold climate’s reputation for brewing isolation, on the contrary, people seem eager to collaborate with each other and are receptive to new ideas and projects.
With Christmas just a few days ago, are there any holiday traditions that you had as a child that you still enjoy?
My grandma in Chisholm, MN used to make lefse and that’s something I still need to learn. My parents moved from Minnesota to Arizona a few years ago, so Christmas has started to look a little different every year. Whatever it may look like, I just enjoy the chance to take a break from work and have fun with my family, whether that’s board games, movies, good food, or all the above.
A Boreal Community Media Exclusive - December 28, 2023
How did your journey lead you to Cook County? The bigger question is, was finding housing a challenge for you when deciding to relocate?
I first visited on a high school Boundary Waters trip with the School of Environmental Studies, a magnet school at the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley. Having grown up in the Twin Cities, I was dazzled by the landscape and sense of solitude (although that trip in May was marred by cold and rain that had us pulled out early by motorboat for a cozy early ending at the Gunflint Lodge).
A couple years later, I met Charlie Lawler and Owen Höglund at Hamline University in St. Paul, and meeting their friends and family on my visits to Cook County made me feel more and more like a fit over the years. In 2023, the ability to work remotely as a software developer allowed me to bridge the gap and move north from Minneapolis.
To find housing, I used as many channels as I could, entertaining the idea of living in a camper and/or without running water. Within a few weeks, via Facebook I met Jack Thomas, a fellow transplant from Missouri, who was looking for a roommate at his rental. We get along great and the house has everything I need, so I’m very lucky. I think it also helped to search during the winter for a spring move, when everyone wasn’t so busy with the summer season.
Performing at Drone Not Drones 2023 festival in Minneapolis
Working multiple jobs when living in Cook County is a way of life for many. What type of work have you done since moving here?
When I first moved here, I enjoyed writing code as a software developer, but my contract ended in May with the company on a hiring freeze. I hope to get back to that when the right opportunity arises.
During the summer, I had lots of fun working for Electric Trails renting eBikes. I’ve also done live sound mixing for musicians playing at Up Yonder, being a musician myself, and I’ve taken a few freelance photography gigs.
This fall, I began IT work with Cook County Higher Education and started as a para and technology teacher at Great Expectations. I also volunteer with the Cook County Pride Committee. I don’t mind wearing a lot of different hats, and at the end of the day I’m just grateful to do work that interests me, broadens my skills, and feels meaningful in some way.
What is your favorite way to spend a day off? Any special spots in the County that you love to go to?
Cooking, reading, sometimes video games. In the winter I love cross-country skiing. I’m still exploring all the trails but Pincushion is a go-to.
I love having time to make music too. I recently started drumming in a band with Carly Puch, M Baxley, and Will Moore. We’ve had a blast playing covers at Tuesday open mic nights at Up Yonder. Will and I also make more freeform music with Adam Kirsch, a talented local guitarist and instrument-crafter (check out souphunter.com). For Halloween, we performed an improvised score for a 1922 Swedish film: find “Häxan Halloween” on YouTube for the resulting piece.
Skiing at Bearskin Lodge
What is the best advice you were ever given and how did it impact your life?
To live in the present moment as much as possible. As cliché as it may sound, it helps me in all areas of life. I can treasure my memories, analyze my past mistakes, or prepare for the future with anticipation, but trying to focus on today brings me the most joy, peace of mind, and success towards my goals.
What do you love most about living in the County? For some it's the love of nature. For some it is the sense of community. What is it for you?
The nature is a given. People appreciate and create unique music, food, theatre, writing, and visual art. Our community has a good sense of care and responsibility for each other. Despite a cold climate’s reputation for brewing isolation, on the contrary, people seem eager to collaborate with each other and are receptive to new ideas and projects.
With Christmas just a few days ago, are there any holiday traditions that you had as a child that you still enjoy?
My grandma in Chisholm, MN used to make lefse and that’s something I still need to learn. My parents moved from Minnesota to Arizona a few years ago, so Christmas has started to look a little different every year. Whatever it may look like, I just enjoy the chance to take a break from work and have fun with my family, whether that’s board games, movies, good food, or all the above.
Studying anthropology in Siem Reap, Cambodia
