Josh Duhamel is living his best life after ditching the Hollywood hustle and bustle for a quieter life in Minnesota.
The Ransom Canyon actor, 52, spoke about the decision to embrace an “off-the-grid” lifestyle after 15 years spent building his Minnesota cabin from the ground up in an interview with Parade published Thursday.
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“Part of the reason I built my place out in Minnesota, deep in the woods, is it’s removed from everything,” said the Transformers star, who shares 1-year-old son Shepherd with wife Audra Mari and 11-year-old son, Axl with ex Fergie. “The closest store is 40 miles away. Once we get there, it’s really about everybody taking care of each other — making memories, spending time with family and friends.”
He continued, “You really get a chance to get back to the basics. You’re not consumed by all these other distractions. When you’re out there, it’s really about having fun, making sure everybody’s warm, everybody’s got food and water.”
Turning what was once a plot of land in Minnesota into his family’s home “really got me back in touch,” Duhamel explained, noting, “There’s something about it that fulfills the soul in a lot of ways.”
It was important for the father of two to give his children a similar childhood to the one he enjoyed growing up in North Dakota. “My son [Axl] is going to have memories of this place forever. He’s not on his iPad when he’s out there,” he said. “He’s out there in the boat with me, or he’s playing soccer on the beach, or he’s out there in the woods doing whatever I’m doing.”
“And then I have a little baby who’s going to experience the same thing,” Duhamel continued of son Shepherd. “Someday, I hope to pass this on to them [so] they’re able to share it with their kids. It’s really important to me that they have this. It’s not just about having all the amenities and all the luxuries that we become so used to. It’s really about family. It’s about legacy.”
