I understand the appeal of the cottage-core fantasy. In a world where we feel constantly surveilled and there’s constant pressure to paint a perfect picture of ourselves on social media, the appeal of disappearing from society into a cabin in the woods is mighty tempting. We all had a test run of disappearing from society a couple of years ago, and based on my mental state during that year and two-month-long period, I will not disappear to a remote cabin in the woods anytime soon. However, what I did appreciate about the period from March 2020 to May 2021 was feeling free of the judgmental gaze of strangers. During that year, I was perpetually surrounded by people I love in my home, which made me feel good about myself. Maybe the cottage-core fantasy does have its merits! If you want to wear prairie dresses and bake bread with your girlfriend in a place where nobody will ever find you, these cottage core memes might resonate.