Skip to main content

Pure Michigan, Adventures in the Upper Peninsula

Even though I was born and raised in Michigan I never appreciated it. Every state in America seemed better than Michigan. That's why I ended up living and working in other states; California, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Montana, New Jersey,  New York, and Vermont. I got to work in other countries too; Austria, Ireland, Norway, and Ukraine. So where am I now? 
M I C H I G A N

When my Mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's my brother insisted that she be moved from Dearborn (a suburb of Detroit) where she had lived 40 years to Traverse City, in northern Michigan. I drove my Mother and her cat Sari from Dearborn to Traverse City where my brother had a rented house waiting for her. I was only supposed to stay in Traverse City three months while I helped my Mother get settled into her new community but I stayed much longer. Seven years to be exact. I still thankfully have my Mother but her Alzheimer's is quite advanced. She's in a wheelchair now and doesn't talk much but she does sing without lyrics.                                                                                                 

Since I stayed in Northern Michigan (for my Mother's sake) and managed to support myself with various jobs I've discovered that Michigan (particularly Northern Michigan) is an outdoor's paradise. Even though I still have the travel lust, I feel content in northern Michigan, "the land of milk and honey" with its fresh water lakes and pine trees. Yesterday my friend and I had to go to Wisconsin to get a pop up trailer. The drive over the Mackinac Bridge into Michigan's Upper Peninsula was breath-taking mile after mile. I was stunned at how gorgeous everything was. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan looked like a Scandinavian country, a touch of Sweden in the Midwest. The crown jewel was Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, gorgeous cliffs hovering over Lake Superior with plenty of hiking trails in lush green woods.

Yes, to think that now I find my most exhilarating adventures in the state I'm originally from. I guess you can go home, after all, for me it's Michigan, "Pure Michigan." A farewell to the other states I used to call home. Where do you live? Are you content with where you live? Enjoy your moments wherever you are living!



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Starbucks & Debbie

This afternoon I stopped into a Starbucks and asked for a sample of the new "Blond Roast." I was expecting just a tiny cup sample but instead the barista poured me a generous cup of the "Blond Roast"  and recommended trying it with a few drops of vanilla syrup which I did. What a beautiful moment it was to enter Starbucks wanting to try the new "Blond Roast" and given a generous sample with kindness and warmth by Debbie the barista. STARBUCKS and its customers are very fortunate to have such a shining star employee as Debbie who brightened my day by greeting me with a big smile and friendly "May I help you?" When I asked for a sample she rewarded me with something I just wasn't expecting.  How nice it is to know that every now and then someone can make all the difference in just a few moments. This was the case with the amazing STARBUCKS barista Debbie who deserves high praises for being so awesome. Thank You Starbucks and Thank You D...

The Cows

After attending a lovely morning Christmas service I decided to take a bicycle ride through the countryside. I was on my own and had nobody to spend Christmas with so I just kept paddling on the trail and enjoying the scenery and smell of the fragrant pine trees.  When  I stumbled across cows in the distance I was ecstatic because I love cows, so I turned my bike around and meandered to the pubic road that led to the farm. When I saw two cows in the meadow my face lighted up with joy. The cows saw me and ran to the fence to greet me. For several minutes they just stood there next to me and made me feel so loved and appreciated. I no longer felt alone on Christmas Day. In moments when we feel so alone how assuring it is to know that there are some living creatures to cheer us up. Those two sweet cows I spent time with on a warm Christmas afternoon were beautiful CHRISTMAS moments. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL LIVING CREATURES!

The Penny

Holding down three jobs and always multi-tasking it felt so good to sit down for a few moments in the backyard the other day. I dreamed of easier times when life was more "carefree." Suddenly I noticed a penny on the ground. It hadn't been there before and my inner voice told me to pick it up. I did and was mesmerized with the year engraved on the penny. That year I was blessed with the best carefree summer of my life and the memories flooded my mind of that sweet summer long ago. That penny gave me hope that my guardian angels knew my pain and distraught and assured me that "moments" of happy times will come again someday. "The penny" was my sign of hope that someday there will be carefree moments again. Believe in those little signs that come into your moments of everyday life.