Lessons on a Long Weekend in Michigan
Private beach North of Saugatuck, Michigan.
I scrunched my toes beneath the first layer of sand, pushing them further and further, until my feet were half buried. The warmth of the earth encased my, normally chilled, feet in a blanket. The sun was beating down on the beach on an almost cloudless end-of-summer day.
I had my journal open, scribbling thoughts and happenings from our adventures in Saugatuck, Michigan. TK was beside me, typing away. Lady, our little Shiba, was sprawled out in the sand, basking in the sunlight. Why does she always look like she’s fallen into a permanent, peaceful slumber when she naps outside? (That’s the nice way of putting it…in short, she looks dead)
I looked over the lined pages covered in ink out to the water in front of me. The sun was making its way across the sky, the seagulls were dancing across the water, and sailboats swayed off in the distance. In some ways, this spot reminded me of a beach that was just outside our rental in Maui, during a trip TK and I took with family back in 2022. It feels like ages ago, but it’s deeply rooted in our memories.
We’re in the Northern Midwest right now, but a part of me felt transported to a beach in Kihei where TK and I sat watching the sunset, feet buried in the sand, with a cool breeze off the water. It was a little oasis, an escape from the norm.
This long weekend in Michigan was full of twists and turns—some good, some quite odd. We experienced our first shared AirBnB rental (unbeknownst to us… read the descriptions carefully). Other than that, TK and I made a pact to put our phones away—only using them for maps or to look something up briefly. We wanted to unplug and immerse ourselves in a new place, a good book, or thoughtful conversation.
It was on that weekend trip that I found my writing voice, again. It’s still in progress, but it’s coming back to me. I found myself diving into my photos from a different perspective. I could feel the rebirth of creativity building within me. My joy in journaling re-emerged.
In those small moments—on the beach, at the local dining spots, in the middle of the woods at the State Park, tucked away at a blueberry winery, amongst the laughter—I woke from a slumber, that left me brushing off the cobwebs and dust, to a new outlook.
A friend of mine talks a lot about “day-dreaming” and allowing ourselves to find inspiration in the small moments around us.
With my toes in the sand, my partner beside me, and my little Lady pup asleep on the beach, I felt myself day dream for the first time in a long time.
Being present, right where you are, will do that to you.
S.
