One State. One Bridge. Two National Parks. Two Great Lakes. And a whole lot of sights and delights along the way. Welcome to the good life of vacation in the one and only Pure Michigan!
This past week of vacation away from the demands of home and work has been just plain good-for-our-souls! Driving the coasts of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan to hike in Pictured Rocks and Sleeping Bear Dunes, explore lighthouses, visit wineries, and kayak the Crystal River was a great way for us to not only get out and enjoy creation, but to connect as a couple and be reminded of the simple, best things in life. It has inspired us to make more time for little adventures throughout our days and weeks to give us that breath of fresh air we need and keep us grounded in what matters most. Carving out this week of time off to be together and take in the beauty of this state we call “home” was probably the best thing we’ve done for ourselves so far this year. It was greatly needed and much appreciated! And the icing on the cake of our anniversary trip was to see my step-sister get married yesterday afternoon on the sandy shore of Ludington, just as we did 6 years ago. Love is in the air!
Today we head home from our lakeside retreat to begin a gentle ease back into the routine of life. We still have a couple of days off to enjoy some quality time at home and I am looking forward to this opportunity to get organized and prepared mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as I embark on my next adventure mid-week in a new job! What I hope will be a wonderful journey awaits!
In the meantime, I’m going to keep this past week close to my heart. I’m going to reflect on my days spent on the still waters and sacred spaces of those places we visited and be intentional about keeping myself open to God’s goodness and beauty just as I did while walking the trail, floating down the river, and driving the dirt roads of the national parks. There is love, peace, and joy to be found there.
“What would our lives be like if our days were studded by tiny, completely unproductive, silly, non-strategic, wild and beautiful…breaks, reminders that our days are for loving and learning and laughing, not for pushing and planning, reminders that it’s all about the heart, not about the hustle?” -Shauna Niequist