some photos

my little trip north. 

in the forest i made my home

i'm taking a trip upstate for a week or so filled with relaxing, shopping, and being a beach rat. i was good this time & didn't overpack & am throwing in a book, my plants, & hawaiian tropic oil (seriously, they've bottled the smell of summer). see you on the flip-side.

photo taken on my parents' property, upstate michigan

remembering

summers ago, i was going with a guy who took me to grand lake where ritualistically, his old group of friends would gather every year for an endless summer at a lakehouse owned by one of their grandmothers. she was a quick-witted, spirited woman who shared my name & would specifically make my beau pineapple upside-down cake every year. her young mind certainly surpassed her age, which made me admire this fun-loving stranger the moment i met her.

i'll never forget how time stopped that summer. we loaded up with provisions from jimmie garant's & headed north. hours we spent out on the lake, listening to spoon & reminiscent stories before heading to the local pub for salty margaritas & shooting pool.

grandma elizabeth had several teensy cottages dotting the long drive up to her house. we'd spread out between them & spend our nights falling asleep to rustling leaves & wake to the sound of the lake lapping against the bank.

the afternoon we'd all be leaving for home was spent tossing a frisbee on the front lawn between goodbyes. i never wanted to leave. sometimes i think i never did.

photo source

back from the bay

i love going home. i grew up on lake huron surrounded by forestry and feel like a drifter when away from it for too long.

bell's natural area is just north of town & the biggest secret; the shoreline is massive & used to be where we'd party after punk shows in high school. if you're ever traveling to the northeast shore of michigan, stop here. it's worth it i promise. (besides, there's a hefty nature trail & legit, uncommercialized ghost town).

i'm popping a teepee here & spending the rest of my days a beach boho. join me?

picture of bell taken with my iphone

for just a little while.

how hard it is, i'll be unplugging & heading up to my parents' home in the country for a week. they own a large old farmhouse near the water and since temps will be hitting the 70s, i'll be dipping my toes back into lake huron & living off of pistachios & san pell.

regular posting will resume as soon as my bags hit the floor back home -- this little getaway is long overdue & i'll miss you one million! hugs.

photo source