the great lake state

Michigan! There's only one thing better than visiting a friend who knows you like the back of their mitten. It's if that friend could just be right there so you wouldn't have to go so far to see them.

Despite the blizzard of the year, I was able to get to Michigan a couple weekends ago to visit. Kristen, DJ, Cora and Margot welcomed me into their warm house. Seriously, their house was 10 degrees warmer than mine ever gets, and it was freezing outside. Storm windows! They live up at the top of the mitten, near the ring finger in Traverse City. There is snow and there are bakeries and cross country skiing trails minutes from anyone's home. I was charmed.

I've been tense lately. Wedding planning and I don't get along very well. Either do design clients with unreasonably high expectations and I. I needed to go and be free, for a short time and commune with loved ones away from all my stuff. Kristen and I spent all the time we could, talking and drinking coffee (withdrawal when I got home wasn't as bad the second time). I met her newest baby, who was all smiles and faces and tiny kicking feet. Being there felt like taking a hot bath for 4 days.

We went out cross country skiing one night with Kristen's skiing group. 5 ladies that get some time away from their kids one evening a week to drink Hot Damn cinnamon schnapps, right from the bottle, and scoot around on ski trails. Luckily, one of the women loaned me her headlamp, since I've only skied a few times, and it was really dark. It was a blast! These women laugh and laugh! It was great medicine, and the schnapps were delicious also. Later in the week, we skied again in a different part of town, and we went across a frozen lake!

We drank and ate. Drove up to a lighthouse. I saw a cardinal out the front window! Made a snowman when it was warm one afternoon and spent a lot of energy knocking down icicles off the eaves. DJ resorted to hacking at the biggest icicle with a snowshovel on top of a ladder. Then the icicle almost fell on his head, and did knock him off the third rung from the top. Landed on his feet though! Cat-like, that DJ.

It was such a great time, and I was so pleased to see my friend so happy and doing well. I didn't want to leave again, but had to get back to the timesheet. Can't wait to go back though! To Michigan.