As life would have it, I'm ending my journey in Michigan almost the exact way it began. In 2022, I planned a trip over Labor Day weekend to go camping in northern Michigan with Gabe, Chloe, Sean, Annie, and some other college friends. I had never been camping before so I was a bit hesitant to agree. That, coupled with the typical anxiety from planned trips made me want to back out as the weekend drew closer. Ultimately, my friends talked me out of flaking, and I flew to Michigan for what would be one of the most memorable trips I've been on. I was living in North Carolina at this point and was rather miserable due to my job/social life (or lack thereof), so this adventure set the tone for where my life was about to go.

Speaking of tones, I still remember our drive up there. I was cramped and sleep-deprived, but when we were getting closer to the lake, Gabe played some absolute bangers ("Late Night" and "Language", neither of which I'd heard before). Those songs really captured the "summer-in-northern-Michigan-and-overall-trip" vibes perfectly, and the atmosphere was set. I could already tell this would be a great trip with new experiences and old friends.---side tangent see my post about music-related memories here---

That first night, we played Euchre, drinking games (perhaps too many), watched college football, gambled, and sat around the fire. Them brats were firing off the grill and I was sold— camping was pretty great. This belief was solidified when, after midnight, Gabe, Chloe, and I went to the beach to partake in the observation of our surroundings. And observe we did, because the northern lights were visible from the beach! Gabe and Chloe had been convincing me leading up to the trip that you can see the norhtern lights in the lower peninsula all the time (which was a straight up lie to make me move to Michigan). So, it was especially comical when we got closer to the beach and saw what looked like light pollution at first. Realizing that there were no cities that way, we slowly concluded that they must be the northern lights, and Chloe laughed vindicatively, saying she'd been right the whole time! Which again, she hadn't; it was rare to see them, and it made for a spectacle that I wouldn't forget any time soon. Man, I was really glad I came on this trip.

Then came the storm. What I can only describe as a hurricane came through and woke us all up by 6 am. It was fucking pouring and thundering and water was slowly dripping through the tent and I really thought we were going to have to run to shelter when the tent inevitably ripped open. Incidentally, I also had to pee very badly, so I sat there praying this storm would let up before we all got swept away. Sean, from the other tent, texted the group chat to see if anyone had seen his phone. Comically, he concluded that he'd left it by the campfire and ventured into the storm to find it. Somehow, the phone worked perfectly fine because it was stomped into the ground. The photo evidence remains a classic to this day (see below).

The storm broke by 8 am, and we emerged to relief from our neighbors in their campers, who thought our tent would surely blow away. Gabe threw a skillet on the grill and made eggs, pancakes, and bacon along with some coffee to shake the hangover. It was a scene I wanted to enjoy again sometime (minus the flood).

After breakfast, we got ready to head out on the boat and surf, something I'd been looking forward to the whole trip. Being used to Kentucky lakes and swimming pools, I definitely wasn't prepared for the "freezing" temperatures of Michigan waters, but it woke you up and was refreshing. Alcohol helped too. Surfing wasn't much different from other board sports, but the scenery was entirely new compared to snowboarding or ripsticking down the asphalt hill in my neighborhood. Selecting the songs you surf to, watching friends shred (or eat shit), and just enjoying the backdrop all made it such a unique and fulfilling experience. It was something I wished I could do more often.

These new experiences combined with making new friends or reuninting with old friends made this trip incredibly special. But most of all, it made me realize how desperately I needed to get out of my current environment back "home" in North Carolina. I missed my friends—I missed having friends at all—and I loathed my job and career path. When I left Michigan, I remember having such gratitude for the friends that not only organized the trip, but also pulled me out of my own mind, forcing me to make these memories that I would carry for a lifetime. (In fact I really wanted to start blogging to share this exact story, but things got in the way...)

Though I was working on switching careers before the trip, I had no concept of what that timeframe was or where I would be next. A few months later, I'd have an interview with a company that had a location in Kalamazoo, MI—conveniently where Gabe lived at the time. It wasn't Chicago, but it was a state I knew I would enjoy, and more importantly, I'd be close to my best friends. Looking back at it all now, it's funny how things lined up, but without this trip, I really doubt I would have moved to Michigan at all—and that's something I would have regretted deeply.

Fast forward to 2024, and I find myself in a similar situation for our Labor Day trip, except this time I knew I would be moving to Chicago at the end of the year. I wouldn't be transitioning jobs, but I was facing similar feelings as the trip approached: tired from a busy summer and reluctant to make the trip or even stay the whole weekend. From experience, though, I knew it would be worth it. Especially since a rarely-seen friend would again join us midway through the trip (love you Coop)! This time, I was a more seasoned camper, and I had grown much closer to my Michigan family, but the unique experiences were still there. Because again, on the first night, we saw the northern lights for what would be my second time. The night sky up north is really something else, and it felt like a fitting farewell to my home in Michigan.

The trip was full of moments I'll miss having so frequently: surfing (while I had improved I definitely still had some big spills), drunk speed chess, listened to Gabe, Jon, and Vern on the guitar, watching football by the fire, golfing, and just simply enjoying life with people I care about. These were moments to cherish as I look forward to the new experiences that await in Chicago. And once again, I found myself able to fully appreciate the life I have because of the friends and support around me.

Without these special people, I'd have far fewer memories. Life would feel much more mundane, and time would creep past me even faster than it already does. So thank you to the friends and family who continue to pull me out of my comfort zone and remind me to really live. When leaving Michigan the same way I entered it—surrounded by excitement, laughter, new memories, and good friends—I'm again reminded of just how fortunate I am to have such people in my life.