Yes, my friends, THIS is in Michigan.

I thought summer was in full swing, but this cold, rainy June 1st day has me inside turning on the heat – and wistfully remembering a glorious afternoon a few weeks ago.

I arrived at my friend’s house near the shores of Lake Michigan well before anyone else so I decided to grab some sunscreen and go explore.  According to the map Lake Michigan was just over a large dune at the end of the drive.  It didn’t take long until I found a set of stairs that looked like they would take me up and over the dune, hoping that I would end up at the beach and not someone’s private deck, I started climbing.  As I reached the top of the stairs I was rewarded with the most amazing, peaceful, beautiful view of Lake Michigan – as quiet as the beach of a southern Atlantic barrier island at low tide.  I am the only sole on the beach, soaking up the sun glistening off the water completely in awe with the majesty of this place.

As the sun starts to settle in and carve out the path on the great lake into which it will set, my friends begin to arrive.  We sit on a deck halfway up the dune, in silence, admiring the sun beginning it’s lazy dip into the sea.  We find out that exactly 100 miles on the other side of the lake, at the end of the sun’s path, is Irving Park Rd in Chicago – dirty, busy, congested Irving Park Road.  Knowing this, I am even more enthralled with the brilliance I’m watching, glowing warm in the sun, surrounded by friends all appreciating the peacefulness and raw beauty of the moment.

It’s a perfect Michigan moment.  A refreshing, relaxing, rejuvenating moment.  One that I will never forget.