Summer 2020 > Winter 2020

Well hello there! Gosh it's been awhile.
I don't know about you but I have been using social media less frequently these past few months. It's felt refreshing, but I know I've lost a bit of motivation to develop this little space and write more here.
Here is an attempt to get back into the swing of things.


The pandemic has affected life in lots of different ways, but I am grateful life is resuming with more ease and familiarity. I have been going back to Mass and enjoyed connecting with friends in-person as resturaunt began to open up a few months ago.
I will say this much, summer 2020 has been a lot better than winter 2020.
Here is a recap of what I have been up to these last few months.
In June, I went to Illinois and visited my dear friend Christina (and finally met Lauren!). We laughed hard, stayed up late, and I was overjoyed when Christina asked me to be the godmother for baby Lucy. I am so excited to head down there this weekend for her baptism, see some people I love so much, and have Jeff meet some more of my friends.

Back in March Jeff and I were supposed to go on a trip to the Grand Canyon together. Unfortunately, COVID-19 came to Michigan and very quickly things changed and we felt it was better to not go. In June, we used our airline credit to fly to Colorado. 
As a Midwestern girl, I have never seen mountains before. To say I was thrilled when I saw the Rocky Mountains was an understatement. We ate good food, went off roading in the rented Jeep, and enjoyed the beauty of nature surrounding us.

Later in June, Jeff surprised me with a trip to Ludington over the Fourth of July weekend where we camped overnight on the beach at Lake Michigan. We ate roasted chicken and drank gin and tonics, swam in the lake watching fireworks, and fell asleep under the stars.
My mom and I went to a lavender farm and our family celebrated all the family birthdays we missed during quarantine times. 

In July and August, Jeff and I took turns planning some surprise adventures for each other. I took him to the Cross in the Woods Shrine in Indian River and we stayed in Harbor Springs, MI.He planned another weekend for us in Harbor Springs.We've decided we're easily becoming Harbor Springs people.

Over Labor Day, Jeff took us on another adventure to the Upper Peninsula and we stayed in the small but charming town of Grand Marais. We could hear the church bells every hour from the local Catholic church in town from our room. The whitefish was amazing, star gazing incredible, and loved the beauty of Lake Superior and Pictured Rocks.

On the way home we extended our trip and drove to Manitowoc, WI and took a car ferry back to Ludington, MI and then drove home late. A fun, relaxing end to the summer.

Work has been good and I am grateful for things starting to pick up a bit more. I have been working on some writing projects and have been featured on a few different podcasts, which has been fun.
On September 9, I turned 35 (more on that in an upcoming post). It was a wonderful day and I felt so loved and special from all my family, friends, and Jeff.

How has your summer been?! What is new, exciting, or special in your life?