Eating Locally: Breast feeding Dilemma

                In recent years, there has been a lot of focus on eating in place. Many have adopted a meal plan that incorporates locally grown, in season food. Doing this ensures that the food you put in your mouth is environmentally friendly and has not travelled hundreds of miles to reach your plate. During the boom of people beginning to see the necessity of eating place, an urgency for breast feeding also took off.
             It is well known that breast feeding is the best source of nutrition for a newborn. Mothers are urged to breast feed their children for as long as possible due to the numerous health benefits. In addition to having great health benefits, breast feeding is affordable, and also incredibly local! This all sounds wonderful, but there is always a downfall. In this scenario it is that, the toxins that are destroying our planet have found their way into the breast of women around the world. Pollutants are easily stored in fat, which makes the breast a perfect container. Sandra Steingraber, the author of Having Faith, struggles with the decision of whether or not to breast feed her newborn because of this situation.
             The treatment of the earth we live on is now affecting one of the most basic forms of nutrition for infants. This must be recognized as a serious problem before one of the best forms of local food, becomes poisoned beyond the point of return.

Thanksgiving: Sharing a Meal with Loved Ones

                Every year, people across America gather to celebrate Thanksgiving. Grandmothers drag out their finest dish-wear, and the smell of turkey envelopes homes throughout the country. The anticipation for the long weekend, and lion's football is evident as the holiday approaches. But is it really the giant turkey and cranberry sauce that draws family home year after year? Seldom do people get to enjoy a long meal filled with conversations with their loved ones. Don't get me wrong, the turkey and cranberry sauce are definitely perks, but joining together with family to pause and be grateful, is what draws people back home to celebrate this holiday.
             The anticipation for Thanksgiving is so great, it is a mystery that gatherings such as this one, are not practiced more often. Getting back to the dinning table with family is a practice that seems to have been outgrown. Lives have become so fast paced that pausing for a family dinner seems nearly impossible, yet we yearn for celebrations, like Thanksgiving, so we can spend time with one-another and reflect on what matters most in life. So this year make a point to spend more time at the dinner table, which is probably collecting dust, with those who mean the most.

Falling for Fall

     Every autumn the leaves begin to change color and the weather slowly shifts into the foreshadowings of winter. While driving down Lakeshore Dr. I came to the realization that I have only encountered this change 20 times in my life, yet is seems so normal. I rush around autumn and before I can blink, it is done. This year I wanted so badly to avoid rushing through this amazing season.

     



          In an attempt to capture the death of summer and the birth of winter, Ollie, my boyfriend, and I set out on a hike to Kirk Park in West Olive, Michigan. Leaves concealed the paved pathways as if to take them back to nature. This was the perfect fall day to take a walk through the woods. Ollie's tail flailed, erect with amusement as he trampled through the fallen leaves. We walked and we watched the autumn sun play among the trees.








       The pathway opened up to reveal the lake, angry with large waves. The wind cut through my jacket with quick gusts. We stood and took in Lake Michigan as the waves crashed repetitively against the shore until the wind became too much. Then we decided to head back to the car, however we encountered a small hiking trail that we decided to wander on.

       Here, we were completely immersed by autumn. We came to Kirk Park to be surrounded by fall and we found it here on the small hiking trail that we almost walked past without a second glance. The trail swerved on and on, and every tree continued to entice me with the fall colors they displayed. Orange, red, yellow, brown, and green reflections chased their way across Ollie's fur as we walked through the woods.



      This trip to Kirk Park was just what we needed. I came to the realization that after 20 years of seeing summer fade to fall, it still holds the power to take my breath away.

The Lily Pads

           Slowly I stir from a deep sleep, and realize that the smell of breakfast cooking on the stovetop is what has awaken me. For once, waking up seems pleasant, and I welcome it knowing that the week will hold nothing but relaxation and the absorption of my favorite place in the world, my families cottage.
         After waking I wander into the family room to look out the large windows at the mist rising off of the lake. The sight of the lake is just enough to make the viewer yearn to touch it. I then grab my camera and head out to the lake where I go for a morning paddle while it is still calm and free of jet skis.

My feet hit the concrete steps descending towards the dock that has been levitating above the lake since I was a young child. As I approach the sand I begin to smell the lake. The damp moist air that rises off of the water brings back memories from years ago.






     

        I finally reach the boat and cannot help but notice the way the light from the reflection of the water dances off it. This is what I have been waiting for all year long. I enter the old row boat and begin to make way towards the lily pads. There is no motor on our boat, just the two oars that make a lovely gulping noise as they plunge into the surface of the lake. My arms begin to burn with a sensation that is uncomfortable yet welcomed. I am not used to the back and forth rhythm of moving a boat across the water.






After some time of rowing and an aching echoing through my arms, I finally reach my destination, the lily pads. For the past 20 years I have enjoyed coming here and watching the turtles heads sink beneath the surface of the water when the ripples from my oars reach them. I love to look for frogs hopping from one lily pad to the next. The sun soaks into my skin and I can tilt my head back and breathe. This is what it means to live. This is the most peaceful place I have ever been. Before leaving I pick one lily blossom to set in a vase in the kitchenette as if to steal a small moment from my trip to the lily pads.

Historic Fishtown

         All too often we make the assumption that in order to enjoy a beautiful vacation we must travel far from home to an exotic location. I have found that some of the most enjoyable getaways are hiding right under our noses. This past April my boyfriend and I began to develop a bad case of cabin fever after a long winter. Flying out of the country was out of the question so we began exploring ideas nearby. We decided that driving towards Traverse City, Michigan would ease some of our restlessness. Although Traverse City offered many cute street front stores and cherry based products, it was not quite what we had in mind. The city seemed very developed and did not offer the remote getaway that we had imagined. Upon realizing this we decided to get off the beaten track and drive until we found what we were looking for.

      For those who have not taken a long scenic ride up M10, I highly recommend it. It was this beautiful Michigan road that led us to one of the most beautiful towns we had ever encountered. Leland, or famously known as Historic Fishtown.

     Leland is located right on the edge of Lake Michigan. Lake Leelanau, a beautiful inland lake, feeds out into Lake Michigan and runs directly through Historic Fishtown. Small shops and restaurants that feature locally caught fish are scattered right next to the dam.

     The image to the right is one that was taken from from a restaurant called The Cove that is right above the dam. From this restaurant you can view fishermen tying up boats and seagulls diving for fish. The coast nearby Leland is scattered with local wineries. This really is a hidden gem on the lakeshore of Michigan. For those that need a getaway, Leland is the perfect place for a weekend filled with breathtaking beach views that make you realize that we take advantage of all that Michigan has to offer.

Trapped Outside

Trapped Outside

            For the past three summers I have had the amazing opportunity to bartend at a beautiful outdoor restaurant on the lakeshore. As one can imagine this area draws a substantial amount of tourists longing to enjoy the sunset beaches and bonfire nights that Michigan in July is so willing to offer. Day in and day out people come and go with sun-kissed cheeks and wind-blown hair as if they had just climbed off the front of a cruise ship. 

         In many senses serving this cheery crowd is phenomenal. In many other ways you begin to feel trapped outside. People rush in and out to hear the acoustic band that is playing and to enjoy a margarita before sneaking off to the sunset. I find myself longing to reverse the roles. If only for an instance I was able to enjoy the warm breeze of the summer over dinner and cocktails with my family. Waiting on 25 or more people in 85 degree weather has a curious way of making you resent the heat and the summer. As I drip with sweat, longing, and the desire to escape into lake Michigan, everyone surrounding me is there to rub salt in the open wounds. 

       As the hours of the night rise, the sun sinks low into the horizon of Lake Michigan as if it is disappearing. Every year I tell myself I wont let the summer slip away again. Before I can blink the leaves are changing and the sun is sinking once again low into the October sky. Maybe next year. 

Parasailing in Riviera Maya, Mexico

         There is something incredibly magnificent about traveling to a different country for the first time. In a sense it is like having the ability to see for the first time. Every thing is new and attention grabbing. As humans we tend to get so caught up in day to day life that we forget to stop and appreciate what is around us. Traveling to a new place has a way of awakening those who have become all to bogged down by day to day stresses. Visiting Riviera Maya did exactly this for me. 

       Everyone was welcomed with a warm hello upon arriving to Mexico. Also a much needed wave of warm tropical air that is all too unfamiliar in December in Michigan. The colors seem so bright and vibrant in contrast to the drab monochromatic world that the winter sometimes has to offer as the sun is hidden from us for months at a time. It is reminiscent of the snow melting to reveal the first colors of spring, however travel does not allow for "gradual snowmelt". You are thrust directly into what seems to be another universe.

     
         That new universe allows for an escape from the usual, and the chance to try and experience things that you have never done before. Suddenly everything around you becomes of the utmost importance. The directions the palm trees are blowing seems to be captivating. How often do I sit to view the swaying of the oak trees in my home town? I begin to ask myself.


   

   

     Creatures that are not common in Michigan become so enthralling however they are most likely as common as the squirrels that scamper my hometown. During my exploration of this new and exciting place I was presented with the opportunity to parasail over the ocean. With little hesitance I decided that this was an opportunity that I could not miss.



        Every image of parasailing that I had ever encountered was of overjoyed people strapped safely in a harness with life jackets, safety cords, and helmets to keep them safe from the dangers of falling from the sky into the ocean. My preexisting beliefs and expectations of the experience that I should have did not at all match up with what was about to happen ( one of the most exhilarating, and terrifying moments of my life).

   


           The harness that I had imagined was no where to be found and there was not even a life jacket to be offered. In fact the sail was no more than a vibrantly patterned sail that had a chain of towels attached to be used as a seat. We were each warned to carefully hold on as we were pulled from the water. As my height ascended so did my heart rate which was beginning to race beyond belief. Once the height of the sail reached the maximum I was able to see for miles a landscape that was completely new to me. There was a sense of freedom knowing that there was nothing between me and the vast ocean that I would soon have to dive into to once again reach the boat.
 

         

       Although the experience was incredibly outside of what seemed comfortable (as well as safe), I would do it again in a heart beat. Maybe next time with proper safety gear!