Have you ever considered staying in a tiny house in Michigan? Imagine it with me. The weekend hits, and you pack your car with your coziest knit sweaters, a bottle of wine, your swimsuit, and some board games. Then, you hit the road and head up north. In Michigan, this means driving through highways lined in pine trees. When you crest a hill, a turquoise blue Great Lake stretches out before you. Finally, you arrive at your home for the weekend: A tiny wooden cabin nestled in the forest. It’s simple, but it’s all you need. Continue reading

It’s common knowledge that Grand Rapids is Michigan’s best city for good coffee. Whether you plan your travels around coffee, or you simply want to visit a nice cafe, the Grand Rapids coffee scene won’t let you down. Over years of visiting, I’ve tested out the best coffee shops in Grand Rapids. Continue reading

I grip the handle tightly in borrowed mittens. Through thick ice fishing boots I feel my feet wobble on the tire-treads of the sled runners. Breathe. In and out. Ahead of me five dogs pull their lines taut and stare intently at our guide, Kyle’s, sled in front of us — they’re waiting for his signal. My friend Mary sits as a rider in Kyle’s sled. But me, I’m driving my own sled. I didn’t expect to be this nervous for Michigan dog sledding. But here I am, quite literally shaking in my (giant) boots. The long list of Kyle’s instructions swivel through my head: Feet on the tire treads. One foot on the drag pedal to slow. Stomp on the claw brake to stop. Keep the dog’s lines tight. And whatever you do, don’t let go if (when) you fall.  Continue reading

Oh my friends, it has been a lazy month of blogging for me, but I just needed to pop by and share about my birthday weekend in Detroit! This was my first birthday back in the USA and I really wanted to use it as an excuse to get my friends together in one place. However even among my American friends, we are spread out all over the place! A couple months ago I got my wheels turning about a good location that could be a halfway point for everybody and I settled on…. Detroit! Luckily, when I pitched it to my friends, they were keen too, and the plans for my birthday weekend in Detroit began. Continue reading

As you guys know, I moved back to my home state of Michigan in December, and since then I have been exploring and appreciating it as much as I can. One thing I’ve wanted to do for years is attend Grand Rapids ArtPrize…but the whole living in another country thing kind of got in the way. Each year my mom would go and then send me photos of her day, and I was just so so jealous! This year, though, I made it happen. We drove over to Grand Rapids for the first full day of ArtPrize and it was really everything I dreamed it would be. Continue reading