jars of sand

greetings from the west coast of Michigan, here are some more iPhone photos. because I haven't even hooked my camera up to my computer since the day after I landed back in the states.

for the past month, I've been hopping all over the globe. my itinerary is starting to read like the location lists you see on the windows of stores and restaurants: Taipei. Bangkok. Detroit. Chicago. coming back to the states has been a mishmash of friends and family, catching up and taking off, and trying to assimilate childhood memories with the realities of adulthood.

this week I am in a place where I spent many a childhood summer: Ludington. camping at the state park, swimming in Lake Hamlin, swinging on the beach playground, scarfing down ice cream cones at House of Flavors, climbing up and running down sand dunes, hiking to the Big Sable Point lighthouse, splashing in Lake Michigan, and walking the pier every night at sunset... memories at every turn. we aren't doing everything we used to [thanks, lactose intolerance] but nighttime dips in the hot tub and the Michigan craft beer + wine festival make up for it.

[by the way- if you've never been to the west coast of the mitten, you should go. summer or fall are best. and I'm going to throw in a shameless plug that my parents now own a condo on the marina here, with a view of the lighthouse and the lake. AND if you email me, I will hook you up to rent from them.]

I'm finding that the older I get and the more I travel, I am amassing a list of places that feel like home. Ludington is one of those places. Taiwan is one of those places. New York, Railay, East Lansing... all over the globe, everywhere I go, I'm leaving little pieces of my heart behind.

it can get a little confusing. the other day I was writing an email. my friend was concerned I might love being back in the states so much that I would "accidentally miss" my flight to Taiwan, where she is. I literally typed "I'm having tons of fun at home, but... I'll definitely be coming back home." meaning Michigan the first time, and Taiwan the second.

maybe that's more of an expat problem. or maybe I've always had a little bit of wanderlust, and falling in love with all these places is my way of collecting jars of sand to sit on my metaphysical mantle.