If you are from western Michigan, you will know that there are several beach towns Lake Michigan. Since I live fairly close to Lake Michigan, I have grown up traveling to the lake for long weekends with my friends at their cottages. There are so many destinations to choose from, I however am in love with South Haven. It is a small, quaint lakeside town filled with friendly people. The streets have a ton of adorable boutiques that will make you want to splurge this month's savings. I have found some of my favorite dresses and jewelry in these stores. They also have cute decorations and signs for your home or dorm. Along with boutiques, there are a handful of yummy restaurants scattered throughout the town. We love trying out different places every time we stop by.

The beaches are packed with tourists every weekend. However, we tend to go to small public beaches away from the crowd. The water is occasionally a bit chilly, but this is Michigan we're talking about.  The crowds here aren't as bad as the crowds in Grand Haven, Ludington, or Charlevoix. Our friends have a boat, so we take it every night to watch the sunset and take a quick dip. Summer is the best time of the year to visit, it is the perfect weather and there is the blueberry festival (South Haven's biggest and only festival of the year). is tons to do and beautiful beaches left and right! This is the town to be in if you're looking for a summer getaway.

I'm finally settled into my new dorm which I am in love with. We have super high ceilings, five massive windows, and lots of storage. I'll post some photos of our dorm once we get everything completely organized.





Meg

Sophomore year.

Today is my last day home before I leave for college. As much as I love this town and all the people in it, I need to get out of here. I cannot wait to be back with my smick squad. We know each other better than we know ourselves. Nothing is over-dramatized and everything revolves around food. I have never met a group of people who were so similar to me. These girls are my home away from home and I cannot wait to reconnect with them after this hellish summer.

As much as I say I want to go back to school, pangs of sadness take over my body with each goodbye. Memories of this summer flash through my head every time I think of leaving this place. The comforting bed adorned with my cat snuggled in the covers, the adventures to the lake for a night  getaway, and the runs down Ada drive with the sun beaming down on me as I trot along the winding road.

This summer I learned that no one is as strong as they seem. Not even myself. We ride in the car with the windows down, screaming the lyrics to some song about love. We scream. I would like to say we scream with smiles on our faces and sun in our hair. The truth is, we scream because it makes us feel free. We scream because the real world is a dark and dooming place. We scream because we are numb. We scream because we put on a strong face for too long and eventually we crack. Eventually, we scream. We all just scream.

So here I am. Waiting. Waiting to leave this place and hating myself for it. I love it here, yet I hate it here. The comfort of home is almost too much, making it hard to want to leave. A bittersweet nausea that churns in my stomach every time I think of saying goodbye to my family. Nothing can prepare a girl and her mother when they finally say goodbye to one another. It is and always will be the hardest thing I ever have to do. With a tight throat and watery eyes I say, "I'm fine, I love you." However, she knows. She knows I'm not saying much because I'll cry if I say any more. I'll cry once she's gone and she'll cry on the drive home. And we'll talk for a half hour on the phone later that night about anything to get our minds off the fact that we are no longer together.

So, tomorrow should be interesting to say the least. I hope this post wasn't too morbid. I'm quite excited to move in, but I think some of you can agree with me that leaving home is bittersweet.

The next few posts will most likely be college or dorm related, so look out for those!

Thanks for reading.

Meg

Blackheads? Yes. Everyone struggles with their skin at some point in their lives. Right now, I am constantly battling the black spots dotted across my nose. No matter how much I exfoliate, squeeze, and rub, they never seem to disappear. UNTIL... Charcoal soap. I'm not going to lie, it did take a few days for this to kick in. Don't let the color fool you, this bar of soap can do wonders to your skin. It gets rid of all the gunk in my pores and leaves my face feeling fresh and clean. It also heals impurities and detoxifies your skin. This product can be used on your face or your body. I would definitely recommend looking into charcoal soap if you are looking for a new way to battle impurities on your skin.


Check out this soap- you won't regret it!

Meg

For years I have watched my older brother leave home for a long weekend up north. Hiking is one of his favorite things to do and this summer I finally gave in. I agreed to travel two hours north to Manistee National Forest with my brothers (Cam & Casey) for a one-nighter.