Frizzy Teapot: travel

My Summer Haven

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.

Meg

11:05:00 AM
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My First Time Hiking

travel

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.

It started out early Monday morning with a big breakfast and excited eyes. Our overprotective mother forced us to bring ridiculous things such as pepper spray (as if they would save us from a bear attack LOL bless her). The ride up was filled with talk of the future and what to expect on the trail. Here was the plan: seven miles the first day, spend the night in a campsite, and wake up early for another seven miles the second day. It seemed pretty doable. All of us are very athletic and seven miles a day didn't seem too rigorous. Our spirits were high as we set off for our first ever trip together.

We got on the trail around 11 o'clock. Hill after hill, we ventured further into the wild. As time went on, one of my brothers would fart or hold a branch back only to let go and whack me in the face with it. What lovely brothers I have. We spoke from time to time, but most of the time we walked in silence as we hiked further into this beautiful park. I took in everything in front of me: the roots from the trees that had transformed into steps, the blue markers placed on the trees as we passed, and gorgeous views we came acrossed from the highest peaks of the park. I was having a great time taking photos, spending time with my brothers, and experiencing something completely new.

Four hours later we arrived to our campsite and set up the tent and a few hammocks. After relaxing for an hour or so, we decided to take a swim. Using sticks, we prodded in front of us to keep clear from swimming into big rocks. It was surprising warm (for a river in northern Michigan) and refreshing after our hike. Once we got back, dinner was the only thing on our minds. We decided to start the fire (here's were it gets a bit tricky). The night before we had a massive lightning storm and the fire pit was drenched. With just one fire-starter handy, the fire died almost instantly. Frustration was plastered on my brother's face as he tried time after time to build a fire with just a lighter. Soon, he decided to take a break because he was too upset and wasn't thinking clearly. As he left the campsite, I remember the toilet roll I packed in case of a #2. After unrolling the toilet paper from the roll, I lit the cardboard roll on fire. And what do you know? A flame. A very large flame emerged. With that, the fire started and I was thanking God I didn't have to eat cold soup for dinner.

After devouring our soups, we sprawled out on our hammocks and mattress pads around the fire. Conversation and laughter filled the cool night air as the sun set behind the tall pines. We talked about everything and I mean everything. Topics ranged from the complexity of the vagina to the type of cat Cam plans on adopting next year. As the sun faded and darkness took over the night, I couldn't help but feel a bit scared. We climbed into our tent and eventually I drifted off to sleep despite the loud critters frolicking around at night.

We woke at 6 a.m. Despite our tired eyes and aching bodies, we hauled ourselves out of our sleeping bags. This morning was a bit rough for me, I was aching in places I didn't know could ache and I hadn't had a shower in about two days. My hair was a mess, but we still took a picture before leaving to capture this amazing adventure. We hauled the second day. It only took us two hours to finish the seven mile hike and I couldn't be more excited for the Applebee's we were planning on getting on the ride home. Although I was exhausted after this hike, I know I could've gone further and longer. I love how close I felt to nature and how free I felt from my phone and the internet. It allowed me to realize what really matters and how much I'm going to miss my brothers this year as we all separate. I'm so happy we did this trip and I can't wait to go on another adventure next year!

Here are a butt-load of photos I took----

I hope you enjoyed reading and scrolling through these photos from our trip!

Meg

11:13:00 AM
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Urban Roadtrip

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What happens when your friend just starts work at Anthropology and has a 40% off discount?
Road trip an hour east to the nearest Urban Outfitters? Yes. We did just that.

The two of us have been fantasizing about this moment for weeks. Waiting until her manager finally handed out the beautiful URBN cards so we could frolic around the stores knowing everything was 40% off. I didn't buy anything on sale. What a life.

You may find yourself asking, how is this a thing? Why does working at Anthropology (a rich old lady store) mean the employees get a discount on Free People and Urban Outfitters. To answer your question, Anthropology is owned by the same company (URBN) as Free People and Urban Outfitters.
My friend had no clue. So when she found out, we swore we would venture to East Lansing the day she got her card. This Urban is one of the best ones I've been to. It has two floors (top-full price and bottom-sale price). Not only are the clothes amazing, but the layout and design of the entire store makes me get the warm fuzzes. I ended up getting a black and white flowery sundress (shown below), a grey flowy blouse with shoulder cut-outs, and a dark grey lacy bralette. I snook a few pictures as my friend payed for our clothes with her discount. Don't worry I paid her back.