Even though summer is coming to an end and school is back in session, it doesn’t mean we have to stop indulging in our wanderlust. Covid and more rigid schedules may prevent us from taking far-flung flights and long, spontaneous road trips, but we can still find adventure close to home.
Read MoreWe recently snuck away for a long weekend to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, which is one of our favorite spots to unwind and reset.
It's one of those places where you can set an "I will have limited access to email" out-of-office reply message and mean it.
When we go to the UP, we like to hike. And on this occasion we chose a rigorous ascent up Hogback Mountain to a summit that offers 360-degree views of endless forest to the south and Lake Superior to the north.
Read MoreNine years ago, I stopped practicing law.
Eight years ago, we ditched our bricks-and-mortar office and shifted to a virtual business model.
Six years ago, we moved our family from a suburb of a large city to a small town in northern Michigan.
Each decision was excruciatingly hard to make. I conjured up all types of reasons not to make them. Fear is a powerful form of resistance.
What if I can’t support my family? What if our employees quit? What if we don’t make any friends? What if we come to regret our decision. What if?
But looking back, the fear I felt was totally unfounded and the change we wrought has been almost universally positive. The events of the last 12 months have served as a reinforcing exclamation point. When COVID-19 hit, we were already set up to work remotely from a location, Traverse City, Michigan, that has been a hot spot for pandemic relocation because of its low density and beautiful natural surroundings.
Read MoreImpromptu snowball fight!
However, by the time the sun sets, things typically start unraveling. By the time the kids get to bed, I’m usually exhausted and default to beer and Netflix. Often I complete the gluttonous trifecta with a salty snack. It’s pretty obvious: My evening routine, if you want to call it that, is lacking.
When she’s outside, she’s light and carefree—still determined and competitive but playful. When I say outside, I don’t mean in the backyard or at the local playground. She’s at her best in forests, on sand dunes, and in other wide open spaces.
It’s like she’s breathing in contentment, and breathing out frustration, as she navigates trails, races down the ski hill or ambles along the beach hunting rocks at the edge of the surf. This brings Heather and I great pleasure. It’s exactly the sort of transformation we sought when we made the decision to uproot everything in search of a slower, meaningful, purposeful and intentional life.
Read MoreWe have a child who, to put it mildly, can be difficult at times. She’s intense, opinionated, stubborn, and argumentative. I love her for it. Her spunk will serve her well in life, but it can be a challenge. Fortunately, she’s not always this way. She has an alter ego when she’s in the great outdoors.
When she’s outside, she’s light and carefree—still determined and competitive but playful. When I say outside, I don’t mean in the backyard or at the local playground. She’s at her best in forests, on sand dunes, and in other wide open spaces.
It’s like she’s breathing in contentment, and breathing out frustration, as she navigates trails, races down the ski hill or ambles along the beach hunting rocks at the edge of the surf. This brings Heather and I great pleasure. It’s exactly the sort of transformation we sought when we made the decision to uproot everything in search of a slower, meaningful, purposeful and intentional life.
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