A "Happy Place" Moment

My Uncle and I often talk about "Happy Places". What place makes you feel most happy? Why do you think it makes you so happy?

Recently, I went home for my cousin's graduation. During that time, I was able to make my way up to our hunting camp--a term that most Chicagoans are not even remotely familiar with. Let me paint the picture for you...

We drive down a one-way dirt road for about 40 minutes until we hit a dead end, which brings us to the "yard" of our camp. We pull up to what seems like an endless amount of land and a small little camp with a few garages (and an outhouse) built next to it. I run to our secret spot to find the key, open the heavy door and get a nice fresh breath of camp air! The next step is opening up the giant board that covers the front window...the board the reads "Sorry Black Bear" (you can guess why we have it there.) After hammering the locks open on this door, bats fly out from underneath--surprisingly, something I am used to now. I'm there with three of my best friends and we lug our stuff into the camp--a space made of a "living" room (with a wall covered top to bottom in family pictures), a long room with four bunk beds and a sauna (for yoopers, pronounced "SOW-NAH.)

That's it, I'm in my happy place!

First things first...it's four-wheeling time! When the car is unloaded, we all run to the back garage where the four-wheelers are kept. We give them a little love to be sure they start and off we go! My (awesome) Grandpa built trails upon trails for us kids on his property...and let me tell you, there is nothing like riding through the woods on a four-wheeler. It's my yooper genes coming out...definitely! We ride down to Lake Superior, take a dip in the lake, ride through the river, maybe even make a campfire...everything is so relaxing!

After our four-wheel/beach time, we get back to the camp and make a drink, turn on the country music (the only station allowed at camp) and grab the cards. The next couple hours entail lots of random card games, sitting in front of the fire, making s'mores, dancing to music and lots of smiles! If you have to go the bathroom, you have to pour water down the toilet for it to flush or make your way out to the outhouse. If you need water, you have to turn on the pump (which takes a couple people) and fill up buckets until you have what you need. If you have to heat something up, you better know how to make a fire!

The night ends with a great sauna (again pronounced "SOW-NAH",) laying in the recliner and just taking it all in. We all crawl into the beds in the "Bat Cave", probably sleeping with mice...but we don't care...a great night's sleep is in our future! Before we leave, we sweep the floors and stock up the firewood (picture four girls carrying piles of wood from the stack off to the side of the camp...slivers and injuries have happened.) Every time, before I shut the door, I give a big smile to the place for giving me another weekend of great memories.

It's my happy place!

To city people, you may think I'm crazy. It's definitely a different lifestyle, but it's MY lifestyle and I'm proud of it! I love that one place can make me feel so safe, happy and loved all at once. It brings back family memories and memories I've shared with friends over the years.

Thank you to my Grandpa for giving us a place that makes us all feel so at home! We love it and we love you :)