Manitoulin Island

I was able to visit Dan's family cabin on Manitoulin Island in Canada for the summer, and I brought Tuesday along for the ride. The island is located in Lake Huron, and is the largest lake island in the world. It also has the largest lake on an island in a lake, Lake Manitou, which has two islands itself. Therefore, "each is thus an island in a lake on an island in a lake." Anyway, the family cabin was built by Dan's great grandfather, and was just incredible. It sits on a peninsula where one side is home to an unceded indian reserve, and the other has similar cabin properties like this one. Here are some snapshots of our great Canadian adventure.

Summertime Happiness.

I'm having a really hard time adjusting to the fact that summer is almost over. It feels like January was just a few weeks ago, and Christmas seems like it should still be eons away. And no matter how many hot, sweaty days go by where I get sunburned, I just don't feel like I'm ready to say goodbye yet. With that said, we've been spending a lot of time on summer activities as of late, and it has been amazing. 

We've gone on summer vacation (update on that soon), we've gone camping, swimming, we've laid out on beaches, grilled a billion things on the new grill, lounged around pools, ate enough ice cream to fill a whale, and utilized splash pads whenever available. Our dinner parties, and patio dining in the Short North has absolutely spoiled me rotten, and I've eaten better than I ever remember eating before. Miraculously, I haven't gained any weight from all of the food and the cider (and the Wakefruit drinks!). Yet. 

 And I may love the fall, and the spring for that matter, but this summer was special. I fell in love every day, I had a wealth of opportunity find me, and I evolved into someone I'm proud of. Things might not be perfect, and things might fall apart sometimes, but I'm still grateful for the few months that granted me this amount of happiness. I can only hope that the rest of year continues on this merry little path, and we can be ushered into a new year that is better than this one. For now, I'm just going to focus on the remaining days in August, and embrace them as much as I can. Even if it means that I'll be overheating, and forced to wear my hair in a bun for the foreseeable future.

xoxo.

Kelley's Island

I can't believe that it's already July, and that it's been over a month since my last update. In the time between then and now life has gone from bad, to good, to great- and it's just kept going. Every day has felt like a gift, and the people that I've been able to share those days with have made me feel more loved and excited about life than I've ever felt before.

I'll take some time in the next week to recap some of the things that have been going on since I last posted, but for now I wanted to share some of the images from our first camping trip of the year. Initially we were supposed to go during the first week of June, but an unexpected surgery left us pushing the dates to the end of the month instead. What started out as a 12 person expedition shifted to a couple's retreat with two of our very best (and very engaged) friends, who also happen to be my favorite adventure partners on the planet.

We had decided to go out to Kelley's Island and camp for the weekend. We hopped onto a privately owned boat and charted across Lake Eerie at nine in the morning with one too many bags in tow. Once we got there we spent nearly every second exploring, sight-seeing, and going on mini double dates. I'll leave you with my favorite images of the island, all of which seem to scream summer. Enjoy! 

Skipping rocks has become one of Dan and I's favorite things to do together. Being able to skip perfect rocks with our best friends was just the best thing ever.

We had such a blast throughout our entire stay. Between the delicious food, our courteous camp neighbors, the extreme bonding and cathartic company, and the glorious scenery, it definitely made itself into one of my favorite trips ever. I can't wait to go back. 

Summer Longing.

(Images courtesy of Shelter Co.)

A Cup Of Jo posted a lovely image set of Shelter Co.'s pop-up lodging service in California, and it made me miss summer terribly. I'd love to be able to snuggle up inside one of these English style tents on a warm night, with friends, laughter, and lots of books all around me. I know that winter brings its pluses too, but can it just be spring already?

Each set-up includes a stocked library, a bed with down comforters and pillows, a beauty station, a lounging area, and about 50 other amazing amenities. I guess it's time to move to California, eh?