Getting Grounded

Buchanan, Michigan was our first destination, after 10 days of driving (minus a one day layover to see my Cousin Dana, Aunt Jean and Uncle Harlan in Tulsa) and we were ready to take a beat, as the kids say.

Hats of to Doug for getting us from point A to point B safely and with ease. He's a natural and his mellow ways invites a fun vibe as we enjoy a wide spectrum of music, a podcast and maybe even a comedic AA speaker meeting.

We pulled into our campground and were delighted that our campsite

was at the back of the park,

adjacent to the grassy field

where people stored their

boats and locals from the

campground ran their dogs.

Our trusty 1965 21 window bus

was at the ready and off we

went to see what there was to do

in Buchanan. Google gave us a head start on this exploration. I get to captain the V-dub and it was nice to be back at the helm. Well... if I am being completely honest, 'nice to be back' took a day or so to arrive at.

Initially, we didn't have her brakes dialed in and her shocks needed more air. So, as we sauntered down the road, I felt as though I was riding a horse and I'd begin slowing down way in advance as my foot could only go so deep into the floorboard!

Note: If my grown kids are reading this, don't worry about us, we have it all dialed in now.

This coupled with some self-induced stress that we currently have going on,

I might have had a light cry as we pulled into the gas station.

I know what I need, I need to get grounded. Everything is alright and

it's all going to be ok. How do I hit a reset,

how do I get to this place again... where my inner landscape is more peaceful?

Unless you were raised on old cars, this might sound funny, but the first thing we did was bleed the brakes. Something I did a lot in my childhood as I was surrounded by three old car nuts. This was very familiar and grounding for me.

Plus absolutely necessary!

Where do water babies find their zen? Off to Weko beach we went and beach it was. We were blown away at so many things. First of all, there was plenty of parking and it was not overly crowded. We hit up the snack shack and took our lunch down to the dog section of the beach.

It was sandy and there was surf!

Maybe just ankle slappers,

but surf it was!

Pearl had a blast frolicking

around the sand and

swimming in the lake

with another dog

that was nearby.

It felt so good to get our toes in the sand. This is a grounded exercise that is part of our routine, walking barefoot in nature and we prefer the sandy beach. It's also something that has been prescribed by our naturopath doctor, Dr. Moira Fitzpatrick. Who doesn't love having a doctor that can prescribe western & eastern remedies that includes such deliciously simple directives such as 'go walk barefoot on the beach'.

We decided that since we are able to claim swimming in the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and even the Nile, (and recently the Black Sea for me), we would add Lake Michigan to our list.

We jumped in and it was cold but doable. It reminded us of a too early in the spring or too late in the fall day for us San Diegans. As we drove home, we felt completely satiated from our time at the beach and were grateful to have had a play day.

Since we only had one more day in Buchanan, we decided to focus on being stocked up for our trek up North. We found a local grocery store and provisioned our RV. It's one of the things that I love about living in our RV, you don't need very many provisions and there is no room for knick knacks, which sometimes I can be quite the marketers delight.

Our final outing was to go explore a nature walk in Buchanan with Pearl. It was nice for all of us to stretch our legs and made the RV a welcomed respite.

If you find yourself unable to get out into nature, rather it be your location or simply logistics, know that we have an oil that was created to replicate just this experience.

Shinrin Yoku is a Japenese phrase that decribes the practice of forest bathing or even better, forest therapy. It's a mindful activity that encourages connecting with nature through all five senses. Enjoying this oil in your diffuser will reduce stress, improve mood and therefore boost overall health.

Next I will catch you up on our next stop, Traverse City, soon. It is a darling town with another great beach stop!

In Gratitude for your joining along on our journey,

Shari