Ok, it’s not always parked beside a river, and it’s more of a red truck than a van. Since I returned to Michigan after months of living in the Arctic, I’ve been catching up with family, friends, and my home state. What better way to do that than to go camping all over Michigan for a few weeks?
Right now I’m sitting in the library in Houghton, filling out job applications and waiting to head to a job interview in an hour. I’m looking across Portage Lake at little hills of fiery trees—the autumn colors have just about reached their peak in the Upper Peninsula. It feels strange not to be returning for another year at MSU, especially after seeing photos of tailgaters and co-op shenanigans. But it also feels so liberating. I’m completely focusing on myself, rather than dividing my time between homework, part-time jobs + classes, and endless credits. It feels good to have this pause... this few weeks of temporary freedom... before I quickly dive back into work again.
Fiery hills of colorful trees in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness Michigan State Park.
The short-term plan is to spend the winter in Houghton working however many part-time jobs I need, volunteering with the National Park Service, and freelancing my writing—all while willfully (dare I say, eagerly) being buried in snow. The long-term plan is to eventually move somewhere to work a full-time job that I really enjoy. Someday soon, these plans will connect. Until then, I’ll be doing the things I enjoy most, and saving up some money!