I fell in love with the place almost two decades ago, and it is still as beautiful to my grown-up eyes as it was the summer after I graduated high school. I have been returning to the singing sand beaches of Michigan City, Indiana every year, typically as a chaperone for my graduating senior students, teaching them to love the location just as my teacher showed me. Crossing the Indiana state line is the cue for my blood pressure to start dropping, and once I turn on Lake Shore Drive and see rows of candy-colored beach homes competing with each other both for architectural design and stunning lake views, the car (and my brain) goes on autopilot.
This year was no different, and I had three wonderful days enjoying the companionship of my co-chaperones and treasuring the last trip with my seniors. This trip was particularly bittersweet, as my longtime teaching partner retired at the end of the school year, and the stay was part of our swan song together. However, we focused on the new adventures ahead, chatting about what the future would hold for us both while ankle deep in the sand at the edge of the lake.
Between the sunscreen and sand, I managed to find time to relax and catch up on my reading. Quality Whitetails and Outdoor Life were among my top picks, and the Spring Angler 2016 catalogue from Bass Pro wound up with more tabbed corners than I care to mention, considering we stopped at the real deal on the way home and I was on a mission for a new rod and reel. As everyone else napped on beach towels or made their way bravely to the chilly water, I found myself ranging the seagulls in front of me for practice and eyeing the fishing boats on the open water, guessing what they were pulling in for their daily catch. Maybe my next trip will include some time for lake fishing, but for this year, I'm content to daydream at beach stop #7 and be thankful for where the current of life is taking me.
This year was no different, and I had three wonderful days enjoying the companionship of my co-chaperones and treasuring the last trip with my seniors. This trip was particularly bittersweet, as my longtime teaching partner retired at the end of the school year, and the stay was part of our swan song together. However, we focused on the new adventures ahead, chatting about what the future would hold for us both while ankle deep in the sand at the edge of the lake.
Between the sunscreen and sand, I managed to find time to relax and catch up on my reading. Quality Whitetails and Outdoor Life were among my top picks, and the Spring Angler 2016 catalogue from Bass Pro wound up with more tabbed corners than I care to mention, considering we stopped at the real deal on the way home and I was on a mission for a new rod and reel. As everyone else napped on beach towels or made their way bravely to the chilly water, I found myself ranging the seagulls in front of me for practice and eyeing the fishing boats on the open water, guessing what they were pulling in for their daily catch. Maybe my next trip will include some time for lake fishing, but for this year, I'm content to daydream at beach stop #7 and be thankful for where the current of life is taking me.
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