This is a piece I started working on that's still in it's first drafts. I still haven't quite decided what to do with it, but here goes nothing.

The hour and a half getaway

On any normal day driving down 294 would not be considered a relaxing drive, but the destination can make all the difference. My aunt and Uncle bought a home in Union pier Michigan over nine years ago and for those nine years it’s been my safe haven, my retreat, and my place to go and regroup when life pushes me to the limits. A short hour and a half drive that brought you from the city of Chicago to a whole different world. It’s a world I grew to love immediately. A place that gave me a new respect for the state of Indiana only because it’s what brings you to Michigan and makes the hour drive through the smelliest state in the Midwest completely worthwhile. Once outside the city and suburban limits the highway becomes lined with trees so full and thick it blocks out the rest of the world. Being someone who’s always driven everywhere and has completed 13 hour drives in one day alone I find the drive to be quick yet just long enough to be relaxing. As the “Pure as Michigan” sign breaks over the hill of the highway your body can actually feel the short six miles left in your trip. It was just enough warning to slow down and get ready to relax in what people from the city would consider the country. Exiting at union pier and turning right onto old country road my muscle memory guides me to Locke road in the pitch-black night. I always turn my music off at this point because the combination of the darkness and the silence sends pulses of excitement through my skin. Turning left onto the private dirt road and taking it all the way to the back until I see the glint of light shining off the porch. I’ve already forgotten all of the troubles I’ve left behind me at home. Arriving during the day you’re greeted by birds chirping, sun shining, and trees older then the house itself. Arriving at night you’re greeted by the sounds of crickets, a few bugs, a frog or two, and if you’re lucky a deer. You feel the warmness of the home immediately. You walk in and immediately get a welcoming feeling. In front of you is a wood-burning fireplace, to the left is the master bedroom and bath, upstairs are two more bedrooms and a bathroom, and to your right is the kitchen. A mixture of vintage and antique touches combined with everyday items keeps it from being just one specific theme. I put my bags down and open the sliding glass door off the kitchen to step out onto the screened in porch and take a deep breath. To me there is nothing like the smell of the forest combined with the sound of the train passing by that is just loud enough to put me at ease. A lot of people find the closeness of the train to be unsettling to me it brings a smile. Instead of sleeping late I find myself waking up early to the perfect amount of light that streams through the windows shadowing all the trees on It’s one place I never want to waste time sleeping. After a morning cup of coffee there’s plenty of great restaurant choices. One of my favorites places to go for breakfast is Marilyn's. Marilyn’s restaurant is on red arrow highway and less then 10 minutes from the house, you’ll notice it by the sign with the big red lips smacked over the name. Depending on what the weather is you’ll usually see Marilyn herself sitting in front of the restaurant drinking coffee and chain-smoking what appears to be Virginia slims. Her lips are as red as the sign and she greats you with an exhale and a hello. Inside the décor is simple yet unique. The tables and chairs are all black wood and there’s small bakery section in the back. Lined across the walls like a border are pictures of her customers enjoying the locally grown freshly made food. Which I always thought was a bold and great idea. You see all the happy faces cheeks full or ready to take a bite and you want whatever they’re eating that seems to be making them so happy. After her cigarette Marilyn usually makes her rounds to the tables in the restaurant to say hello and give you a moment to brag about the delicious food. Up close you get a moment for a better look at Marilyn herself. She has a face that appears to have been through a lot whether that be years of possible drug use, a three pack a day smoking habit, or even the possibility of a surgically enhanced change. You can’t help but create your own backstory to Marilyn’s life. Every time I go there I come up with another one. My favorite and I think most attainable is the one where she was a regular at studio 54 and did mountains of blow with Andy Warhol. Which would explain a lot about her now. She would be a VIP guest and never had to pay for her drinks or drugs, which is why there was no need to ever create a limit of any sort. No matter what elaborate tail you create in your head it never outshines Marilyn’s friendly demeanor and hospitality. Last time I was there she asked me about my tattoos and spoke of her daughter who now has five. As I watch her ruby red lips cracked and creased with age and nicotine speak of her daughter all I can think is that she was conceived on a couch in the VIP section on a slow Thursday night
Ten miles down the road from Marilyn’s you are back in Indiana in a city ironically named Michigan City. There you can find everything one could ask for from a horse ranch to a CVS and grocery store, to the outlet mall with the nuclear power plant serenely placed in the background.
“Come shop for name brands with discount prices, just don’t drink the water if you have a fear of possible fishes with three eyes.” About 15 miles west you’ll find tons of galleries, restaurants, and farmland. Six miles to the north is lake Michigan which you’ve never seen look so clean or beautiful and if you close your eyes and listen to the waves rolling into the shore you can trick yourself into thinking it’s the ocean.