Humans Weren’t Designed to Live in a Concrete Jungle
Pretty soon, I’ll be taking another slow ride upcountry.
We bought land in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan during the past two years. I refer to it as our COVID project. I spent about a year researching best places to live due to climate change in hopes of zeroing in on the new prime properties of the future.
The Upper Peninsula was named over and over again as a place of high potential.
So eventually, we piled into our car and drove six hours north from our home to investigate. Straight north through the middle of lower Michigan, across the Mackinac Bridge, and further yet to the town of Sault Ste. Marie which sits on the Canadian border.
It was a fun trip. The farther north we went, the fewer people we saw. We liked that — a lot.
I had selected a realtor, sight unseen. She turned out to be a fantastic choice. I also had selected a handful of properties to explore. That was great fun! We loved getting off the beaten track, surrounded by miles of woods. Before we knew it, we’d purchased two beautiful lots, side by side, that we could call our own.
That was last year.
This year, we hope to spend a lot more time up north around Lake Superior. The Upper Peninsula is surrounded by water with Lake Superior to the north, Lake Michigan to the west, and Lake Huron to the east. All that fresh water makes the region one of the most blessed in the world. In fact, 20% of the entire world’s fresh water is located in the Great Lakes.
Think about THAT for a minute.
So, we’re headed that way soon on a slow, scenic drive along Lake Michigan before crossing the Mackinac Bridge again. When I say slow, I mean under 200 miles a day, hugging the coastline until we get to Traverse City. No plans. Taking it one day at a time. If we feel like stopping the car and lingering in an area, we will.
It’s that simple.
No crowds. No live entertainment. No schedules. No timeline. Just Mother Nature and us wiling away the day.
We always take camp chairs in the trunk of the car, drive to our land, and then spend the day clearing the driveway of saplings, watching the wild turkeys, listening to the birds, admiring the lichen, and just being. No need for conversation. No need for noise. Quietly sinking into the natural surroundings.
We have a long history of immersing ourselves in natural surroundings and communing with nature.
If you’re looking to restore your peace of mind, rid yourself of anxiety, forget your troubles for a while, and reconnect with nature, I highly recommend getting out of town and taking a slow ride north.
Humans weren’t designed to live in a concrete jungle.
Teresa Roberts is a retired educator, author, world traveler, and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.
