Day 188

Such a beautiful place...to be among friends.

I was very fortunate to have the opportunity, no, the pleasure of visiting the west coast. The west coast of Michigan that is.

Today's photograph is from downtown Grand Rapids. I love how the river winded through the cityscape and the bridges were really cool. It is a great place, I enjoyed it a lot. It had a big city feel without all of the hassles that a big city has. Everyone seemed more friendly and happier. Seriously, I think the sun shines brighter there; probably because they have a lot of reflective-glass windows on their buildings. Which made for great effects.

I spent most of my weekend with my friend Cheryl, who is nothing less than an incredible person. Now, I am not just saying that because I am biased, but who dedicates a majority of their time to volunteer on a weekly basis, trained for months to run a marathon to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, raising almost $2,400 for that foundation, works, is a full-time student focusing on a degree in Public and Non-Profit Administration AND will be spending 10 months helping the less fortunate through AmeriCorps? An inspirational and truly dedicated person, that is who.

Spending time with friends is always an enjoyable time, especially when they take you to places that you have never been. In my case, Grand Rapids and Grand Haven, Michigan.

I have seen many "Pure Michigan" advertisements and never fully understood the meaning of them until I visited the west coast. If I could describe what I saw in one word, it would be "pure." I felt so relaxed and impressed with the beauty that Michigan holds. I have lived in "The Mitten" for a majority of my life and am upset with the fact that I have not traveled around this great state more. I have been to several places around the globe, and while they were all amazing, I really think that seeing the hidden beauty that my homestate holds, has a greater meaning. There is something poetic about it and since I am no Robert Frost, I cannot put it into a poetic form. It is a sense of pride for where I live. A sense of hope. A sense of purity. Michigan gains a poor reputation for its larger cities, but when I see the shore of Lake Michigan fading out into the sky, I am in absolute awe of its artistry and delicacy. Thank you Cheryl for showing me all of that!

I hope you don't mind that I put down in words. How wonderful life is, while you're in the world.

Kimmik