Finally the main event for my trip back to the US was approaching, a wedding celebration for a great friend, with whom I spent my University years living with while at the University of Michigan.
As both he and his wife are originally from the great state of Michigan and both attended the University of Michigan, it was only fitting that they selected a beautiful site for their nuptials in their home state. The site was a spacious lake house along Lake Michigan in Mackinaw City, just a mere 3-minute drive from the Mackinac Bridge. (Aside: It’s the 3rd largest suspension bridge in the world. Plus, check out the story on the car that was blown off the bridge by wind in 1989 – hopefully, others will think twice about driving imports in Michigan.)
Anyhow, a quick 4 hour drive north up Interstate-75 and we were at our destination for the weekend. A house for the bridal party to share right on the shores of Lake Michigan (By the way - for those of you keeping score at home - the 4th largest freshwater lake in the world.)
Entering the Upper Peninsula (U.P.) via the Mackinac Bridge
Memorabilia from a small museum on the Bridge [St. Ignace (UP)]
Cruising into town on Thursday before the Saturday nuptials, allowed us all to spend some much-needed time enjoying everyone’s company after spending the past 4 years with varying levels of contact with one another. As time will do to any close friends and/or family, we had all come a long way since the days of living together in our beautiful college town. The past four years have seen us move (among other destinations) to Washington DC, Colorado, Seattle, Wichita, Norfolk, San Francisco, and now I find myself in Guatemala. However, despite the distances, we’ve all managed to keep in touch over the years and even at times when not everyone could be present, we’ve had our fair share of get-togethers, which have meant the world to me. Trips back to Ann Arbor for a football game, trips up to northern Michigan for an annual canoe trip, a trip out to San Francisco to explore the west coast, and even get-togethers in Washington DC – good friends will always find a way to share time, no matter the distance travelled.
It's not the U.P. if there aren't pasties
And in the name of that mantra, many gathered from far and wide to share this special wedding weekend together. All focused on the soon-to-be-wed couple, the excitement in the air was undeniable and without a doubt the weekend’s events culminated with one of the best weddings I have ever attended. Coupled with the indulgence in the surrounding northern Michigan beauty and feeling at home with best friends, I could not have asked for a better way to round out my trip back home to the US.
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