"Where we love is home - home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts." Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

"I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself." Maya Angelou

Last week, the girls and I were invited to tag along with my husband on a work trip. It was to a place that offers up a landscape and breathtaking scenery of the likes that I have never seen before. This space is located in the general area where the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan meet up, and two of the great lakes co-mingle. One of my dearest friends has spent almost every summer of her life in this vicinity, and her eyes sparkle and dance when she talks of summer days lived in such a place. Now I understand, if only a little.

As a girl who grew up in South Florida, I relate a bit more to the Maya Angelou quote over that of Mr. Holmes. This tropical coast that I called home for much of my childhood is a bit of a transient region, and there are few that have deep family roots there. For almost 26 years, I have lived in a medium sized southern city, but I am not a southerner. That became quite clear to me when I landed in my college freshman dorm and began to navigate a new and strange to me culture and code. My family did travel to the mountains of North Carolina most summers of my youth, and that landscape and beauty still has a special piece of my heart. But there is no one place that claims the whole of me.

Our family has had opportunity to travel and visit a great number of places across our country. Each one captures my imagination in its very own way. I wonder what it would be like to live in this area? Summer seems great, but what about the winters? Could I make connections here and settle down? What would daily life contain in this specific space? What would I miss if I left another place behind?

So, this week, I wonder aloud and secretly about this beautiful spot. With searing heat and soaring humidity back in my current hometown, the mild temperatures and gentle breezes of this place are so inviting. I'd love to share a bit of this beauty with you.

A view of the bridge that connects the lower and upper Michigan peninsulas.

Arch rock with a view of the amazing colors of both lake and sky

Bicycles are a most common mode of transportation all throughout this region. One morning, despite intermittent showers, I took off and around the island. It was so peaceful, so serene, so stunning in its very own way.

Great lakes style "rock castles" so very interesting and different from the sand castles I know.

Amazingly clear and "see straight to the bottom" water. I love this view of the rocks beneath the surface. — Amazingly clear and "see straight to the bottom" water. I love this view of the rocks beneath the surface.

As we moved to another location, the beauty and new experiences continue to delight and charm. The sun comes shining right into my bedroom very early and just as the sun rises in the east. I peak out the window and this take your breath away beauty is just across the bay. A beautiful painting just outside the door.

Early morning and late evening are our favorite times to practice newfound gentle and peace filled experiences. The water is placid and invites us to come out and see the beauty all around.

A few more of our children will show up to this beautiful place in the next day or so. That always makes any place feel a little more like home. I understand why my friend sometimes longs for this particular place and the allure and grace it offers to her soul. I feel more of a kinship with Maya Angelou and in the days and years ahead I too wish to be at home wherever I find myself.

How about you? Which of the beginning quotes most resonates with your heart and soul? Is there one particular place that feels more like home than anywhere else? I would love to hear from you.