My uncle dubbed it 'Marc's Walden' when I first told the family that I'd be spending a good part of my bar prep in our beloved state's 'Up North' region - a nickname synonymous with summers spent on Lake Huron as a child.
I'm not sure if its like Thoreau's sabbatical in New England's lush forests. And can one truly be as disconnected today as we one was during that time, especially given how much the world has changed since the 19th Century? I'm guess its possible; I've traveled to pastures in Eastern Europe where the past is present. And even Thoreau's mother walked to his cabin everyday to bring him lunch.
But none of that has ever been my purpose for trekking this nearly 2000 mile ride through the Great Lake State's northern tier? (And I say trekking lightly given I'll have a car who's corporate CEO is located down state.) Instead, its about exchanging a wooden cubicle on Shaw Lane for beauty that I seldom see in my daily routine. It's also an opportunity to have a brief bout with peace as I study for what will be my toughest academic test to date. And I say academic because the loss of loved ones, the agony of seeing our cities decay and the fear for a less-prospering future all seem a bit more pressing.
Also, never experiencing our beautiful Upper Peninsula has been a dissatisfaction of mine ever since I first crossed the Atlantic at 19. How am I am an ambassador of the Great Lake State if I've never been to its most beautiful pastures? I'm also well aware of hardships that occur there, something leaders often forget for the political gain from visiting these rural areas is hardly beneficial.
I was once a reporter. In many ways I think I always will be. Hopefully this experience will give me a better chance of understanding life so close to my home, but one that has been so far away until now.
