Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Island Reflections

So October 28, 2010 was my last day on the island. Therefore I know this blog is a little late and behind the times, but I decided I needed to write again, even if "Life on the Island" isn't a completely accurate title for where I am in my life now.

The last two months on the island flew by. I spent as much time as I could with the friends I had made there, knowing that it would all be over soon. Unfortunately, October was a rough month in terms of wanting to leave the island and being ready to go back home. I tried my hardest not to wish my time away, though. But eventually it did come to an end.

October 4-6 my mom, Kara, and Vickie came out to the island for one last visit. We had a great time! I was able to show them so many cool places we didn't get to go see the last times each of them visited. We made it out to Sunset Rock at sunset one night (by running to get there!) and what an experience it was! The sun sinks fast when you're watching it sink into the horizon. But it was beautiful and we got a ton of great pictures. That place continues to be one of my favorite spots on the island. After the sun set, we took the long way back to the hotel by heading up to Fort Holmes, the highest point on the island, and trying to wait for the stars up there, since it gets PITCH BLACK and is superb for stargazing. But we were a little early and there was still light in the sky so we couldn't see too many stars. However, it got darker and darker as we walked back down from the Fort and so I remembered one more spot I have discovered that I wanted to show them. The four of us walked down a little path out to an overlook. I had my mom close her eyes and led her out to the edge of the cliff and when I told her to open them, it was pitch black as we looked over the lights of downtown from the side of Fort Mackinac behind Marquette Park. Let me just tell you, this view was breathtaking and everyone just stood in awe of the island's beauty. Those were just a few of the highlights of my last vistor's trip to the island, but it was a good one.

Thinking back now, I decided I have so many good memories and moments from the island, most of which I shared with you on this blog. But my all time favorite experience happened on August 12th. After hearing that my two policeman friends were up at Fort Holmes looking for a meteor shower, my roommates and I decided to head up there close to midnight. We made it up there after a semi-scary walk through the woods and found a nice spot on top of the entrance to the fort. Laying there for a couple of hours, laughing and talking and listening to other people who had made the hike up to the fort as well, my roommate counted 35 shooting stars. It was truly an incredible experience hearing everyone's ooh's and aah's and looking for the next big streak across the sky. Awesome. A perfect summer night experience on the island.

Well, I guess that's all from the island. I'm back home now. And it's good but different. I miss the island sometimes. I miss my walk to work, looking at the changing color of the leaves, hearing the cannon blast and taps being played at 10pm EVERY NIGHT. I'm imagining what it looks like covered in snow. I want to go back and experience it for real. Soon. :)

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