on learning home

I first moved to Marquette in 2013. Nervous, anxious, ready for college while simultaneously being completely not ready… my dad says, “It’s a gift to feel scared. You only get to feel this a handful of times in your life.”

This holds true.

Marquette taught me many things - it taught me the definition of a home, the humble nature of feeling small in a forest, that all dark winters have beautiful springs, and the ever important art of how to love the little things. It taught me friendship, community, and togetherness.

Marquette brought me my closest friends. It blossomed my art. Taught me that anyone can be proud of you, not just family.

Marquette brought me love. And heartbreak. And opened the door on how to fall in love with your best friends.

Prior to high school, I had already moved twenty something times.My normal was changing schools and homes many times a year, never becoming a person with a name. Marquette taught me the beauty of stability. After seven years of enjoying the slow and steady nature of my little port town of the north, all in my own time and speed, I taught myself that there’s a time for settling and a time for going.

So we packed up. Left our darling little historic apartment along the ridge and headed to a different part of the north shore: Copper Harbor.

Copper Harbor has always been dear to my heart, but in a way that runs in my blood. Back in the 80s, my dad had many seasons in this little town. Ever since babyhood, he brought me here, too. My dad has been my lifelong best friend, and Copper Harbor has always been our shared special place.

Even with my multitude of visits, I didn’t know Copper Harbor like he knew Copper Harbor until this very summer. It’s put a lot of my own expectations upside down but in a way that is very beautiful and mystifying.

I thought I understood the art of small towns, as Chelsea (my high school town), and Marquette both are considered “small.” What Copper Harbor has that those two don’t is a braided community of locals. No cell signal. Hardly any internet… to be honest, smoke signals and carrier pigeons work better than text messages or video chats.

Your word is stronger than anything because there won’t be an easy way to confirm the details of a plan later… so if you last talked about 6pm on a Sunday, even if it -was- days before, well, you better be there.