Sarah's Final Thoughts

           This class and this assignment have made me think a lot about my relationship with nature.  I don’t think my attitudes about nature have changed, per se, but I do feel like I learned a lot.  I found that a lot of the things we discussed in this class were related to the topics I learned about in SCI 225, another class I took last semester at GVSU.  SCI 225 is a class for pre-service elementary and special ed. teachers, and it focuses upon biology and geology in terms of climate change and the environment.  I found that it was helpful completing that class before taking this class because I was more aware of the topics we discussed.  Having the background knowledge of the environmental issues allowed me to focus less on “facts” and more on my own personal relationship with nature.  I have always felt a deep appreciation for nature; being in the natural world, especially near water, is always a calming experience for me.  It makes me realize how small I am in this huge, intricate world.

            As for the work involved in this class, I think that I have definitely expanded my skills, especially with research techniques.  This class has been good practice for me, in terms of learning how to find scholarly sources to support my projects and papers.  I feel that I have always been a relatively strong writer, but even strong writers need to learn how to back up their arguments and opinions with concrete evidence and support from other scholars.  This class has also definitely helped me become more creative with my assignment titles!  I know that Dr. Triezenberg loves lengthy, creative, and descriptive titles, so this was good practice for me!  It may seem like a minor thing, but I think that compelling titles are actually an extremely important part of good, strong writing.

            The whole blogging experience itself has been extremely interesting.  I have never kept a blog before, so this was a new experience for me.  I was not really sure what to expect when I started this blog.  I found that the most challenging part of this assignment was feeling comfortable writing in the first person—usually, this is a big no-no in college-level English classes.  It felt a little bit unnatural and awkward at first, probably just because I am not used to doing it.  When I write in the first person, I often feel that my writing sounds unprofessional or even unintelligent.  I feel that this blogging assignment has helped me become a bit more confident in my own writing.  It can be daunting to put one’s personal thoughts and feelings and experiences out on the Internet for anyone to see, but this assignment definitely helped me get over that fear.

            Overall, I thought this blogging assignment was pretty beneficial.  I will admit, there were some weeks when I was loaded down with other homework and had absolutely no desire to write a new blog post, but I think that, ultimately, I enjoyed writing down my thoughts.  It offered me a new way to express what I was thinking and feeling.  I am not sure if I will continue blogging in the future, but I am considering it.  I am going on a study abroad trip to the Netherlands this spring, and I think that blogging about those experiences could be a fun way to share my trip with my family and friends!

Sarah in a Hammock

           In my very first blog post, I mentioned how much I like to read in my hammock.  I would say that this is one of my favorite summer activities.  This activity is great because it combines two of my favorite things: reading and being outside.

Reading Harry Potter and eating Fish Mix in my hammock

            I started enjoying hammocking by accident.  For Christmas a couple of years ago, one of my uncles gave me a very generous gift card to an outdoor sporting supply store called Earth’s Edge in Grand Haven.  Earth’s Edge is a store for hikers, campers, kayak enthusiasts, and basically anyone who enjoys being active outdoors.  I am not a frequent visitor of Earth’s Edge (the merchandise can be a bit expensive), but my uncle is a bit of a hippie, so I can understand why he got me a gift card to this particular store.  I did not use the gift card for months because I had no idea what I wanted to buy.  Then, on a very rare sunny day in March, my best friend Suzie wanted to show me the hammock her boyfriend had given her.  It was a compact, foldable nylon hammock that could be put up and taken down in less than a minute.  I was instantly intrigued.  After spending the morning lying in the hammock, I decided that I would use the gift card to buy one of my own.

Suzie being goofy and hanging upside-down in her hammock

            Earth’s Edge had a very nice selection of Grand Trunk hammocks.  I had done some research online, and many people seemed to recommend this brand or the brand ENO (which was the type of hammock Suzie had).  I picked out an awesome white two-person hammock with a bright, colorful Hawaiian flower pattern on it.  I also purchased some extra long tree straps so that I could hang it up around wider trees. 

I can honestly say that this was one of the best purchases I have ever made.  I use my hammock all the time, especially during the summer.  I have taken it with me on trips up north to my grandparents’ cottage and down south to Florida.  Everywhere I go, people always want to try it out.  In fact, after I bought my hammock, I had countless friends and relatives go out and purchase their own.  I even helped one of my professors at Grand Valley pick out a hammock for her grandson.  I think it is so worth the investment, especially for someone (like me) who enjoys reading outside.  They are so simple to put up and they are easy to take anywhere.

Hammock selfie!

Sadly, with winter approaching, it is almost time for me to put my hammock away until spring comes again.  It is too cold to read outside in a hammock during Michigan winters (believe me, I have tried!)  I can’t wait until the weather gets warm so I can enjoy my beloved hammock again!

Sarah at the Cottage

           It’s that time of year again where everyone seems to be getting busier and busier!  School assignments are becoming more difficult, the holidays are right around the corner, and it is getting harder to find the proper balance between school, work, and family & friends.  With all of the craziness, it is important to find time to relax, whether that means taking a walk, sitting in a bath, or binge-watching Netflix.  To me, all of these sound like wonderful options.  However, if I truly want to relax, I usually want to retreat to my favorite place in the entire world—my grandparents’ cottage.

My grandparents' cottage, view from the dock.

            People like to say that home is where the heart is.  Well, my heart rests in Ford Lake.  My grandparents’ cottage rests on Ford Lake in the town of Fountain, Michigan, which is a tiny community about halfway in between Ludington and Manistee.  I have been spending countless weekends and vacations at Ford Lake ever since I was a young child.  Many of my favorite childhood memories were created there.  It always brings me such joy to think of all of the fun times I had with my brother and cousin when we were children.  We spent the summers swimming, boating, kayaking, fishing, exploring, and enjoying s’mores around the bon fire.  Life always seemed to be so perfect whenever I was “up north”.

Me, my brother Sam, and my cousin Alex.  Fourth of July 2003.

            Ford Lake is a great place to immerse oneself in nature.  Because it lies in the middle of the Manistee National Forest, nature is everywhere.  Everything is surrounded by trees, and there is so much wildlife—it is completely normal to spot animals like birds, squirrels, possums, deer, and raccoons in the back yard on a daily basis.  Once, when I was about ten or eleven, we even heard news of a black bear and her cubs roaming around about a mile away!  This is part of the reason why I love the cottage so much.  It is nice to get away from suburban and city life and become connected to nature again.

The middle of Ford Lake

            Unfortunately, as I have gotten older, I have not been able to spend as much time at Ford Lake as I would like.  As a child, I would spend every other weekend there in the summer, in addition to two entire weeks during the month of July.  Now, with school and work responsibilities, this would be impossible.  This means that the time I spend there now is even more precious.  I have not been able to go up north since school started this year, but I hope I will get to soon.  Ford Lake in the fall is absolutely breathtaking—the crisp blue water surrounded by red and gold trees is always a sight fit for a postcard.  I think it would be good for me to de-stress and to immerse myself in the beauty of nature.  Maybe a trip to Ford Lake is just what I need to re-charge myself for the second half of this semester!

Sarah on a Walk

          All day, I have been thinking about what to write about for this week’s blog post.  My mind kept coming up blank.  If I am being completely honest, I have not been outside very much this week.  It’s that time of year when school is becoming more demanding and assignment deadlines are fast-approaching, hence the reason why I have spent most of my week indoors with my face buried in textbooks.  However, this afternoon, just like most Fridays, I had to babysit the 3-year-old daughter of family friends.  This little girl, who I will refer to as G, absolutely loves being outside.  She could spend hours simply walking around her yard, playing with her dog in the grass, and swinging in her beloved Little Tikes tree swing.  So, naturally, when I got to her house today, she immediately wanted to go outside.  She decided she wanted to take a walk down the street to a little bridge so she could try to look for ducks in the water.  We bundled up in our coats and, with her little hand in mine, we started off down the sidewalk.  As always, within ten seconds, we were stopping every couple of steps so G could collect whatever she found on the ground.  This happens every time we go on a walk—she spends most of the time stooped low, picking up things like sticks, leaves, and acorns to show her mommy and daddy when they get home.  After ten minutes, we had only made it about one block, and the pockets of our jackets were filled with little pieces of nature she had collected.  At this point, she forgot about the ducks and decided she wanted to return home to play on her swing.  So, we walked back (traveling much faster because we were no longer collecting twigs and pebbles) and I pushed her in her swing for the better part of an hour. 

Eventually she became hungry and tired, so we went inside to snack on grapes and graham cracker bites shaped like Minions.  I was in the kitchen rinsing the grapes in the sink when I felt little arms wrap around my leg.  I looked down at G, who looked back up at me and said “I love you” as she handed me these two leaves:

G's Leaves 10/9/15

She told me she wanted me to keep one and bring the other one home to my brother Sam.  My heart melted.  I may be a little biased (okay, I totally am), but G is the sweetest little kid in the whole world.  What other three-year-old is as thoughtful as she is?  I picked her up and gave her a big hug, then put the leaves by my purse on the counter to keep them safe until I got home.  I gave one leaf to my brother who, not surprisingly, was less sentimental about the situation than I was.  I, however, pinned my leaf up on my bulletin board for safekeeping.  Every time I look at that leaf, I will be reminded of the adorable little redhead who gave it to me and of the wonderful day we spent together.

Sarah on Vacation

           This week in class, we have talked a lot about water.  As I mentioned in my blog post from last week, water has always been a huge part of my life.  Living near Lake Michigan my whole life has been absolutely incredible and I am grateful to call West Michigan my home.  However, while the big lake offers a refreshing place to swim in the summer, it also brings something else: lake effect snow in the winter.  Now, don’t get me wrong—I love living in a place that allows me to experience all four seasons.  I really do enjoy the snow, but I don’t like how it lasts from November to April every year.  Usually in February or March, the weather starts causing my patience to wear thin.  I get tired of bundling up in four layers just to go out and get the mail.  I get annoyed at the fact that the driveway must be shoveled at least once a day if I don’t want my car to get stuck.  The anxiety of having to drive on icy roads every day gets exhausting.  This is why spring break is such a blessing; it means that I get to go to warm, sunny Florida with my family.

            The west coast of Florida is one of my favorite places in the world.  Ever since I was a little girl, it has been a favorite vacation destination for my family and me.  Since my brother Sam and I have started going to college, though, it has been very difficult to find time to take a week-long vacation as a family.  Everyone has different schedules and responsibilities.  This past spring, however, Sam and I lucked out—for the first time in four years, both of our colleges had the same spring break schedule!  As soon as we discovered that, we immediately made plans to go to Florida for a week with my mom and her boyfriend.  For months, I anxiously awaited the day where I would get to hop on a plane and fly south to warm weather.  I was so excited to go back to the place where my family had vacationed so many times before! 

From front to back: my mom Chris, my brother Sam, and mom's boyfriend John.  Enjoying Florida!

The first thing I always notice whenever I step off the plane in Florida is how the air smells different.  In Michigan, during the winter, the air is completely unscented—the freezing temperatures and lack of anything growing makes the air dry and dull.  After months of experiencing that, Florida always smells like heaven.  The air smells like salt water and vegetation, and it actually has moisture in it.  In addition, my eyes are always shocked to see so much greenery.  The sight of palm trees and flowers and green grass always overwhelms me with happiness.  Even being able to hear insects and birds makes my heart flutter, after so many months of snow-packed silence.  It’s amazing—it’s almost like you forget that things can actually be alive!

            My favorite part of my vacations to Florida is getting to swim in the Gulf of Mexico.  Swimming in Lake Michigan is great too, but it is a completely different experience swimming in salt water.  I love the smell of the salt on my skin, mixed with sand and sunscreen.  I love getting to observe the different types of wildlife, from hermit crabs to pelicans to dolphins.  It always seems like I am in a completely different world.  I always feel like it rejuvenates my soul, after being in the cold for so long.

Embracing the sun

The Gulf of Mexico

            My brother transferred to Grand Valley this year, which means for the second year in a row, we will have the same spring break week.  As you may have guessed, we are already planning our trip!