Whew. Y’all. I’ve been meaning to write a post for several weeks. And here I am!

John recently had an opera gig up in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and we turned it into a family affair. Imagine the northernmost part of Michigan, then go more north than that. (It turns out the “mitten” doesn’t include a big chunk of the state.) Since we’d be gone for almost three weeks, we drove and took our only pup, Benny, whom Ramón and I adopted in 2014.

For most of my adult life, vacations have felt chaotic. The lead-up is stressful as I tornado my way through my to-do list. This frenetic energy makes it especially difficult for me to enter Vacation Mode when we get where we’re going. If I’m lucky, I can finally relax after a few days there—just in time to start preparing for the trip home. This was different, though, because we relocated our entire life for a few weeks.

As we settled into our home away from home, one thing became clear: I have been pushing through for far too long. By that, I mean I have been “rallying” for … oh, I don’t know … the better part of eight years? For example, I wake up before sunrise to get a head start on the day (whatever that means); I exercise when my body is telling me to rest; I say yes to things and tell myself I’ll try to squeeze in a nap later.

The sweet, sleepy town of Sault Ste. Marie was the antithesis of Hustle Culture and, LORD, was it refreshing. It was like I’d hopped in a time machine to the days before online shopping. I didn’t see any Amazon trucks, nor did I see cardboard boxes overflowing from recycling bins. I traveled to an era before people were carefully designing their lives to look good on social media. I’ve never been especially concerned with “Keeping up with the Joneseseseses,” but this trip made me realize that, even if I don’t participate, it can be draining to watch.

One day in Michigan, as I leisurely worked on a crossword puzzle, I stumbled upon this clue: Phenomenon through which luxuries become necessities. The answer? LIFESTYLE CREEP. I hadn’t heard the term before, but it’s the idea that, as your income increases, so do your needs. Although I’m proud to be an Atlantan, the folks here keep on creepin’ on. And even if I don’t personally subscribe to it, I can’t fully extricate myself from it. However, the time away helped clarify my priorities and made me reflect on ways to further opt out of Hustle Culture. Change is coming!

I’ll end by sharing a special moment from our trip. One of John’s performances of i Pagliacci was on Mackinac Island—a carless place that’s only accessible by ferry. Ramón occasionally talked about how he wanted to take his parents there some day, so Mackinac has been on my radar for the last decade or so.

On the day of the show, John, Benny, and I boarded the ferry to the island. And as we pulled away from the dock, officially en route to Mackinac, my tears caught me off-guard. Oh, how I longed for Ramón to be on the journey with us—though I’m nearly positive his motion sickness would have been an issue. Through my tears, I told John how happy Ramón would be to see Benny’s ears blowing in the wind. What an adventure we had!

Thank you, Upper Peninsula, for the 60-degree mornings, the simpler lifestyle, and the dose of perspective. I’m bringing slowness back!