Whitehall, Michigan. A place where my instincts and emotions run deep. My roots are here. A town where my grandfather grew up…and then my dad, aunts and uncles…and now me. My family has a cottage up there on Lake Michigan which we visit several times in the summer. Growing up there we do a lot of different water activities—sailing, diving, surfing and swimming. Often times the water is frigid, but no problem. We challenge each other to run right into the bitter cold waves which knock the wind out of us and take away your breath for a second or two. I LOVE it!
Anyway…we went up there early June for my first visit this year. The weather was pretty gloomy when we arrived…but within hours it was sunny and calm. The waves were not quite big enough to surf…darn. That is my favorite sport in life—surfing. I started surfing on the Lake when I was 9 years old. The best days to surf are in early August when there are storms and offshore winds. The waves are always choppy then and decently-sized…that means surf-able. Yay!
We spend countless hours there lying on surfboards waiting for the perfect wave to send us in. Day becomes night quickly and we either surf some more or hang on the beach talking to cousins while the stars come out. Whitehall, Michigan a perfect place to be for a kid of any age. For me, it’s like a glass of water. You need it to survive and live.
By making our annual trek to Whitehall I have learned I love water, water sports, family, community and summer. I have decided to become an underwater photographer because of what I have experienced there. I love peering into the waves and seeing what lies beneath. I hope to someday be able to show people what oceans and lakes are really like and why we need to take care of them. I think the water teaches us about life and we can learn to respect nature and those in it. Water is refreshing, exciting, calm and happy. A great world to live in!
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