North Island

Allie The warm June air flows in through open French balcony doors of my new modest cottage home on Beaver Island, Michigan. Home to 600 people year around. It’s the hidden gem of the upper peninsula. I traded my fast paced lifestyle for a place where cell service is sparse. The mixture of fresh air and paint fumes fill my nostrils. The home was in need of paint and a few updates. Nothing I couldn’t do myself. Asher, my husky, prances into the living room from his afternoon nap. I lay my paint roller down in the paint tray and grab Asher’s leash. “Wanna go for a walk, boy?” Asher barks and twirls excitedly ready to go. I slip on my white Birkenstocks and head out the door. The island is small, 13 miles long to be exact. I head towards town, the only town I should add. While it may be “tourist season”, it isn’t a popular destination, so tourist are few and far between unlike other places in Michigan. I moved here from the Midwest. There was nothing left back in my hometown for me, except a controlling ex boyfriend and a miserable job. While I love my family, they encouraged me to do what made me happy and assured we’d take turns visiting each other often. Reaching town, it was full people, natives and tourist. I had only been into town to go to the glorified convenience store and small hardware store. Taking in the view of a few restaurants, pubs, bed & breakfast, rental places, marina, ice cream place, gift shops, and a few other small amenities. It was a charming town. A banner hung promoting a town barbecue festival in the coming weeks. The town sat right on the northern shore of the island overlooking the sparkling blue water from the sun. You could hear the sounds of the soft waves hitting the sand. A female voice interrupted my sight seeing. “Oh my gosh, you’re dog is beautiful. Can I pet him?” She asked as she was already reaching the back of her hand out for a sniff. “Thank you, of course.” I gave the female my age a polite smile. “Are you visiting the island?” She looked up as she scratched behind Asher’s ears, earning her a slobbery kiss on the cheek. “Actually, just moved here a week ago.” “Oh!! Are you liking it?” “Yeah, this place is amazing. I moved to one of the cottages right outside of town.” “I’ve been here my whole life. I couldn’t imagine leaving. My parents own the ice cream parlor and I like to help out on the weekends.” She stood up and I noticed the stains on her white v-neck. She holds out her hand to me “I’m Kylie” “Allie” I shake her hand. “Well welcome! I don’t have many friends on the island, but I’d love to hangout sometime.” “That would be awesome, it’s probably not healthy for me to talk to only my dog all the time.” We laugh at my own judgement. We quickly exchange numbers in each others phones and say our goodbyes. By the time we make it back to the house the sun is setting and Asher received many compliments and pets from strangers. I met a few more people. Everyone was very kind. On our way to the house I let Asher run into the lake to cool off and play as I walked along the shoreline. The water is crystal clear. It sparked excitement that over the summer I wanted to kayak & paddle board. I had both in my garage and they hadn’t been used a couple summer due to my ex not enjoying those types of activities. After unpacking a few more boxes and finishing the living room walls, a deep sleep found me. 1 week later Finally after a long week of painting, renovations, more walks with Asher’s and unpacking the rest of my boxes, the house felt more like home. My minimalistic boho taste made it feel cozy. I finally was ready to move on to the next part of my journey, finding a job. Sitting in my screened in back porch in an Adirondack chair while Asher laid at my feet, I scrolled through local jobs on the island. There was very little, but one caught my eye. Administrator for the Emerald Airways, one of the airports on the island. I quickly submitted an application by email along with my resume. My old job was accounting and administrative work, so I felt qualified enough. The work itself I enjoyed, but the workplace was toxic. Pretty sure a stranger could feel the tension when stepping into my old office. That life is gone, I’ve never felt more free than I do now. Not tied down to a job or a controlling boyfriend. Not letting someone make my decisions, or criticize the things I do. I could never get away from it. Now all I feel is peace.