Enter, Winter!!

We got snow + why coming home feels so good

I returned home this weekend after a month of traveling to a foot of snow and it feels like I was gone a lot longer than a month.

When I left it was still autumn. The last leaves hadn’t hit the ground yet, and it was still crisp and sunny and slip on shoe weather. In Germany, there were a few stand out warm and beautiful days— sitting on the a bench by the Elba in the sun without a jacket on I wondered out loud if this was the last beautiful day of the season.

Coming home it feels like I’ve jumped directly to winter without any of the slow build up.

For me, there was no ice on the lakes and in the shadows by the rivers. No first flurries or spitting sleet. I missed a month and returned to winter. A snowy winter too, with over a foot on the ground and more in the forecast, already far more snow than we had this time last year.

Being home :)

Before moving to Northern Wisconsin, I hadn’t lived in any one place for longer than six months for nearly five years, moving to follow seasonal work and struggling to find a place that truly felt like home.

We’ve been here for about a year now and coming home this week was the first time I’ve really felt like I’m coming home to my home since I was a kid. Somewhere in the last year we went from bare walls and a too-large house to a fridge covered in magnets from our travels and friends, nautical charts and paintings on the walls, diligently cared-for plants, clothes drying on the drying rack. The house feels cozy and lived-in and like ours.

First thing home for the long weekend, Andy and I pulled the futon mattress from upstairs down into the living room and made a little fort to rewatch Stranger Things and start the new season.

Things I’ve been up to lately…

Honestly not that much. I got back from Berlin and the past week has mostly been time with friends and family, work and then taking some time to reset at home after being gone for so long. I’ve been wrapping up a lot of my knitting projects and planning out some new ones, meal planning and hanging out.

I’ll have something more substantive for you next week — along with the live links for 2026 women’s Apostle Islands sea kayaking trips (these will be shorter and a little more “wildernessy” than last year, but more on that next week)!

In the meantime, here are some good links:

• We’ve got just four spots left on the Women’s Campfire, Knit & XC Ski Weekend Jan 16-18th! (Max group size is 12)

• If you’re looking for a fun wintery destination in Michigan, check out Frankfort, just south of the Sleeping Bear Dunes! I visited at the end of March last year and just got around to creating a quick guide on things to do in Frankfort.

• This year I’m going 50/50 on buying versus making gifts for people. If you’re coming up empty on what to buy for the hiker in your life, check out 39 gift ideas for hikers, sorted by price

• I’m (slowly and painstakingly) reviving my Facebook page as a way for folks to find articles and midwest adventure inspiration more easily. Feel free to check it out if you like to get your Midwest adventure ideas delivered to your eyeballs that way!