Epic Summer 2019
Part 1 - June
Get on the plane, get on the plane – my mantra. After a brutal spring semester of learning and teaching Prehistoric Art to Early Renaissance, two other lectures, and Poetry and Painting at Donovan State Prison, I was a complete mess. Add on an unexpected death of a soulmate and know that I was broken.
I got on the plane.
First stop Boston, MA where my mother was waiting for me as she recovered from her second major operation in six months. The plan was to get to Maine, to the island, to recuperate – however she wasn’t up for it. We sat in the cold and the rain in Boston and tried to be cheery. Not quite the epic start to my three-month adventure – but honestly breathing was an accomplishment for me at this time.
We finally made it north to open the house. The courts weren’t up and it was too cold to swim; the island was quiet. I slept a lot and tried to be still and to regain some sense sanity. We stayed a week. We played a lot of scrabble, talked about what we would do to the house, and then we both headed back to Boston.
Another day, another adventure, Michigan. I had a complete meltdown on the way to the airport and questioned if I should even go, I was too sad and didn’t want to be a downer. My mother told me to trust my friends – so I got on the plane. The fun began at Detroit National Airport where I landed for the annual T-5, now T-8, summit at Walloon Lake, Michigan. I had a two hour wait until a fellow TrinTrin pal landed and our hostess came to retrieve us – just enough time to slam down all the wine at the airport bar. I was a party unto myself and continued to hydrate with more wine at our stopover house where I vaguely remember a Bruins game, yes, I was a dream house guest. At 6am I forced myself up and crawled into a vehicle, which was larger than my studio, for our journey north. That effort exhausted me so I slept for the first hour. When I woke, I immediately began praying that I would not die from a hangover as I simultaneously willed myself not to throw-up for the next 3 hours. Jeanine and Donna wisely ignored me in the backseat.
Three diet Pepsi’s, a box of red vines and a bag of Ruffles later, we arrived at Walloon Lake – honestly, I am not sure where it is and I don’t think I could find it on a map, but it is a piece of paradise in northern Michigan. This was a reunion of eight great female college friends including a kickass hostess, two boats, a lake, nature, and a house the size of a Marriott Marquis, what was not to love! Jeanine dropped us off and went to retrieve the other 5 who dared the blue skies in a puddle jumper; I power napped and vowed never to drink again which lasted a good three hours until the mini greyhound SUV pulled into the driveway and the real party began.
It was magic. The moment we all came together, the second we were all in one space, the stars aligned and the universe lit up. For six days we laughed, we sang and danced, we walked, ran, boated and floated, we ate, we drank. Those whose drink choice was LaCroix sparking waters were our “historians” in charge of remembering events; they were also in charge of driving the minibus when the weather didn’t allow us to motorboat to the club for dinner. Our days and nights were filled with music. DJJ had the perfect playlist and we were the envy of all the other boats on the lake – no doubt they thought we were the Go-Go’s reunited or at the very least Bruce Springsteen’s backup singers. We rocked it.
My heart was shattered going into this week. My friends gave me the gifts of laughter and love and my heart grew and I will forever be grateful. Next stop Europe!
