Wanderlust.

People are blessed in a variety of ways. Tonight I was looking through some of my old photos and I realized I have been extremely blessed in the amount of traveling I have been able to do. I have taken trips all over the country, and even to Europe several times. I know some people have traveled a lot more than I have but I also know that a lot of people have never left this home state.

For starters, I have been to Canada more times than I can count. For people from the Detroit area this is no surprise I'm sure. We go there for a trip to a certain store, restaurant or even just to sight-see. We also have been going there a lot lately for highland dance competitions for Jilly! Also, my aunt has a cottage we go to in the summers that is right on Lake Erie in Canada.

This is Nick, Jilly, Charlie and I at the cottage last summer!

Aside from Canada, another place I seem to visit a lot is Northern Michigan! I love this part of the state and could spend every day of my life up there. I have been going to Traverse City every summer since before I could walk, so I don't like to think of myself as a tourist when I am up there. The northern part of Michigan is just so beautiful and all the beaches that span for miles... Love.

Theseare from a beautiful city we stayed at right on Lake Michigan in Goodheart, MI in 2009. 

 

Those photos are from two separate summers but both taken at the Old Mission Lighthouse, just north of Traverse City. I love to hangout there, especially around sunset. 

My cousin Fiona and I building sandcastles in Traverse City - Summer 2011.

Jilly, Nick and I at the Traverse City State Hospital 

(which i featured in an older blog -- Closed for Business.) 

Aside from Northern Michigan, I've taken several trips to one of the most popular "tourist" locations and amusement parks in the Midwest .. Cedar Point!

 I can also say that I have ridden every single ride at Cedar Point, aside from GateKeeper, which WILL happen this summer. I am determined to keep my record up. 

Another location that I have traveled to several times that is somewhat close (at least in the same region  and only about a 5 hour drive is Chicago! Many of the Chicago trips I have taken have been with my high school German classes, which I can definitely say were some of the best trips of my life thus far. I made so many friends and so many amazing memories through those trips and ever year in that first week of December I wish that I was on the bus with them en route to Chicago and watching Elf (or did that fad die off with Emily and I??)  We also took a few family trips to Chicago, once with our favorite German exchange students - Katharina and Tristan! 

"The bean" and the German group from Dec. 2009.

The beautiful Windy City as seen from the John Hancock Tower. 

Silly Chicago photos with great friends! 

The Drzinski/McIntosh Chicago trip with "the Germans" in 2010! <3

 More photos from exploring Chicago... Navy Pier and The Bean. 

Aisde from staying local, I have taken six major trips to other parts of the country... a trip to Florida, which I cannot find any photos from but I was about 6 or 7 years old, a trip California for my senior year Spring Break with my sister and grandpa, a cruise to New York, Boston, Maine, and some other locations on the east coast and in Canada, a trip to Washington DC for Halloween 2010 and two trips to Pennsylvania. 

At Universal Studios, Hollywood with Jilly, Grandpa and Aunt Delores in 2011.

More California photos, enjoying being in the warmth while there was a snow day at home!

Daddy/Daughter trip to Scranton PA to see Dave Matthews Band up close! 

(10 hour drive for a concert... crazy right!?)

  

Photos with friends I made on our cruise and a pre-cruise shot in NY with Jilly! 

Segway riding, site seeing and relaxing in DC.

Photos from my trip to Philly. Even though this trip didn't turn out to be what it was supposed to be I had a week-long vacation and learned a lot about a city that I know I could learn to love. However, I also learned that living in a big city like that is not for me. 

And now we come to a point in my travels that requires leaving the United States. I have been fortunate enough to travel to Europe 3 times. Twice to Scotland and once to Germany. These were amazing trips and words cannot even begin to describe the amount of things I learned from them. I cannot wait to return to both of these beautiful locations and spend much, much more time learning and exploring them. I do not have many photos of my trips to Scotland on my computer, in fact I only found one, as they were from when I was 2 and 14. If you would like to come over and look through tons of photo albums of the photos, you are more than welcome to ;)

While in Scotland in 2007, some of my family and I climbed Bennachie. This is us at the top! 

However, when it comes to my trip to Germany, I have tons of photos.

The other girl from the US that went to the same school as me in Germany, Erin! We spent lots of time together discussing our situations and picking each other up when we had a rough day. I am so thankful to have had you there with me, especially at school, Erin! <3 

Katharina and Julia, my "sisters" from my host family, plus some of their friends! Love and miss you!

The night my french fries and mayo obsession began. Or should I say "pommes mit mayo."

Half in East Germany and Half in West. -- Berlin, Germany. 

Great times with great friends in Marburg. 

The school I attended in Germany. St. Lioba Schule <3

Exploring Frankfurt with Katha and Nick! 

Looking back on all of this pictures makes me want to travel in the worst way, but it also makes me feel so thankful and so grateful to have had all of these amazing opportunities to literally travel the world. In my (almost) 20 years of life I have seen so much and been so fortunate. How many people can say they have been to Europe 3 times before they turned 20? 

Are you making plans to travel now?

xoxox

Closed for Business.

Tonight as I was going through the photos on my computer, I stumbled across some photos that made me seriously miss the summer, seriously miss Traverse City and seriously miss this place...

  

I know what you're thinking... old, run down buildings? Why would I miss those? To me, these buildings are so so much more. You see, these buildings are full of rich history, stories that are unimaginable and lots of hidden treasures. These buildings are part of the Northern Michigan Asylum or Traverse City State Hospital.

Its been more than 10 years since my family and I came across the eerie turrets. Every year we take a family vacation to Traverse City. One night, during a routine trip to Meijers, we noticed turrets above the tree-line, not too far away. We drove in that direction and found ourselves in the middle of a run-down complex of buildings. At the time, we had no idea where we were or what these building once held. The one thing we did know.... it wasn't a happy place.

When we first found it, it appeared to be completely abandoned. There were broken windows and lots of graffiti. It looked as if one day everyone just left... leaving everything right where it was. There were wheelchairs on porches, chairs outside, windows left open - it was a scene unimaginable.

Since finding "The Asylum," as we tend to refer to it as, we have done lots of research and digging about it. There are many books written about the hospital, such as Angels in the Architecture and Traverse City State Hospital. We have bought most of them and read them cover to cover, several times.

I'll give you some basic history but there is so much I can't even begin to share with you.

Northern Michigan Asylum, which opened in 1885, was known during most of its years as Traverse City State Hospital. Traverse City State Hospital served the mental health needs of a large part of Michigan for 104 years until its closure in 1989, housing a population as large as 3,000 in its many buildings. Twelve housing cottages and two infirmaries were built between 1887 and 1903 to meet the specific needs of male and female patients. All of the cottages except the northernmost are still standing.     -Wikipedia.

The first time we visited the asylum, we were cautious. We were careful and unsure and did not know the stories. The second time, the following year, we knew more and explored more. We took photos but still kept our space, taking most photos from the car or the side walks. In the years since renovation has begun to preserve some of the buildings. Others are still left untouched. We have more confidence in these beautiful buildings are have taken photos on porches, in windows, on steps and virtually all over.

     

It has been at least 10 years since we first came across one of my favorite places on earth. Now it is a very different place. One of the largest buildings, Building 50, is home to apartments and lofts, a coffee shop, a wine shop, one of my favorite stores in Northern Michigan - High Five Threads!, an Italian restaurant and an art gallery - just to mention a few!  The buildings have been restored and are absolutely beautiful.

This photo shows the contrast of new and old, as the buildings were under renovation.

I have taken hundreds and probably thousands of photos here and would love to share them all. I have attached a link to my Flickr, where these images can all be seen. I have won photography contests with some of these images and have them displayed in my bedroom. I have no problem telling everyone that those buildings were once home to all sorts of people, struggling with all sorts of conditions and diseases. I am proud to show these beautiful buildings off, and happy to say this is one of my favorite places on earth. 

       

My Flickr - More photos located here

If you're ever in the Traverse City area, try to stop by this historic place. If you're there at the right time they are even doing tours of some of the buildings and the underground tunnels! Think you can handle that?