lake michigan

jonny tamm on lake michigan

Since I’ve begun working at ZAAZ, I have met several people from Michigan (Ford Motor Co is a major client).  There has been one woman in particular, who is from South Haven, a lil’ beach town located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, about 45 minutes from my undergrad college town. 

Speaking with her, I was reminded about how much that area has meant to me and my friends over the years.  It was a perfect 45min drive from all the stresses of college back then.  Along the route, we’d pass the last gas station on West Main… drive through Bangor (a sleepy speed trap town just when you least expect it) and a stop at Jericho’s, the church-turned-liquor store.  When I left Michigan, this was the spot I was truly leaving behind.

Anyway, I miss it.  

I miss the warmth, the lighthouse walk at the end of the pier, the familiar Dairy Queen with air-conditioning, and the kindness of the folks who lived there, opening their precious town to the rest of us who needed it once in a while.  I still haven't found that space in Washington, however, revisiting South Haven in my mind made me realize that the search needs to continue.