I grew up in Michigan, central Michigan to be exact. No, not near any of the Great Lakes. No, not near any of the well know Michigan breweries or wineries either. Where I grew up, it was mostly farms and corn fields. I graduated from a small public school with 47 students in my class. My home town is the definition of rural. My parents still live on a non-paved gravel road.

I attended college in Grand Rapids, at Grand Valley State University, where I got a small taste of the city life. When I graduated, I made it my mission to get out of Michigan as fast as I could. I wanted to see what else the world had to offer outside of my small town that was *SO BORING*...

It has taken a lot of years, but after my trip to Southwest Michigan this spring for a family wedding, I finally started to appreciate being "from" Michigan for the first time in my adult life.

There are a few more things to do in my home town these days, including breweries and local coffee shops. But it has been in my Michigan travels outside of my parent's locale that I have really grown to appreciate the Mitten State.

When my cousins announced their wedding in St. Joseph, I knew I wanted to extend my trip for a couple of days so I could check out the area. With the wedding on Saturday, I booked my flight for Thursday morning. Upon arrival I headed straight to The 205 Coffee Bar in Holland, not far from the Grand Rapids airport. I had some work to do, so I grabbed a cold brew and found the perfect spot in the adirondack chair outside. I have found myself seeking out local coffee shops in all my recent travels, and this spot ticked all the boxes. It was too far from my final destination for the wedding to return over the next few days, but I would have gone every day if I could.

Thursday night I met up with my cousins at Watermark Brewing Company in Stevensville. My cousin Travis had hyped this place up so much that it had pretty big expectations to fulfill. It did just that; the beer was great and the outdoor patio was exceptional. There was a food truck onsite and cute dogs everywhere. They've created an atmosphere that can't be beat.

Friday I had the day off and spent a bit more time exploring St. Joseph. I grabbed an early morning coffee from Caffe Tosi and walked around downtown before heading out on a run along Lake Michigan. Silver Beach has a fantastic park full of amenities for beach goers and outdoor enthusiasts. I grabbed lunch and a flight of beers at North Pier Brewing Company, another five star spot for drinks and atmosphere, before returning to Silver Beach for an afternoon of sunbathing.

Saturday was the big day for the wedding, so I met up with my parents and got lunch at Three Blondes Brewing before heading to our hotel to get ready. The wedding itself was beautiful; the weather was perfect and we had a fun night of dancing and catching up with family and friends we hadn't seen in a while.

On the way home from the wedding Sunday morning, I reminisced about my mini vacation and time in the Southwest part of the state. I was fortunate to have had time to do some exploring but knew there was so much more I could have also seen. It was in that moment where I thought to myself, "wow, am I admitting how much I enjoyed Michigan right now?!"

Growth, am I right?