That's Home To Me

Everyone has that one place growing up that makes them the happiest, a secret garden, if you will.  A place where there are no bullies or homework or sadness or sickness.  My secret garden was the condo in Breezy Point, MN.  I call it Brainerd, BRD, Peqout Lakes (home of the famous bobber water tower)!

I was raised going up north almost every weekend in the summer.  My father worked at the airport so he brought my mom and I with.  I am an only child.  My parents purchased a condo right next to Breezy Point Resort.  We Minnesotans go up north ALL summer, almost every weekend.  It's a way to get away from the busy city life and not have to get on a plane, because that's expensive and why do that once a year when you can go up north EVERY WEEKEND!!!!!  We deserve it too.  Our winters are tough.

Being "up north" I could be anything I wanted and do anything I wanted to do..  I could pretend to be a marine biologist!  I tried to save all the minnows from certain death only to use them as fish bait later.  I snorkeled for clams and brought them back to the condo where they spent the weekend surviving in a blow up tank full of lake water.  Dad always made me throw them back.  I jumped in and out of the pool a million times!  I screamed "MARCO...... POLO" at the top of my lungs while playing with my up north friends.  I went fishing when dad left me at the condo for a few hours and said "don't fish while I'm gone, you'll catch a bull head."  I caught that bullhead and had to wait for a kind fisherman to take it off for me..... Minnesota Nice!!!! I spent many weekends at Paul Bunyan Land and was there for the last weekend that it was open. I brought and still bring my close friends up north.

At 20 years old I found myself getting married and divorced in the span of 3 months.  At 21 I decided to work on my night moves, thank you Bob Seger. I met some boys (summer flings) because of my awesome night moves. I made a lot of friends. I introduced Andy to the wonders of Northern Minnesota (his family has a place in northern WI, tisk tisk!!).  We spent 7 years dating and going up north. We got married up at Maddens.  It was on of the BEST DAYS of my life!!  I love it up north.  Whenever I think of moving away from Minnesota, I just can't do it.  I'd sell my childhood home but I'd never stop going up north.  Ever.

So, here is my life.  These are the moments that make me the happiest.  Growing up and going up north!

Side Bar: NOT free of sickness.  In 1993 my family and I were devastatingly ill from Wild Rice Soup at Norway Ridge.  We all thought we were going to just die.  We didn't and have since been back although it took 15 years to go back to that restaurant again......