Going north: a homemade retreat (just like mom used to make!)

I always read about these marvelous retreats where you head to the mountains to sit in silence in robes to think, pray, meditate, and drink tea. They all sound so delicious and, inevitably, deliciously expensive. I have yearned to take part in one of these retreats, but alas, a young girl paying her student loans and credit cards such as myself doesn’t exactly have a sack of money in her closet just burning to be spent on a retreat weekend.

So I created my own. It’s easy, really–and we Michiganders are incredibly blessed to have a remarkable and peaceful place at our fingertips (literally). Up north. Praise the goddesses above, because Tyler’s family has a marvelous, cozy place on Spider Lake in Traverse City that served as the locale of the homemade retreat.

The recipe is simple:

• 1 part Art (canvases and paint will do the trick, as will journaling, reading, and photography–for this recipe, we used it all!)
• 4 parts Delicious Food (it’s good to try new recipes while on your retreat–you have all the time in the world, so savor every moment of preparing and eating)
• 1 part Games (not just any ol’ games, but a 1000 piece puzzle–it’s pure zen)
• 2 heaping cups of Mindfulness (live deliberately like Thoreau would have wanted you to)
• 3 parts Relaxation (laziness and snuggliness comes highly recommended)
• Adventures and Curiosity to taste (our choice was a visit to a frozen Lake Michigan and a moderately-illicit tour of the abandoned/renovated State Hospital grounds)

Take a Friday off of work, pack your bags, and bake for three days. And voila! Your very own homemade retreat, piping-hot and jam-packed with gooey goodness.*

*Results may vary. This recipe does not require high-altitude conversion.