“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” 

20 years ago my boyfriend took me to his family retreat on an island off the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Two flights and a ferry ride later, the crystal blue water, deep woods,

and blazing sunsets captured my heart forever. My boyfriend is now my husband, and we haven’t missed a summer since. But it wasn’t until 5 years ago, while out on a kayak,

I discovered a tiny cove that had something spectacular hidden in the shallows. Unlike the dried, grey, wood settled on the shores, the icy water had preserved the wood beneath,

keeping its golden tones, and smoothing it to perfect imperfection.

Now every summer, we lock up our home on the West Coast, and head north to comb the shallows of the archipelago, chasing the perfect piece.