Today, I begin my journey up north. "Up North," as Michiganders like to say, can mean anywhere from an hour or so north to a cabin on one of Michigan's many lakes or all the way to the Mackinac Bridge. In this case, it's a 10-hour drive to almost the northern most point of the Upper Peninsula - Yooper Territory.
Da Yoopers seem to have an ease going about their lives. When I was in the U.P. last year, I quickly fell into the much less hurried pace that I witnessed from those around me - except that one time I discovered I was going the wrong way down a one-way street, but that's all part of navigating a new place, eh?
I'm sure my ease in the U.P., while a product of the area, also came from a week without kids, staying away from home and all the work that goes with it, and devoting an entire week solely to my life as a professional musician. I'm playing the same opera festival again this summer. I can already imagine...plenty of time to practice, late night rehearsals, even later night gatherings with colleagues, sleeping in, spending most of my days relaxing, running, and exploring the beautiful U.P. These visions take my mind off having to spend 10+ hours in the car by myself.
Truthfully, I'm not all that worried about the drive. It's rare that I have long periods of uninterrupted time, so this will give me the opportunity to listen in all sorts of meaningful ways. Plus, my beau will be joining me in a couple of days. My beau is from the U.P., so he has a very intimate experience with Yooper Territory. He would say this is why he lives so far away from there now. Personally, I think his presence will be a perfect addition to my repeat yooper experience. Dontcha ya think, eh?
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