Why Michigan? I get that A LOT!

The move from New York City to rural mid-Michigan

A little background,... we often get asked, "Why Michigan?" and there's a reason. Over 11 years ago I met my partner - a look across the room and yes, it was love at first site. This new relationship (as most) adds facets to your life and the addition of a cottage on a lake in Michigan was one that I never expected. For the past decade, we've been coming to the lake house in all seasons for about a week whenever we could get away on holidays and a vacation from the crazy and fast-paced life in NYC. My partner in life, Marc, has a real connection to this land. Since the late 1930s, his family has owned this haven in the woods with lakeside views.

When those weeks at the lake would wind down and we would have to pack up a nagging question would always come up – do we have to leave?

Our cottage on the lake offers a get-away from it all. With five acres of woods, wildlife and lakeside living - it is a beautiful respite. As our stays at the lake progressed and that nagging question kept creeping up into our conversations we decided that we would ultimately build a new house on the property. It would be our forever home, a place where our family could come and memories could be made for future generations.

Now we have the opportunity to make that dream a reality!

My Mantra: Food is Love

Some people eat to live... and for the rest of us we live to eat!

Growing up I was lucky to be exposed to lots of different foods. My Dad was Portuguese and he could hunt, fish, bake bread, cook, make his own wine and even build things.

Mom was Polish and she could cook really well too. She loved food, and always wanted to try new dishes. We had some great but simple food growing up -- well to me it was simple.

Our neighborhood was very Italian so that influenced what we ate too. My Mom had three sisters, one married an Italian, another married a Brit and my favorite Aunt married a Frenchie who was also a Chef in NYC (don't ask me where he died when I was very young). But I know that he was from Brittany and every Christmas we would be presented with the French cake. After my Uncle Laurent passed, my Aunt Emily took on the tradition of making Gâteau Breton - French butter cake.

This "cake" is so delicious, buttery, slightly nutty, just melt in your mouth good and for the longest time, no one had the recipe! Then one day I stumbled upon it in a French cook book and I tried my hand at making it. Each bite brings me back to the kitchen table where I grew up.

Food has always been my touchstone, a special part of life, Mom would make breakfast and we would talk about what sounded good for dinner.

Iceland was more than I expected

Our trip to Iceland in late September was a journey we wanted to take for so many years.

Turning 50 was certainly a milestone and we celebrated by traveling to Iceland. A destination that was on our travel bucket list for a long time. For years, we've heard people rave about Iceland, its food and the gorgeous landscape. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to see it for ourselves!

The Icelandic language is tough, complicated, and even hard to pronounce properly in my humble opinion. The people we met spoke perfect English and it was never an issue.

Before our arrival, we booked the Golden Circle Tour with Pink Iceland - a LGTBQ owned and operated tour group located right in Reykjavik. On the second day of our trip we met our tour guide, Sigrún, who by the end of the daytime tour was an amazing confidant and more of a friend.

I can't begin to convey the ruggedly beautiful landscape we saw on our tour. Add in two waterfalls, a geysir and the free roaming Icelandic horses that graze on the open fields.