The Art of Having Fun

Shades of Gray: 5 Lessons I Learned From Spending the Summer at Our Lake House

byTeam GM

4 years ago

Hi Everyone! Ever since I was a child, I‘ve loved the long, lazy summers my family spent on the shores of Lake Michigan. Splashing in the cold water all day long and coming home to cozy dinners made for some of the most magical memories. For our first summer with the twins, we were determined to start building these kinds of lasting memories by making the trip to the shores of Lake Michigan. Now that we’re completely finished with our extensive home renovations (see all parts of this series here, here, and here) Jeff and I have been dying to spend some quality time with family and friends in our new home away from home. So, with our bags packed and the twins in tow, we headed off to Michigan for a summer-long trip that taught me some pretty important lessons about staying in the moment, unplugging, and even how to balance work when you’re far from your office. Keep scrolling to see my biggest takeaways from an unforgettable summer…

The Art of Unplugging

Away from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, we learned that life without a TV is really lovely. Jeff and I also learned to find time to read books on paper, not on a screen. With such little cell phone service, we really didn't have an option and there was something so lovely about reading a paperback book that we had forgotten. In our downtime, we did lots of puzzles, which put our minds at ease and served as a nice break from scrolling through an Instagram feed.

No Plans Are the Best Plans

We quickly realized how fun it is to be spontaneous with our kids. Within walking distance, we would go to the beach, the pool, or a walk in the woods or along the beach depending on the day. Within driving distance, we would go to a farm to see animals, a dock to watch the boats go by, the farmers market for groceries or even Target to buy toys. We learned that you don't need to always have a plan and that it is often fun to just go with the flow.

The Family That Cooks Together…

Cooking became one of our favorite family activities, as going out to eat was a bit tricky and there was no food delivery. We loved shopping for meals and making them together as a family. There’s something so comforting about sitting down to a home-cooked meal in the summertime.

Work From Home (Away From Home)

While it seemed daunting at first, we eventually learned that working remotely is doable. With video conferencing we were able to keep our meetings and still feel together with our team, even when we were states away. If we needed to ship something, we relied on FedEx, and if we ever needed an update on a project, our team was just an email away.

Get Back To Your Roots

Living along the shores of Lake Michigan is very special. We fell in love with the fireflies, rustling trees, lady bugs, dewy beach grass, soft sand and the rain as much as the sun. We all benefited from being in nature, especially the kids.It was a great reminder to add more time outdoors into our lives in L.A., because we all felt calmer and more rejuvenated returning back to the city after several months basking in the peace and quiet along the lake.

Have you ever been on a trip that changed your perspective?

Find more behind-the-scenes of our house remodel here to see how we took it from fixer-upper to summertime oasis. Here’s to a summer for the books!

Cheers,

xx Gray

Photos: Gray Malin