Shuffle Off to (New) Buffalo

New Buffalo, Michigan, that is.

As part of our "staycation series," we headed to the shores of Lake Michigan to the quaint town of New Buffalo for an afternoon.  No agenda, no timeline, and no expectations.

We discovered a fun, beachy restaurant called The Stray Dog, where we relaxed over yummy food and local beers.  We let ourselves be mesmerized by the colorful boats in the harbor, and pretended we were by the ocean.  Honestly, this town was every bit as delightful as being near the ocean for real.  Colorful, weather-beaten, small, and breezy ruled supreme, and time seemed to stand still for just a few moments.

A brief visit to a streetside ice cream shop capped off our time in New Buffalo.

The short drive home was almost as nice as our time in the little Michigan town.  Windows down, hair whipping around, old country music playing, local peaches for sale along the route. . .for a period of time, life seemed slower.  Easier.  

One of the things I've noticed about our move back to Indiana is that this is more often the case than not.   Life here DOES seem slower and more pleasant.  More about family and friends than about traffic and chaos.  More about small town pleasures like ice cream stands and fresh fruit farms than work events and pressure to keep up an intense pace.  That's NOT to say I don't miss parts of Dallas.  Our a-ma-zing neighbors, our tight little community of friends, our "Nana," my tutoring "kids," Rip's family's, good Mexican food, an abundance of great SHOPPING. . .I definitely miss those things.  But at heart, I am a small town, hometown kind of girl who loves her seasons and county fairs and her alma mater and her momma.  . I am HOME.  (Or closer than ever, at least!)