I first went here with my family when I was in sixth grade. We stayed with another family who had a long history there. I fell in love instantly. I have been going there at least once a year ever since, and more frequently since our two families bought a house there a few years ago. It is a very special place to me because it's where I really learned to appreciate nature. I've always spent a lot of time outdoors, from summer camp when I was young to riding my bike around my neighborhood, but there was something completely different about being outside at Big Twin. Every season and every outdoor activity is special in its own way. I don't particularly enjoy helping my dad out in the yard at home, but in Michigan, it's fun. I help him with firewood, work on the deck, shoveling in the winter, pulling weeds on the beach, etc. We go on walks around the lake and we walk to the store to get milk and bread. We eat fresh fruit in the summer, and I've never tasted better cherries, strawberries, or blueberries in my life. No matter what we have to eat, meals always taste better up there because we've all worked up an appetite by being so active during the day. I can't imagine anything I'd like to do more during the summer than spend time up there. I love to throw on my bathing suit and be able to run out the door without shoes on and spend the entire day outside. We spend the day at the beach, go swimming, go boating, water ski, jet ski, tube, play frisbee and lawn darts, and more. It's such a great place to spend time with my family, and I also love taking my friends up there as well as spending time with the many people we have befriended who have houses up there, as well.
Going up to Michigan is like going to a whole new world. We have three stations on TV, no internet, and very limited cell phone service. I love this because it's the perfect excuse for me to fall of the map for a week or so at a time. We all slow down and are able to enjoy the simple pleasures in life, from walking around the lake and greeting everyone we see to playing euchre after a delicious dinner outdoors. I've also never seen more beautiful sunsets. One of our favorite things to do is to take the pontoon boat out to the middle of the lake at night and look at the stars. I can't begin to describe the stillness and the overwhelming amount of stars that we can see. The more we look, the more stars seem to appear. It's amazing to see shooting stars and the Milky Way and point out constellations that we recognize. It really put things in perspective, too, because it makes me think about how vast and awesome the universe is.
Spending time in Michigan has definitely fueled my desire to protect nature. I enjoy my time up there so much and I can't imagine how I would feel if Big Twin were destroyed. Therefore, I definitely think nature is worth working to save. If everyone had the same sort of love for a place in nature, I think so many more people would want to protect the environment. I don't see how environmentalism can exist without a desire to save nature. Of course there are huge issues to tackle such as alternative sources of energy, access to water, climate change, etc., but I believe that a respect and love of nature needs to be an underlying motivator for all of those aspects of environmentalism.
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