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Traverse City

Ever since I was little, I had always known that I would live by the water someday.


When I was about five years old, my mother enrolled me in swimming lessons at Ascension Genesys Health Club. I have always loved the water. I love everything about it. The feeling of weightlessness was bewildering and liberating to me. I am beyond convinced that if dance had not pick up, I would have been on a middle school and high school swim team


(because for those of you who know me, I can't do anything remotely athletic).


I spent a good majority of my life going to St. Augustine, Florida every year for Spring Break. I spent the majority of the two weeks we had in Florida swimming in the ocean. I loved the saltwater and I loved the beach. As I have gotten older, I have come to adore Michigan even more because of the access we have to the great lakes! Many of my summer's growing up were spent camping up north with the occasional spontaneous beach day with my beautiful family.


I was so thrilled for the opportunity to go up to Traverse City for the weekend with a very close friend of mine. I had been there before, but never for more than about 24 hours. I had the best time being able to explore the hidden gems of TC and Sutton's Bay. Ironically, I have been writing a short work of fiction that takes place in Sutton's Bay, so this trip served as mere inspiration for my story amongst other things.


Two very significant things happened during my time in Traverse City.


The first thing was my introduction to Hugh and Grace.


I will be the first person to tell you that I am not looking to get involved with organizations like this, but I could not have been more wrong. After I heard the story of the Jensen's, my heart was pulled in that direction for more reasons than one.


Ben and Sarah Jensen struggled with unexplained infertility for 14 years while they were looking to start a family. They realized that the products that they used on their skin daily (even those that are clean, natural, and non-toxic products) contained toxic chemicals that served as hormone disruptors. They took their tragedy and turned it into a teaching and learning opportunity. Together, they have partnered with some of the best in the skin care industry to bring you hormone safe, high-performing, clean products that help protect the bodies natural hormones. Both Ben and Sarah's sisters served as surrogate's for their beautiful children that they ended up naming Hugh and Grace.

Unexplained infertility has affected the lives of so many people. My beautiful mother struggled with it for many years before she adopted me. I guess you could say that I was the grace that came from the struggle that she faced head on for many years. Most doctors today will just tell you that you are infertile and put you on expensive fertility treatments and leave it at that. Hugh and Grace has created a very safe alternative that you can partake in right now with their natural and clean products. I am so excited to start my journey as a Hugh and Grace Advocate for this next season in my life. After hearing them share their hearts again in Detroit this past week, I took an opportunity to join their renowned team. I could not be more excited to see where this company goes and the opportunities that arise because of it. If you have any questions about their products, please feel free to reach out to me. The link below is the website where you can learn more about Ben, Sarah, their story, and their products!



The second significant thing that happened in Traverse City was being able to meet Veronica and learn about Design Dance Company.


When you find a genuine human being, you best hold on to them with both hands.


I had no idea what was going to ensue when we met for coffee the morning of July 19th, but I could not be more thankful that she took the time to talk to me. The pandemic has shifted the way that we communicate on a daily basis. Some of it has been good, but some of it has been extremely damaging. There is nothing like sitting down face to face, in person, and getting to share your heart with someone who has been through the same situations. I felt heard, I felt seen, and I felt empowered. I saw myself clearly for the first time in a while, and after hearing her story, it further enforced the reasons why I am about to write mine.

I had never seen anything like the work Veronica does with Design Dance Company. It moved me and it inspired me. Dance should elicit raw emotions. If it doesn't, then we are not doing our jobs correctly. There is so much tragedy, death, suffering, pain, and hurt that is projected by the media on a daily basis. As artists, we should be using our platform's to create something beautiful in a world full of darkness. That is why I love what I do. When a choreographer's work gets performed, the audience usually doesn't understand how much work goes into it behind the scenes. I don't even think the students even realize it half of the time, but that time consuming process is my favorite thing in the whole world. I am so thankful for the opportunities that I have to connect with genuine souls and create what we like to call art.


We talked in that coffee shop for over 2 hours, and when I walked away, I felt like I had known her from a different lifetime. I am so thankful that she shared her heart, her passion, and her work with a fellow eager teacher and choreographer. This ambitious 23-year old thanks you for taking a chance on me. I am so excited to meet her beautiful staff and work with her beautiful students in the near future!


"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together" - Marilyn Monroe






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