I laced up my hiking boats, stepped out of the tent and wandered through the sunlit campground until I heard the sounds of rushing water.

I grabbed on to tree roots for stability as I climbed down the rocky enbankment and found a cozy spot on a perfectly shaped rock, backrest and all. I dipped my hand in the cool, rushing water of the small water fall and took a breath. And sighed in relief.

August was a busy month. Awesome actually. So many good things happened. My parents came to visit from Florida. I shot a couple of dreamy, outdoorsy, intimate weddings. We got to reunite with close close friends and while boating on the river, my second home. We hosted Tony’s extended family for the first time.

We finally got to organizing and selling of all of the stuff from our wedding last fall. My car died. We bought a new one. We spent Tony’s birthday weekend on a cabin on the river with friends. I continued with my online business classes. I prepped for all of my fabulous September Lumos Couples.

And as great as it all was, it left me exhausted. And crabby. To the point that I hadn’t even had a chance to think about or get excited for our annual Labor Day camping trip with our friends.

Tony and I packed in a frenzy the night before we left, and as we drove further and further north, my phone eventually lost service forced me to stop working.

We spent the first night at our friend Charlie’s house in Duluth, drinking cocktails and playing games as it stormed outside- grateful that we had chosen the next day to start our camping trip.

We traveled up the north shore just about as far as you can go and camped at Judge CR Magney State Park, the home of Devil’s Kettle. Have you heard about it?

It’s basically a waterfall that splits off- one side goes down a rock face and flows down the river like normal. The other side goes into a big hole. And no one can figure out where the bottom of that big hole comes out. Or if there’s even a bottom at all. It’s so crazy!

The morning I spent by myself, next to the water, in the sunlight while sipping my mimosa was probably the highlight of the trip for me. I love time spent with my hubby and friends while we adventure and try new places. Those parts of the trip were so fun. But nothing refreshes me like time spent alone by the water. It makes my introverted heart so happy and refuels me like nothing else!

We explored Caribou Falls, Artists’ Point and Grand Marais, breweries, Grand Portage and a stunning overlook by Mount Josephine next to the Canadian border. It really made me appreciate how breathtaking and diverse Minnesota is. I’m going to try to remember this trip in the winter when I am cold, driving through a snow storm and hating life. The memories of our north shore adventures will hopefully keep some warm and fuzzies for Minnesota alive!