The Return - Part 11 of 11

Taking the penultimate ferry on the penultimate day of the season felt like the right way to conclude the journey.

We packed our bags with enough supplies to sustain an overnight stay if the spirit moved us, though we would notably have been un-costumed for the many Halloween activities advertised.

As we observed more people arriving to the island as we stood in line for our departure, there was a sliver of a moment of reconsideration, that quickly dissipated.

Our bodies felt the healthy fatigue that comes from a chilly day spent in the great outdoors and our moods were in a state of pleasant buoyancy that reflected the just enough of a full experience.

Knowing that teetering on the edge between even more fun and actual exhaustion is ever a balance to be explored, we opted for completing the day at home, in our own beds.

Journeying back with many same-day-trip runners, it was fascinating to hear tales of the run – congested start line, intermixing of the runners and walkers, frustration, first time racers – a wide range of perspectives, and most did not match my own.

Recognizing that many people can participate in the same event with vastly different experiences and seeing that what is true for one might be foreign to another, and there is room for all to coexist.

The invitation is ever available to avoid invalidation and instead consider expanding our own capacity for what might be possible in any situation.

We traveled under the bridge and bookended our travels with a sunset as the ferry arrived in Mackinaw City.

After a most interesting shuttle ride to our car, accompanied by patrons who appeared to have engaged in festivities before their journey back to the mainland, we began the final leg home.

Other than a few deer sightings, it was a relatively uneventful drive, with consideration for pauses along the way, and ultimately a straight shot back to the house.

Grateful for the opportunity, the adventure, the partnership, the sunshine, the successes, the learning, the choices, the embrace, the resources, the observations, the reflections of a delightful day and the resonance of hitting all the right notes.