As a Pisces growing up in the Northern Territory of Nevada—where the stark expanse of the Great Basin Desert meets the Sierra Nevada mountain range, I often felt like a fish out of water.

It wasn’t until I discovered the beauty and tranquility of Lake Tahoe, and later Lake Michigan, that I truly felt connected to the Earth and her bounty. I was drawn to the protective forests surrounding these waterscapes—filled with Sugar Pines, Quaking Aspens, and Incense Cedars in Nevada, and Eastern Red Cedar, Sugar Maple, and Black Cherry in Northern Michigan. The old-growth forests spoke to me in whispers, offering something I didn’t yet understand.

I raised my four children in the freshwater state of Michigan, surrounded by lush woodlands. We hiked, camped, and explored the natural beauty of Northern Michigan. My soul, like the great trees, began to take root.