Guns and breakfast.

Admiring the view on the last round of goodbyes.

Frozen custard at the Bob-In on the way out of town.

Stopping to gather supplies before the flight back.

While in Michigan we stayed at a rural mountain lodge in Harbor Springs.  Needless to say, it was a step removed from the life I head been living days before.

“The best cheapest whiskey.”  I’m told its what my grandfather drank.

Family on the deck of the lodge.

Family members teaching me how to loose at beer pong.

Inside the lodge.

You probably don’t know but this last week I had to return home for my Grandmother’s funeral.  It was held in a small town in rural Michigan where my mother’s family has lived for generations.  I hadn’t been there in over 21 years, so it was a strange experience to walk through an entire town both rich with family history and filled with memories from when I was 4. A lot of extended family showed up and I learned that I had a lot more cousins then I knew.  Most of them seemed to be named “Brian” or “John”.

Over the next few days I’ll be putting up some pictures from the trip and try and share some of the experience of going from central Istanbul to rural Michigan and back.  Five days, and over 75 hours of travel later here I am.

On my way to the last airport bus for the night. Istanbul.

Thirty-five hours later. “Cross in the Woods”, the world’s largest Crucifix. MI.