Flying back to Minnesota in July has become an annual trip for me. I miss Minnesota summers. We don’t get summers in San Francisco like we do back home. Specifically, I miss how lush and green everything is. I also miss the 80-degree weather. Even at night! No need for layers like you do in San Francisco. You can go out in a shorts/tee combo or a dress and feel perfectly comfortable all night long. It’s the little things, guys.

I recently did my annual summer trip back to Minnesota for about five days. I got to spend time catching up with my parents, my sisters, and my little nieces. In fact, while I was home, we celebrated two birthdays. My Dad’s and my littlest niece’s, Ruby. So adorable, right? She was so excited for birthday cake!

I grew up in a rather small town, so it’s nice to visit for a while and live life at a slower pace. My parents recently renovated, so home felt even cozier this time around. Especially with the addition of an outdoor chimney fireplace. My parents and I would sit out there at night with a bottle of wine and chat about anything and everything.

Mornings were spent cruising around the back roads in my Dad’s convertible (he’s in full retirement mode, btw).

And in the afternoons, you could find me soaking up the sunshine by the pool.

I’m a little spoiled back home. But I’m also very grateful.

The other great thing about Minnesota is all the lakes. We weren’t dubbed ‘Land of 10,000 Lakes’ for nothing. In my hometown alone, we have 26 in a 10-mile radius! So, for a lot of people, summers in Minnesota are spent on the lake.

I was hoping for a bit of that while I was home, but our day of choice to spend some time out on a boat ended up being overcast. So, we decided to hang out around the pool instead.

But not to worry. I got to drive out and enjoy a few Minnesota lakes before heading back to San Francisco.

And for a final hoorah, my last night in Minnesota we had a beautiful sunset over a lake that I got to enjoy. So let’s just say I got my fill.

Let’s go places,
Sarah

Have you been to Minnesota? If so, tell me where you’ve visited. I’d love to hear more about it in the comments section below.

All photos on this blog are mine. Feel free to share but please credit me with a link back to the blog. Much appreciated and thank you for your support!