Zoe Jordan

A picture I took of Charlevoix’s bustling downtown area.

How would you define home?

Some would say the house they live in, some would even say their home is a person. My home is still a place, but it is not the house I live in. I define home as Charlevoix, Michigan. I have been driving up to Charlevoix every summer for as long as I can remember. It has always been a place for me to unwind and clear my mind. The one week I’m there is always the best week of the summer. I get to be there with my family, and there are so many things to do. It has truly helped me discover who I am.

A tradition that I have always done is at the end of the week, during the Venetian festival, we get taffy. It may sound strange, but it’s something I have always looked forward to. We go to a store called The Taffy Barrel, and my siblings and I fill up our buckets to eat later while we watch the fireworks light up the sky.

The festival rides were always fun, but it always seemed like I was the only person who wanted to ride them. I didn’t care. I went on all of them anyway. Everything from the baby rides where you spin around in a strawberry, the Ferris wheel, to my favorite ride of all: The Zipper. Charlevoix was where I discovered The Zipper, and now it is the ride I look forward to the most at any festival or fair. 

A new tradition that my family and I have picked up over the last few years is running. I used to dread running, and when the idea first came up to enroll in a 5k, I was very much against it. I thought it was going to be absolutely terrible. But then I got dressed, tied my running shoes, and put my hair in a ponytail. All of a sudden, I felt the adrenaline kick in; the want to run. Which was weird, because, trust me, I had never wanted to run a day in my life. The horn blew, and people began.

I began to run. As I was running, I was looking around and taking it all in because I realized I was running and exploring the town I loved the most. I realized running made me feel free. After a while, I got tired and wanted to quit, but I kept going. I wanted the reward of finishing this race. It didn’t matter if I even got last place or not. The feeling of running through the final stretch and seeing everyone on the sidelines cheering you on is absolutely unmatched. Once I broke through the finish line I felt like dying, but I had fun, and I was able to find something I love. I began to run at home after my first 5k. Charlevoix gave me a new passion, and that is part of the reason I love it so much. 

All of my Charlevoix traditions are amazing, but my all-time favorite will always and forever be the crepes. It may sound strange because crepes are everywhere, but it was different. Charlevoix was the first place I discovered crepes, and also the place where I had my first cup of coffee. My family and I always had one special morning where we would wake up and get crepes and iced coffee while we enjoyed the morning bustling throughout the town. My order has always been the cinnamon and sugar crepe with caramel iced coffee. We always timed this traditional breakfast with the Charlevoix Memorial Drawbridge, which is a bridge that is able to rise every thirty minutes for passing boats. 

The thing is, not all traditions can stay the same. Instead of going with my family the past few years, we have had other people tag along. My sister had her friend come first, and last year, I was able to bring my best friend. My crepe order has always been the same, but last year, I decided to try a Nutella banana crepe instead of cinnamon sugar. It was still sweet, just not exactly the same as before. Changing traditions does not have to be bad, it can be amazing, and actually sometimes make things better. Bringing my best friend made the trip even more fun and memorable than before, and we were able to become even closer after that trip. Charlevoix will always be my favorite town; it will always be ever-changing. It will always be the place I can call home.