Three years ago, my husband took me to Au Sable Highbanks Overlook, one of the first places he wanted to show me after I moved across the state to be with him.
A New Season of Life
At the time, I was entering a completely new season of life. My children were grown and living on their own, and for the first time in many years, I was learning who I was outside of being a mom.
It was also only about a year after I had left a 14-year relationship that had been very controlling and emotionally difficult. I was still healing and trying to find my footing again.
Knowing how much I love nature, my husband spent the day driving me around Northern Michigan. Along the way, he showed me some of his favorite places. One of those places was Au Sable Highbanks.
The overlook sits high above the winding Au Sable River. From there, you can see the river below and forests stretching for miles in every direction. We took a short walk along the trail, spent time standing by the bridge looking down at the river, and stopped often to take pictures.
More Than a Beautiful View
Looking back, those photos mean more to me now than they did then.
When I see them, I don’t just remember the view. I remember how it felt to be treated with kindness. I remember being introduced to a new community, new roads, new trails, and a new chapter of life. For the first time in a long time, I felt free to simply enjoy the moment.
Au Sable Highbanks will always hold a special place in my heart because it represents a fresh start. It reminds me that healing doesn’t always happen all at once. Sometimes it begins quietly – during a drive down a back road, a walk through the woods, or an afternoon spent looking out over a river with someone who genuinely cares about you.
Whenever I look at these photos, I see more than a beautiful overlook.
I see hope.
I see healing.
And I see the beginning of the life I’m living today.
Long before this visit to Au Sable Highbanks, I had already begun finding healing on the trail. Hiking became a place where I could think, breathe, and slowly rediscover my own strength. In many ways, those quiet walks helped me find the courage to change my life and believe that I deserved more.
If you’d like to read more about that journey, you can find the story in my post, Why I Started Hiking to Heal.