At the end of April, I flew to Michigan to spend five days hanging out with other food bloggers at the #FreshCoastRetreat, organized by Liz, Dara, and Phi. Those three ladies planned an incredible schedule filled with fun activities, valuable sessions, and plenty of delicious meals (both home-cooked by us {with links to the recipes below} and four at fancy restaurants!) split between Grand Rapids and Muskegon, two cities located about an hour apart on the western side of the state.
With lots of laughter and countless sweet conversations throughout the trip, I loved every minute of it… And if you follow me on Snapchat (I’m @AmyBakesHealthy), you already saw sneak peeks of everything that happened! But in case you missed those video clips, I’m sharing some of my favorite memories from the retreat below, along with lots of pictures and the most valuable lessons that I learned while in Michigan.
photo by Alejandro Photography
THE PEOPLE
Although I had only met one of the attendees prior to that weekend, I returned home with 15 new best friends. Every single person was so warm, so real, so genuine, and unbelievably nice, and I feel incredibly blessed to have met each one of them. We’ve stayed in constant contact ever since we left the lake house through Instagram and Snapchat—we connected that deeply and miss each other that much!
In the photo above, from left to right…
♥ Gina from Skinnytaste {Instagram + Snapchat}
♥ Heidi from Foodie Crush {Instagram + Snapchat}
♥ Trevor from The Blog Village {Instagram + Snapchat}
♥ Jennifer from Show Me The Yummy {Instagram + Snapchat}
♥ Liz from The Lemon Bowl {Instagram + Snapchat}
♥ Lee from Fit Foodie Finds {Instagram + Snapchat}
♥ Alejandra from Always Order Dessert {Instagram + Snapchat}
♥ Lynn from Order in the Kitchen {Instagram + Snapchat}
♥ Phi from Sweet Phi {Instagram + Snapchat}
♥ Alexis from Hummusapien {Instagram + Snapchat}
♥ Andie from Andie Mitchell {Instagram + Snapchat}
♥ Dara from Cookin’ Canuck {Instagram + Snapchat}
♥ Denise from Chez Us {Instagram + Snapchat}
♥ Lenny from Chez Us {Instagram + Snapchat}
♥ Raul from Alejandro Photography {Instagram + Snapchat} (he’s taking the picture!)
THE TRIP PART 1: GRAND RAPIDS
Some of us arrived a day early to spend 24 hours in the amazing city of Grand Rapids. Stephanie from Experience Grand Rapids planned a really fun agenda with lots of delicious stops… She catered everything perfectly to us food bloggers!
Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. Built in 1913, this gorgeous historic hotel hosted us during our time in Grand Rapids. The rooms were absolutely adorable—I love old-style furniture and décor!—and the Amway Grand offered every amenity I could ever ask for… A well-equipped gym (with how much food we ate, it was completely necessary to squeeze in two workouts!), a heated indoor pool, two hot tubs, tennis courts, eight restaurants in addition to 24-hour room service, plenty of little shops and boutiques on the first two levels… And the list goes on and on. I can’t wait to go back!
The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck. Did you know Wolfgang Puck was one of the first celebrity chefs? I certainly didn’t, but I knew he was famous… And he serves the most incredible ethnic-inspired dishes at his upscale restaurant located inside of the Amway Grand. The Kitchen’s chefs arranged for us to enjoy a full 15-course menu when we visited. Yes, a full 15 courses! And because the food tasted so amazing, we completely forgot to pace ourselves and barely had room for dessert… And since you know how big my sweet tooth is, that’s really saying something about the quality of the dishes! (Here’s the main course menu and dessert menu, plus more photos below!)
San Chez. Located just a short walk from the Amway Grand, San Chez hosted us for brunch the following morning. I immediately fell in love with its cute interior, decorated in an almost French bistro-style with lots of brick, pretty yellow walls, and pillars covered with mosaics. (I actually created my own mosaic artwork in high school, so that brought back many fond memories!) The waiter offered to bring us two cinnamon pecan rolls while we browsed the menu, and when they arrived… I was so tempted to make an entire meal out of one of those! We still ordered entrées though, and the food was so flavorful that I boxed up my leftovers to nibble on later! (Here’s the menu, plus more photos below!)
Grand Rapids Downtown Market. After brunch, we drove partway across town to the Grand Rapids Downtown Market, an expansive building that houses 24 different vendors on the lower level, ranging from prepared food like crêpes and pretzels to cooking ingredients like fresh seafood and cheeses, plus an entire second story devoted to seating and a greenhouse. I could’ve spent an entire day at that market alone—or possibly brought a sleeping bag and just moved in! Everything looked amazing, and the only reason I didn’t buy small samples from every stand was because I was still stuffed from breakfast. I can’t wait to go back! (More photos below!)
THE TRIP PART 2: MUSKEGON LAKE
From the Downtown Market, Stephanie arranged for a fancy shuttle to drive us to Muskegon Lake for the official start of the #FreshCoastRetreat. Coming from suburban California where cities are cramped together like sardines, I stared out the window for most of the hour-long trip, amazed at the wide-open land and lush green scenery. It was the perfect location for relaxation and rejuvenation!
The House. For the next four days, we stayed in this humongous, gorgeously decorated mansion with an expansive backyard that ended with steps down to the beach where the lake’s waves gently lapped up the sand. (And when I say humongous, I mean it… Five bedrooms, 6 ½ bathrooms, a basement, a wraparound porch, a spacious office, a great room, a sauna, two play areas, two fireplaces plus a fire pit in the backyard, a kitchen the size of my entire first apartment… All 16 of us were still getting lost just walking around the house on our final day!) The second I walked through the front door, I wanted to move in!
We barely left the house, electing to prepare all but two of our meals there (more on those two restaurant visits to follow!), partially because we all love to cook but mostly because the fridge and pantry were so well-stocked, thanks to Bob’s Red Mill, Stonyfield, and Sabra! They sent us lots of their own products, as well as plenty of other grocery essentials (we could’ve fed twice as many people for an entire week, rather than the 16 of us for just four days!), so Liz, Dara, and Phi selected recipes from everyone’s blogs utilizing those ingredients for those meals we prepared at home. (Scroll down for lots of photos and links to those recipes!)
And when we weren’t eating, we spent much of our time in this stunning great room, asking each other questions and sharing valuable insights about different aspects of food blogging and running our businesses. (Yes, our food blogs are our businesses—mine is my full-time job!) We talked about many of the predictable topics like productivity, editing photos in Lightroom and Photoshop, and shooting short videos, but we also covered unconventional subjects like legal documents, television appearances, and travel. I learned an entire year’s worth of information from those sessions, and I returned home so inspired to immediately put it all to use!
The Lake House Waterfront Grill. On our first full day at Muskegon Lake, we took a trolley (yes, really a trolley! it looked just like the ones from San Francisco!) to lunch at The Lake House Waterfront Grill. The hostess seated us at a long table that looked out directly over the water at the boats bobbing at the docks, with fluffy white clouds lazily drifting along in the sky. We split a few seafood appetizers, then ordered our own entrées, and everything came out beautifully arranged from the kitchen… So we snapped at least five minutes worth of pictures before picking up our forks! Once we finished, our server brought out her four favorite desserts, and after another round of pictures (we are food bloggers and food photographers, after all!), we dug in. Lesson learned: every waffle should come topped with ice cream, whipped cream, caramel sauce, candied pecans, and a ton of Nutella! (Here’s the menu, plus more photos below!)
Hearthstone Bistro, Bar & Grille. For our final night in Muskegon, the Hearthstone Bistro, Bar & Grille hosted dinner for us in a special upstairs banquet room. With an extensive menu full of fancy mouthwatering options, we took nearly half an hour to settle on which entrées to order! Just like at lunch, we split quite a few appetizers while we mulled over the choices (apparently I wasn’t the only indecisive one!), and the chef even sent up a special amuse-bouche for us too. After slowly savoring our main courses, we selected four desserts to split again, but… It may not have been a completely even split. That peanut butter cheesecake was much too tempting! (Here’s the menu, plus more photos below!)
And now, after that not-so-short sneak peek into what we did, here are the important lessons that I learned throughout the #FreshCoastRetreat…
THE LESSONS
1) We are all “expert enough” at something, although that strength may not be what we think it is.
Liz, Dara, and Phi requested that each of us bloggers spoke about something during one of the many sessions, ranging from photography and videos to legal documents and time management. Because of my experience writing and promoting my Healthier Chocolate Treats cookbook, I was one of the three women who shared insights during the cookbook session. During that hour, I felt like the other two had a lot more valuable tips and information to explain, even though cookbooks were supposed to be one of my areas of expertise. But…
Later that night, we sat down for a much longer session where we sat in a big circle, and each blogger took a minute to present a blogging-related problem or struggle to the group. Then we went around the circle, speaking in turns, and the rest of us shared a possible solution. As someone who loves to listen, I really enjoyed hearing each individual’s inquiry and responding, and when I finally walked upstairs to bed four hours later, I realized that—listening and providing insights—was one of my biggest strengths, the thing I at which I was truly “expert enough,” much more so than writing a cookbook, and it felt really good to be able to share that with the rest of the group.
2) Age is simply a number.
And not just age! Race, gender, the part of the country in which we live… None of it mattered to the sixteen of us at the retreat. Ages ranged from 24 to late 40s, both women and men attended, and we flew into Michigan from California, New York, and everywhere in between. The most important things were that we all shared a common interest of food blogging and treated each other with respect like mature adults. Because of that, everyone got along really well—and everyone agreed by the end of the first day that we wanted to meet again for another retreat in the very near future!
3) Compliments are like candles.
Have you ever heard the James Keller quote, “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle?” The first candle’s flame still burns just as brightly as before, even after it lights the wick of another candle and that second one begins to shine as well. The same is true for compliments. We passed them around like candy on Halloween throughout the retreat: “You’re so sweet!” “That shirt brings out your eyes—so pretty!” “Those brownies were amazing!” “You always wear the most colorful and fun jewelry!” “You’re so smart—I never would’ve thought of that!” “You apply your make-up so well—you’re gorgeous!” “That’s such a stunning photo!” Each time, it was so uplifting to see the recipient’s face light up in a smile, while knowing that it had warmed the giver’s heart, too.
photo by Alejandro Photography
4) It takes a strong person to open up and be vulnerable.
Like I mentioned in #1, we scheduled in time to go around the room, share a blog- or business-related problem that we were experiencing, and ask for help. It was especially hard to do that around people I had just met a few days ago, even when I knew they were all incredibly nice and supportive! It was so inspiring to see the strength of the other attendees and hear some of their struggles, many of which were deeply personal and very emotional rather than something simple like, “How do I increase my traffic?” To see their strength, the courage that it required to let down their guard and share those personal struggles, was really moving, and I’m so grateful to have been a part of that.
5) Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
On our final afternoon at Muskegon Lake, Raul offered to photograph headshots for anyone who wanted them done. Since two years had passed since my last headshot session, I knew it would be a good thing to do… But I felt self-conscious when the other ladies began applying make-up and curling their hair in preparation for theirs. I’m the most low-maintenance person when it comes to that area (I call it a good day when I let my hair air-dry after a shower and remember to brush on a quick coat of mascara!), so I nearly cancelled my time. But then I remembered that Andie absolutely loves make-up and hair—she plans to establish her own YouTube channel someday!—and plucked up the courage to ask her for help. In doing so, I realized that I wasn’t admitting a weakness; it was acknowledging that she had a skill and a passion that’s valuable and I just don’t have. And there’s nothing wrong with that! (Andie ended up graciously doing make-up for six of us, and combined with Raul’s incredible photography skills, everyone’s headshot turned out so stunning and gorgeous!)
photo by Alejandro Photography
6) Watch the way a person’s face lights up when they smile.
One of my favorite things in the world is to start a conversation with somebody and ask them questions about their interests while quietly observing their body language, especially their face. When the topic eventually finds its way to one of their biggest interests, the thing that they feel so passionate about and connects them with their soul, their true calling in life, something happens on their face. That passion starts to shine. A smile breaks through, innocent and almost childlike in its joy, uncontrollable and free. I felt so fortunate to have seen and experienced that smile on many of the other’s faces throughout the weekend, ranging from topics like photography and television segments to travel and children to many things in between. It warms my heart and makes me feel more alive to see that smile, that pure joy, on other people’s faces, and I think it’s really important to recognize what creates that smile on our own faces as well.
photo by Alejandro Photography
7) The strongest friendships sometimes develop in just a few hours or days.
Friendships typically begin with a polite yet pleasant conversation, while the two individuals are still mostly strangers and not quite acquaintances, and those friendships develop as we continue to converse, open up, and share more of our souls. We often take a long time—weeks, months, or years—to do that last part, to let down our guard and be vulnerable and talk about our difficulties or shortcomings. Yet sometimes, when we take a chance and share those pieces of our true selves, the friendships develop rapidly, in a matter of hours or days, into something beautiful and strong and life-changing. That’s what happened to us during the retreat, and as I reflected on our time in Michigan on my flight home, I felt so blessed to have met everyone else and to be able to call them my friends.
8) Childhood scars rarely ever go away completely, but they do fade and make us stronger.
Although I’m still a people-person and enjoy the conversation and company of others, I’ve always been a rather quiet and shy introvert. As a child, I tended to be a wallflower, occasionally engaging in conversation with others, yet, more often than not, standing on the outskirts of a party or event and observing everyone else. Back then, many kids made fun of me for it and talked about me behind my back as a result, which hurt my feelings.
Now in adulthood, I’m completely comfortable with who I am, especially in that respect. I’ve learned to balance both, looking forward to chatting with new people while still knowing when my body craves quiet solitude, but every once in a while, I start second-guessing and wondering what others think of me, whether they’re whispering anything when I leave the room. On my flight to Michigan, I experienced a few moments of that doubt, yet I quickly reminded myself that it didn’t matter because I love the strong woman I had grown up to become.
As the weekend drew to a close, I was surprised by how many of the other bloggers made it a point to tell me how they thought I was incredibly sweet, nice, kind, thoughtful, and so helpful throughout that round-the-room problem-solving session by listening and sharing my quiet wisdom. Those aspects of my personality that had led to emotional scars in my childhood had transformed into strengths… And now I’m really looking forward to what they’ll lead to in the future.
9) Unplug your devices to recharge your soul.
As bloggers, we’re constantly working and interacting through different internet-based mediums: emails, blog comments, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat, YouTube, Google+… And the list goes on and on. I have a “no comment left behind” policy, and I try to answer every single question or comment sent through email, left on my blog posts, and posted on all of those social media channels. That takes up a lot of my time—and it can be really overwhelming!
On our first day at the lake house, I felt stressed when we realized the internet was basically non-existent. How could I keep up with everything?? What would readers think when I didn’t respond right away? Would my blog start to fall apart? Yet after a few days without logging into my email, blog, or social media… I realized that I’m actually doing both of us a disservice by staying so constantly plugged in. It’s draining to me to do all of that 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, which means I’m not always giving you the best quality answers and replies. As my mom says, “You have to put on your oxygen mask first before you can help others on the airplane,” and, “You have to refill your teacup before you can fill other’s,” so I’m going to work on unplugging a little more in the future so I can better serve you. (Don’t worry! I’m still going to have my “no comment left behind” policy—it simply means it may take me slightly longer to respond.)
10) My life isn’t about me, but how I can better serve others.
As a segue from the previous lesson… I’ve known this internally for a very long time. That thought came to me partway through college, and I’ve believed it ever since. My life has never been about me—what I do, what I learn, what successes I have—but rather, how my life can serve others. My life is meant to revolve around how it can help others, how it can teach them messages they need to know and internalize, how it can make them succeed. The #FreshCoastRetreat was a reminder of that, in watching how we all contributed and taught each other both blogging tips and life lessons throughout our time in Michigan, and now that I’m home and have experience so much, I’m so excited to see what my life holds for you in the future.
THE PHOTOS
And now for the best part… The photos! I love scrolling through other people’s travel pictures and feeling like I’m right there with them, so I hope you feel the same way!
photo by Alejandro Photography
photo by Alejandro Photography
photo by Alejandro Photography
photo by Alejandro Photography
photo by Alejandro Photography
photo by Alejandro Photography
photo by Alejandro Photography
photo by Alejandro Photography
photo by Alejandro Photography
Ginger Peach Moscow Mules Recipe
photo by Alejandro Photography
Vanilla Yogurt Pancakes Recipe
photo by Alejandro Photography
photo by Alejandro Photography
photo by Alejandro Photography
Rosemary Roasted Potato, Mushroom, and Lentil Kale Salad Recipe
Penne Pasta with Cauliflower and Pancetta Recipe
photo by Alejandro Photography
photo by Alejandro Photography
photo by Alejandro Photography
photo by Alejandro Photography
photo by Alejandro Photography
photo by Alejandro Photography
Thank you so much to our generous #FreshCoastRetreat sponsors who made this trip possible! Bob’s Red Mill, Sabra, Stonyfield, Experience Grand Rapids, Lindt Chocolate, The Little Potato Company, DeLallo Foods, and Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads
What an amazing time… I’ll never forget! Love this recap… all the food, people, lessons… everything was perfect 🙂
Thank you Jennifer!! I’m so glad we met. You’re such a sweetheart! ♥ I can’t wait for the next retreat — because there IS going to be another one! 🙂
Amy, the trip sounds lovely. Your comment about being an introvert caught my attention. I, too, am an introvert and have come to accept and love myself. Last year I read the book Quiet, a nonfiction book about introverts. I highly recommend it. The book made me see the value of being an introvert and realize that we, too, have much to offer the world.
Thank you so much for your kind comment Maria! I really appreciate your book recommendation; it sounds wonderful. I completely agree that introverts have a lot to offer — and the world could really use more sweet people like you! 🙂
I’m reliving the wonderful retreat with your wonderful post. It was so nice to meet you and spend time together. Sending lots of love your way.
xoxoxo
Phi
Thank you Phi!! I feel so lucky to have met you in Michigan — you’re such a sweetheart! And I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you, especially with your amazing cookbook coming out this summer! ♥
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I’m a born and raised Michigander from Grand Rapids currently living in the south. The pictures and descriptions brought me home ❤
I’ve been following Clean Eating for about a year and totally love your blog and Facebook page. The recipes are very though and I enjoy knowing the ingredients that can be used as substitutions. After baking, I post pictures of my creations, including your recipe link, on our group exercise Facebook page along with bringing sweet treat samplers to the office staff!
It’s my pleasure Diane! I’m so glad you enjoyed going through this post. From the little time I spent in Grand Rapids, I imagine it was a lovely place to grow up for you. I can’t wait to go back someday! 🙂 And thank you for your kind words about my recipes — I’m truly touched that you share your pictures and my recipes with your group exercise friends!
Amy wow!! 🙂 What an amazing experience this must’ve been for you. I’m similar to you though, I love people but I definitely love my me-time too. I think connecting and growing with others in your career area is so rewarding! I have yet to make a trip to the West coast, but when I do, you’re the first stop! 😉
I can’t WAIT for you to visit the west coast Marina!! You definitely need to keep me posted, whenever that may be! ♥ Me time is so, so important… I’m glad you’re the same way and can relate! 🙂
Ahhh I loved reading this post – it brought me right back to the retreat!! Thank you so much for flying here to Michigan to come to my retreat – it really made a world of difference having you with us!!! xoxox You are such a bright light!
Thank YOU for inviting me Liz!!! I felt so lucky and so blessed to be included amongst all of the other incredibly talented and successful individuals. That meant the world to me that you thought I would add to what they all had to offer! ♥ I can’t wait for our next reunion — I miss you too much!
Hey 🙂 I recently found your blog and love it! Your point number seven in this post resonated with me; I don’t believe time has anything to do with the quality of a friendship. I sometimes meet someone for the first time and “feel like I’ve known them for years” but that statement kind of falls flat when I think that I don’t share that same affinity with some people I’ve known my whole life!
Yes!! That is so, so true Candice. I feel the same way about some of my childhood friends and random people I meet these days. I actually met one of those “feel like I’ve known them for years” people on my flight home from Michigan! It’s fun to think back about where we bumped into those types of people, especially since I feel as if everything happens for a reason and it probably wasn’t pure chance. 🙂
Amy! You were such a highlight of that trip!! I absolutely loved meeting you, rooming with you, and starting our friendship there in Michigan <3
Love you, my friend xo
You’re such a sweetheart Andie! ♥ I feel so blessed to have met you in Michigan, and I felt even luckier that I got to head to the airport with you at the end of the weekend and sneak a few extra minutes of conversation with you in the car. You’re a true gem!! Love you right back!
Thank you for sharing Amy! I read it and was not bothered to leave a comment as I might normally do, but know that readers who might not comment still appreciate what you’ve shared!. I thank you for sharing your life lessons in particular – the lighting the candle particularly resonated with me. So true! God bless you in all your work and beautiful heart and soul you put into your blogs and recipes for others xx
Thank you so much for your sweet comment Mary! I truly appreciate your readership and your kind words about my life lessons, blogs and recipes. I’m honored! ♡