Living (Kind of) in La Crosse
You may have noticed there hasn't been a Living La Crosse post in several months. I apologize — and I do have good reasons. I haven't really been living in La Crosse. My address is still here, but between work, holidays, and wedding festivities, I spent very little time in the city. Let me share some brief snapshots of where I was instead, and how I spent the time I did have here.
The Stats
Since the last Living La Crosse post:
- 29 nights in hotels
- 7,865 miles flown
- 5,000+ miles driven (mostly alone)
Places visited: Manhattan, KS — Central Illinois — Southern Illinois — Milwaukee, WI — Chicago, IL — San Francisco, CA — Upper Peninsula of Michigan — Burlington, VT — Detroit, MI (long layover) — Iowa (drove through) — Columbus, OH — Republic of Ireland
Illinois
With Illinois being my homeland, it shouldn't be surprising to see it on the list. Two big reasons. First: my bachelor party — a fun-filled weekend of wine (beer), women (video games), and song (piano bar). Second: my lovely fiancée Kristin received her Master's degree from Southern Illinois University. Congratulations, Mrs. Kristin Helmers!
Manhattan, KS
Just outside of Manhattan is Fort Riley, home of the 1st Infantry Division (Big Red One). On a bright October day, my younger brother received his promotion to Captain in the United States Army. Congratulations, CPT John Helmers!
Gladstone, MI (Upper Peninsula)
Thanksgiving in the Yoop with Kristin's family. Incredibly kind people in a relatively unknown corner of the country. I encourage anyone reading this to visit the Upper Peninsula at some point in their lives.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland was where Kristin and I chose to honeymoon. Fair warning: Irish winters are rainy. However, rainy Ireland is gorgeous compared to late winter in Wisconsin. The country is impossibly green, the people are warm, and the Guinness is incredibly fresh. I highly recommend a visit.
La Crosse
I did spend some time here — especially the last two weeks. We chose to spend the holidays at home, which was especially welcome with the wedding approaching. On Christmas Eve, we visited the Rotary Lights. We'd only recently gotten snow, and we were lucky enough to walk through the lights during a snowfall. Afterward, we grabbed a nightcap at The Charmont, a new boutique hotel that opened downtown. It's quite nice — as soon as I've had a full meal there, expect a review.
I know what you're thinking: the wedding was in January and it's April, Mike. What gives?
Well — the Helmers family recently adopted a puppy named Wendy. We found her at a shelter in Tomah, WI called Chasing Daylight. I'll be writing about them soon, but in the meantime: she is adorable, and she is ours.
Over the next month, expect one post a week. Several will be wedding-themed — vendors, venues, the good, the great, and the rest.
It was a busy six months. I enjoyed every bit of it. But at the end of the day, I would much rather be Living La Crosse.