![]() ![]() ![]() You can usually find him working alongside various departments, from individual sessions with team leaders to yard work with our facilities crew. Naturally a man of few words, Michael brings a direct, hands-on approach to the development and refinement of people. Michael officially assumed leadership a few months later, having guided and shaped its new design. Alongside Jesse Kellert and the management team at Windward Way, Michael led the acquisition of Serenity Lodge in April of 2020. He then went on to join the Windward Way team in 2019, developing a diverse relationship base while leading its outreach team and assisting in the overhaul of its brand. Michael spent the first five years of his behavioral health career with Serenity Lodge, developing operations, admissions, and community outreach processes. Opiate Addiction Treatment Center for Men in California.Residential Addiction Treatment Program. ![]() Co-Occurring Disorders Treatment Program.At the end of a busy week in the ED, I now have a place to reconnect, a place to relax, a place to recoup and best of all, a place to share. It is indeed a magical place … a forest retreat, my very own Serenity Lodge. It includes the peacefulness of sitting in an Adirondack chair by the fire pit, drinking a morning espresso while reading a morning meditation on the dock, gazing upon the fireflies, standing under the northern lights, watching my dog joyfully leap through the cedar forest, or curling up by the fireplace to read a book. These fruits include the smell of bacon, the laughter of friends, the forest symphony of crickets and frogs mixed with the occasional call of the common loon, the sound of food sizzling on the grill and the squeaking of the hammock rocking back and forth. While the cabin itself was a proud milestone in my life, it was fruits of the cabin ownership that made it special. From there, my vision unfolded, and before I knew it, my cabin makeover was complete. A shell of warm Douglas fir and alder wood welcomed my vision to transform this blank canvas into a culmination of “rustic farmhouse meets modern industrial.” My first step to complete the look was bringing in a large reclaimed elm dining room table. Inside, tall picture windows rise to meet cathedral ceilings among an open layout that includes a stone fireplace and an upstairs loft. The dock provides front-row tickets to each day’s sunset. These clear waters are home for schools of walleye, bluegill and northern pike. Past the private pond and through a cedar tree forest is the shoreline providing access to a pristine secluded bay. Towering conifers and giant birch trees flank this northwoods retreat. The property is located within a mix of mature boreal hardwoods. It was located about a dozen miles down the road from where I first decided to invest in cabin living – and was the home of my dreams. This newly built Arts-and-Crafts-style cabin sat on the shores of Nine Mile Lake and nestled between two state parks. The incessant hunt ensued, and with patience, I found and purchased refuge meant for me. Returning home, I decided that I would set out to find my own forest retreat. As I fed the wood fire that warmed the cool autumn air, I relished the simplicity that came with being sheltered inside Mother Nature’s pocket. Instantly, I fell in love with the idea of having my own plot in nature to find refuge from the daily grind. One year ago, I spent my birthday weekend in a rustic cabin off the Superior National Hiking Trail in Finland, Minn. At the end of the day, re-connecting with your sanity can be a challenge. I work in a hospital emergency department (ED), undergoing a daily assault of beeping, blood, babies and bowels. The fruits of ownership at this Minnesota cabin are so special. ![]()
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