Boyne City, Michigan is geographical proof of Heaven on Earth. The small city of just under 4,000 people resides on the shores of beautiful Lake Charlevoix and is minutes away from one of the best Ski Resorts in Mich. The community is like a giant family and will always be your home no matter where you end up. So if you grew up in Boyne City these signs will sound all too real to you.

1. There is a 90 percent chance your friend group is similar if not the same as it was in kindergarten.
2. You know every person in your grade by first and last name...and maybe even half their middle names.
3. Gossip and drama traveled faster than the fastest runner on the track team.
4. You probably know half your teachers outside of school and are family friends with them.
5. If not, they knew you by your older siblings or cousins.
6. That red shirt you received in kindergarten with your graduation year on it is still floating around your house.
7. Spirit week/day was a highly anticipated event and highlight of your high school career.
8. Getting a new kid was SUPER exciting and everyone wanted to meet them.
9. Football is the only social event on Friday nights.
10. AND...we take it as seriously as college or NFL-level teams.
11. Our rivalries between Charlevoix and East Jordan are better than U of M vs. State.
12. It is hard to go ANYWHERE with out running into someone you know.
13. In middle school, Friday night Stroll the Streets was the best event in the summer.
14. You consider all summer residents "fudgies."
15. You've been to Camp Daggett.
16. It feels like the city triples come 4th of July and Boyne Thunder weekends.
17. Going out to dinner meant going to Red Mesa...and that was never a problem.
18. Everyone goes to Avalanche "Mountain" to look at the view of the lake.
19. Our sunsets are used as a selling point.
20. After 8 p.m. you will find 5-10 sunset-related posts on social media.
21. When explaining where you live you just say Boyne Mountain.
22. And that is usually followed by an, "Oh so you ski?"
23. You're used to people saying, "You must LOVE living up here."
24. Going to a National League sporting event like the Tigers or Lions was usually packed into a vacation downstate.
25. Jumping off the pier in Petoskey was a source of adventure for kids.
26. You sometimes forget that not everyone you know has access to rivers, beaches, lakes, etc.
27. You grew up sailing, boating, kayaking or something involving water.
28. "Where Life Meets Lake" is the greatest slogan to describe living here.
29. You either order all your clothes online or drive hours to shop because all the boutiques are expensive.
30. Every party was either in a field, around a bonfire, or in a garage.
31. You or your parents drive to Petoskey to grocery shop.
32. You're somehow related to like a third of the town.
33. Even if you say you hate the town and everyone in it every now and then, you know that Boyne City will always hold a special place in your heart no matter where you end up.

Growing up in a small tourist town is not as bad as we may think at times. We are lucky enough to have a beautiful town that is well maintained thanks to our tightly-knit community. Living on the water only makes it five times better. I could not be more proud of the city that I am from because I know I always have somewhere I can return to when I need a reminder of how lucky I was growing up.