A Detroit Daydream

I’ve been sick for about 3 weeks now and it just won’t. give. up.

I am so close to surrendering to my demise, my untimely death. The good always die young, and I mean I am a Young so I guess it was destiny from conception. I am a really easy patient, can’t you tell? My girlfriend is getting sick of me. I am sick of me. My sickness is sick of me. The pharmacist at Walgreens? SICK of me.

While I have been lying in bed, hacking up at least one good lung and watching about as many hours of Grey’s Anatomy as I am awake, I have also hatched a daydream plan. It’s been 4 hours, and I have never been more serious! Today.

My sister is coming in town next weekend to surprise me for my birthday except that our friend Dustin spilled the beans while I was in Georgia for the holidays so now I am planning our long weekend together. Alex has good intentions! But she doesn’t have my research skills. We are food people. We are beverage and vibe and wallpaper people. The aura of a place needs to be juicy, oozing out of it’s doors. And I am here to find those places.

However, we are currently in a house on the lake about an hour from any juicy, oozy, vibey places so one day in Detroit, chock full of experiences and then a few days of cozy beach bonfires, outdoor grilling in parkas and gloves, and Jack and Diets at the local watering hole. Also, not terrible vibes. I am not mad about these vibes.

While I have been researching and prepping for my day in the sun (read: my day in the absolute freezing, zero sun, wintery streets of unforgiving blustery Detroit), I have struck a new life plan that is 4 hours old and is foolproof.

Picture this: a power lesbian couple living in Detroit, restoring a house to it’s previous glory: original hardwood floors, exposed brick fireplace, tall ceilings, heavy windowy door. We own a small studio downtown, where I co-work with Alex and am working my corporate remote day-job while she leads art classes and plans workshops with artists, organizes events for her nonprofit, and designs murals for bustling new businesses around the metro-Detroit area. Detroit is even more vibrant than it already is today. The food scene is incredible, the cocktail bars are pulling mixologists from all around the country. And they need someone to write about it for (insert magazine or paper name here). And that person - it’s me. They won’t leave me alone about, they just love my food writing. I have been taking Tasters like you all over Detroit virtually for years. But now, I am writing listicles for the perfect 48 hours in the Midwest’s Best City. We are locals at the nearby coffee shop and have a standing Friday night reservation with our favorite bartender and chef. We’re traveling still, my (insert magazine name from earlier) side gig is popping off and now we are being asked to come write for Toronto’s newest restaurant, Philadelphia needs my opinion on cheesesteaks. Lobster rolls in Maine aren’t going to eat themselves. Ina Garten is having me over for a large cocktail and garden dinner.

We have made the world’s best community with other lovers of the city, of art, of food. Alex’s gallery studio situation is where we wind up with friends as the central nightcap location before we all take the bus or walk back to our respective neighborhoods, because we’re so green and neighborhoodly like that, and we slink back to our house, empty wine bottles in one hand, sipping a shared beer from the gallery fridge as we walk. When we get home, Duncan and Duke are basking in the dim, warm lamp light in our cozy, massive living room and they’re so excited to snuggle with us. We sit in the backyard, fireflies dancing. One more beer, perhaps. Maybe a fire.

HELLO HOW IS THIS JUST A DREAM.

I know I’m sick and all, but this feels really important to me now. No one mess with my daydream. I tried to tell Alex and she said, okay cool love this for us. I know she knows I have more daydreams brewing and this was probably already the third one today but it feels particularly linger-y.

Anyways, I guess stay tuned for the buzz of my singular upcoming Detroit day. I have a feeling there are going to be lots of Detroit days coming to a blog near you.