Heart racing, mouth dry, palms sweating, I turned the key to open the door just like the last few doors... 

      What was to become of this place? (What was to become of me?) Why was I so nervous? Isn't this what I wanted,          what I dreamed of, prayed for, and intentionally manifested? 

Finally the end of a long, fun, but sometimes difficult road? I've opened a retail store before... It was a magical store too. Maybe you're familiar with it, Aurora's Cottage? I loved that store. So even though I'm taking some of it with me, this time it was a little different. The sign on the door read, "Under new ownership." 

     That's was me! 

The Nature Connection has been a retail treasure in Elk Rapids for the last 16 years. The lovely people that previously owned it were teachers, and they loved and knew a lot about nature. Though I love nature too, I can't pretend to know a lot about it..., however I am instinctively in awe and inspired by it daily. Nature is always its most authentic self. Sunshine or storm, always its brave self. It just is, in all its grace and glory, reflecting the truth, always showing us the way. 

     Sometimes just stepping outside to breathe the fresh air, I am reminded of where I come from, who I am, who I            want to be, and sometimes who I was created to be.

My name is Monica and I am the new proud owner of The Nature Connection. I am happily married to an extraordinary adventurous man who understands and shares my desire for a simpler, more heart filled authentic life. Once upon time I earned my M.A. and enjoyed a successful corporate career, a big beautiful house, and lots of "stuff", and I then dared to believe our life could be different. So we packed up and left what we knew for what we thought could be. Then fortunately my mamma decided to move north and join us for the ride! Now my husband continues to do what he loves flying around the world while Mamma, Cayce and I have fun in our store, striving as always to connect, create, and celebrate!