A Midwest Week for a South Florida Attorney

Sometimes being an attorney means business suits, courthouse hallways, and carefully timed calendars. Other times, being an attorney means racing across the Midwest to beat a snowstorm that threatens to ground every flight in sight.

My recent trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan fell squarely into the latter category.

I flew in for a client meeting and managed to land just in time! Wondering how many hours I had before major storms rolled through. When I woke up this morning, everything outside my hotel window was dusted white. Snow! Fort Lauderdale is not known for snow, this is a sharp contrast to my South Florida life where winter means a light sweater and maybe a breezy evening.

But that’s the thing about this profession: it's not always palm trees and polished briefcases. Sometimes it’s hopping between states, managing unpredictable weather patterns, and adjusting on the fly to whatever the day brings.

I also learned something new: you can ski in Grand Rapids, and it is only 20 minutes from downtown!

The Cannonsburg Ski Area sits just outside the city, complete with chairlifts, slopes, night skiing, and the whole winter-sports experience. As a South Floridian whose “winter sports” typically involve choosing between indoor or outdoor dining, I was genuinely surprised.

It’s moments like these that remind me how diverse, quirky, and unexpectedly charming different corners of the country can be; especially when compared to home. The Midwest has a rhythm all its own, and snow seems to be a character in every story there.

Despite the chill, the trip will be productive, energizing, and a nice change of scenery. And I will be grateful to make it out before the next wave of snow hit. Maybe I willl leave Michigan with a new appreciation for its hidden gems or an even deeper love for South Florida sunshine. Only time will tell, but I can say that the people so far have been so lovely.