I grew up in the Midwest.  Because of that, whenever I visit, there is something anchoring for me in the smells, the pace, and the visuals that is difficult to describe.  These were all queues to my sense of home when I was a child.  The vocabulary in many of these small towns used to be my vocabulary.  It’s a foundational view of the world that you don’t ever completely shake.

Yet Marshall, Michigan is somehow unique, even among small towns of the Midwest.  There is an almost fantastical clarity to its display that echos a movie set—with props moved, and experiences created as you walk from one street to another.  After two days, I found myself looking in realtor’s windows, wondering if the promise could really be that simple.  

But the reality is, you never really know what’s on the other side of a door.