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the things that come to mind when i think of the time i spend in this little town:

everything is manicured. status symbols abound. the homes here range from mansions to massive estates. people recreate everywhere. everything is clean. there are amenities all around us. people recreate all the time. there are security systems everywhere: gates, cameras, hedges, guards. luxury shopping and dining fills the commercial center. half the people will greet you, half won't acknowledge you. it's green: gardens, trees, and planters throughout the whole town.

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english cream golden retriever in front of local mural for wayzata mn

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this area has a way of creating a hierarchy of those who belong. gates and signs and cameras say the quiet part out loud. i recognize my privilege in being able to disregard these deterrents. you can't really keep a rule-breaker out.

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there are nooks + crannies of delight if you look closely enough. i have seen gnome gardens, free little libraries, splash pads for littles to run around while eating ice cream cones. this is, on its surface, a happy place to be.

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this town makes recreation beautiful. walking trails, beaches on the lake, places to rent canoes and kayaks and even paddleboards. recreation is a priority here and folks have a lot of time to be outside exercising. a luxury they can afford. what do i mean by that? walk down the street in any lower socioeconomic class neighborhood at 1pm. do you see many people recreating? no, because everyone is at work. do you see many folks at parks in the middle of the day? no, working. also, are there even parks in the vicinity? when i say that luxuries that communities and the people who live there can afford, i mean they have met the barrier of entry in living in that community. their personal wealth dictates their schedule, not a manager. their personal wealth gains them entry into towns that property taxes pay for the choice to recreate whenever they desire. this freedom is much harder to come by if you're smack in the middle of a social class that can't afford these benefits.

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wayzata was founded in 1854 and soon became a railroad transportation hub connecting lake minnetonka to minneapolis and st. paul. the historic railroad and depot in town was built in 1906 by james j. hill, the railroad barron. he was one of the most prominent and wealthy americans in the gilded age. once the railroad was established wayzata, being a mere 25 miles from our state capital, became the summer home and travel destination of minnesota's elites.

some of the elites i speak about, you may not know their names, but you will definitely know the names of the businesses they started: pillsbury, general mills, con-agra, and more. wayzata's early settlers paved the way for new generations of wealthy families and celebrities to settle here.

you can learn more about the history and historical significance of wayata here: https://wayzatahistoricalsociety-org.depotmaps.com/index.html

https://steamboatminnehaha.org/

https://www.lakeminnetonkahistory.org/

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this town feels like an escape, even if you live here. almost like a shield from the world's heaviness. beauty is all around. serene landscapes. places to ground yourself. it's a bit of a competition between garden club members and their landscape designers.

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i love being next to water. it gives me so much life. even when it's frozen over and 15° out, it still energizes me. this lake is the life force of this community. whether we are boating on it or ice fishing, this is the crown jewel of wayzata.

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this town has shaped my health for a year

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this town has shaped my health for a year

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i am the help.

i don't live in wayzata, i work here. i take care of people's pets here. so while i am here seven days a week, i only sort of belong. like, transactionally belong. this work has rewired my brain on my definition of health, especially my own.

so many of the notions of health held by the residents of wayzata have been out of reach for me because i am from a different social class. but because i am paid to be here, i get to recreate and exercise every single day. i get to be in nature every day. i have access to healthy food, clean air, and happy people. you simply cannot be unhappy in such a beautiful place, right?

i have lost 60 pounds walking the dogs of wayzata. i drink tons of water. i don't each much fast food anymore. i breathe deeply, smile, and interact with people more. i am happier now. because of this place.

i think year two in wayzata, i will believe i truly belong here.

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this is the only hotel in town. it makes me feel like a wes anderson scene. it's whimsical and luxurious and has one of the best hospitality cultures of any hotel I've been to outside of nyc/boston.

this town only has about 4,000 people year round. but it has world-class food, hospitality, culture, and recreation.

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i love food and i love hospitality and the areas surrounding lake minnetonka offer the best of both of these worlds.

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i belong to the local wayzata chamber of commerce and events like the chilly open - which is a golf tournament held on the frozen lake - allows me to connect with other local businesses. their events tend to cater to upper echelon activities like golf, that aren't a part of my life, so it makes me feel a schism between myself and others.

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the lake is a focal point for us all year long. it's such an amazing space to gather or to have some quiet time to reflect.

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summer has arrived early - meet me in wayzata pt 2

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summer has arrived early - meet me in wayzata pt 2

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may 6th 2025 - this weekend it will be in the 90's. which is the earliest on record in 146 years of record keeping. as a working class person who depends on the weather being reasonable for the season we are in, this worries me a lot. i look around wayzata and see massive gas-guzzlers everywhere. people not recycling. trash in our lake and litter on the streets. chemicals everywhere from pesticides in the air to kill all the mosquitos and fertilizer across all their perfectly manicured lawns.

this is where i feel apart from this community. i suppose if you don't have to work outside, who cares if you don't take care of it? i love where i work but summer reminds me of how different i am to this place.

i love dandelions. i pick up litter every day. i am a good visitor to this community because i am exposed to it intimately, every day of the week. seeing 90 degree days in may in minnesota scares me because i think the people here and their behavior of not caring and taking places for granted, is causing climate change. and that could have severe implications to my work and ability to support my family.

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developers have purchased this whole block to tear down and build luxury condos

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i've spent a lot of time taking the cutest photos of my dog clients in front of this mural. and it will be destroyed by the demolition of this historic building to put up expensive condos.

i think it's ironic that it says love local and they've shut down 4 local businesses to do this. one of my clients owns the little shop on the corner. she signed a lease in march of 2024, did a ton of work inside to make it look beautiful, and by Thanksgiving they were given notice the property was sold.

i love the evolution of places but i really love when places protect the little guys.

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i hope the owners love this little symbiotic stump as much as i do.

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i hope the owners love this little symbiotic stump as much as i do.

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i walk by this stump every day. i took mycology classes in school and am fascinated by how mushrooms bloom where they plant themselves. they are developers of places. literal trailblazers in the world. they show up where you least expect and i love that about them.

i really love the "bloom where you're planted" mantra. mushrooms find opportunity and jump on it. because mushrooms don't produce chlorophyll, they have to destroy organic material to gather nutrients. and when the nutrients have all been extracted and the source of that nutrition is all but destroyed, it turns into the elements of soil. soil to grow new things to feed on when the time is right.

i think i'm like a mushroom. i found a place like wayzata and began extracting what I need out of it. i might not belong here, but i will continue to make a living here. this symbiotic relationship i have with this town is allowing me to bloom. my team, my family and my clients as well. we will feed off of each other for as long as we can and when that nutrition dies off, i'll find a new way to keep blazing trails for myself.