Written by Keith Durham on behalf of Upstream’s Care for Place Fellowship

As I embarked on our family drives up to Duluth’s prison, the changing seasons painted a mesmerizing tableau before me. The multicolored leaves of autumn unfurled like a vibrant tapestry, adorning the roadside with shades of crimson, gold, and amber. Each twist and turn of the road revealed another breathtaking vista, the foliage reflecting the fleeting beauty of life itself. Amidst this seasonal splendor, the lakes mirrored the azure skies, their tranquil waters offering a serene counterpoint to the journey ahead. The calmness enveloped you, providing a momentary respite from the gravity of your destination.

The clean air of the North Country greeted me with each inhale, a refreshing calm for my lungs but also a poignant reminder of my asthma. While the pristine environment promised relief from the pollutants of city life, it also posed a subtle challenge. The crisp air, laden with the scent of pine and earth, carried with it the weight of my condition, a reminder of the vulnerability amidst nature’s grandeur. Yet, this very vulnerability forged a deeper connection to the landscape, a shared rhythm of breath and existence that transcended the boundaries of health and circumstance. This was the calm I needed to survive the trip.