December 3 – Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors). (Author: Ali Edwards)The moment that stands out most for me this year was arriving at a long-deserved vacation in Tofte, MN. After spending eight hours slowly making our way from the southwest Twin Cities on a gray and rainy day, we arrived at our final destination in the small north Lake Superior village of Tofte, MN. The best part of this vacation was the fact that I won a three night stay at this fabulous resort and outside of meals and gas, this vacation was free and that is the right price for me.
I remember stepping out of our vehicle and finally being able to do something at a leisurely pace. We slowly unpacked our bags, we slowly explored the two-floor condo-style hotel room, we slowly figure out how best to occupy ourselves for the next few days.
The best part of the entire experience was sleeping literally a few dozen feet from Lake Superior. Until you've stood on its rocky shoreline, you don't quite grasp the power of this lake. A lake which has swallowed ships whole, a lake which had changed the fortues of the northern cities in Minnesota and a lake which, to certain extent, defines the state which I call home.
The fresh, crisp breeze blowing off the lake was invigorating. Even at a brisk 55 degrees, the air felt pleasant. It felt clean. It felt like I could move there one day and hone my photographic skills and make a meager, if not pleasant, living off of the area. The entire north shore of Lake Superior seems to be an artistic haven which centers around the hospitality (tourist) trade and seeing just what these artists do on a daily basis for their jobs makes a fellow "artist" like myelf feel inspired. I came back from this trip after experiencing pure relaxation and felt instantly inspired. I vowed to simply "get out". I plan to find art where others see normalcy. If you look at anything, there's always something -- when captured via a photograph -- that becomes art.
That moment, standing on the black, glassy rocks above the white, crashing waves of Lake Superior made me realize that this was much more than a vacation, it was the greatest form of inspiration I had experienced in 2010. In that very moment, as I snapped off photos of my surroundings, I knew that this was somehow a turning point for the year, if not my life. Seeing what inspires these northern Minnesota artists inspired me and that was "The Moment".
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