Back to the Wilderness - Freckled Travelling

After almost a year and a half of being at home in Romania, as excited as I was to travel again, it felt quite weird to leave my “bubble of isolation”.

This is a good reminder that sometimes, we find it more comfortable to stay in the same place than to keep moving, even though we know we’re not where we truly want to be.

Travelling across the ocean is something I’ve done quite a bit. This time, I came back to the beautiful wilderness of Minnesota, where I spent a significant amount of time in the past 4 years.

Minnesota holds a really special place in my heart. This is where I saw the Northern Lights for the first time. This is where I saw the moon rising out of the lake for the first time.

_{September 2017, Tofte, MN, picture by Anton Davkov}

This is where I realized how therapeutic and magical nature is for me and my wellbeing. As strange as it may sound, I barely explored the beautiful nature of Romania. Most of my outdoorsy adventures happened halfway across the world.

_{Zip lining by the US/Canada border}

There are a few more reasons why Minnesota is so dear to my heart, but maybe I’ll tell you about them in another post. For now, let me tell you how I ended up in this gorgeous area called the North Shore.

My first time in Minnesota was in 2017. I had been in the US before, but never in this area and I didn’t know much about this state. I actually ended up here by chance.

Back in 2017, I was still a student and I wanted to return to the US for another summer of the Work and Travel program. I had spent two summers in Ocean City, Maryland on the East Coast and I wanted to try something new and different this time.

Because I had spent the previous 6 months and a half of 2016 travelling around the US and South America, by the time I returned home and signed up for the program, most locations were no longer available.

I received a list of job opportunities and picked 3 that sounded good, without looking too much into it. As it turned out, 2 of them were no longer available and the third one, you guessed it, was a resort job in Minnesota.

Back then, I didn’t know that I would return to the same place so many times, yet here I am 4 years later, returning to Minnesota for another 6 months of adventures in the wilderness.

The North Shore is a gorgeous area along the shore of Lake Superior in Northern Minnesota. Also called the land of 10.000 lakes, Minnesota is home to over 50 State and National Parks. A true sanctuary for nature lovers. My favorite experiences here involve some sort of outdoor activities.

_{The North Shore}

After 3 seasons spent here, I want to share 3 things I love about the North Shore:

1. The people

Minnesotans are some of the kindest and friendliest people I’ve ever met. Even from my first few days, I was welcomed with so much kindness and appreciation. People here went above and beyond to help me out with whatever I needed, without even knowing me. I was surely amazed, at first, and I continue to be grateful to this day.

2. Lake Superior

Lake Superior is just mesmerizing. As I wrote in my previous article, I love being by the water. I always pictured myself living somewhere by the sea or the ocean, yet I ended up living by Lake Superior.

As you can see in the picture, it’s almost the same thing. The largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area, it really behaves a lot like the sea. You can’t see the other end from where I am and the waves are just like sea waves. It’s just missing that salty vibe and it’s incredibly cold for most of the year, so a bit challenging to swim in.

3. The wilderness

Living at the edge of the wilderness has its perks. As an introvert, I appreciate the silence, the soothing sounds of nature and not seeing a lot of people. It’s what helps me recharge, so I can engage and be present when I do spend time with people.

_{View from my balcony, June, 2019}

Because I grew up in the countryside and spent so much time here, I can’t imagine moving to a big city or living in an apartment building surrounded by the noise and constantly changing dynamic of a crowded place.

Somehow, this place feels still. I can breathe easily here. I don’t have the urge to rush.

_{Somewhere on the North Shore}

Every week, I go on a nature immersion. Whether it’s a hike, a bike ride or a short canoe trip, I get everything I need to keep moving forward. Not to mention that I am surrounded by nature on my daily walk to work. The wilderness is my safe container. It’s my therapy.