11.19.2008

I left my heart...

Every year that I can remember growing up we vacationed on the North Shore of Lake Superior. And by vacationed, I mean we snuck up there for a quick weekend before Dad had to get back to print the newspaper. It was often (maybe always) Labor Day weekend. A last hurrah, if you will. {A weekend my own little family will never vacation on because it will be saved for Fantasy Football auctions from now until Jesus comes back. But I digress.} Sometimes we camped. Sometimes we stayed in a cabin. Sometimes a hotel. We threw rocks in the lake. We did some climbing and hiking. We devoured some books.

When it was time to go to college, I knew I wanted to live in Duluth. Surely UMD would be a good enough school. I didn't apply anywhere else, or bother with a campus visit until long after it was too late. Didn't matter. I was living in Duluth.

It was in Duluth that I met Captain America before classes had even started. In Duluth I really got to know Jesus. In Duluth I spent my first year of marriage. In Duluth I spent countless hours by the lake, looking at ships or rocks or waves.

All this to say, that is why driving down the hill into Duluth this past weekend was like going home.

Speaking of home, this was our first apartment. The 3 windows on the round part, and the 2 to the right of those.


The lift bridge.

Whoa! There's a ship going out! Yeah, this is the view from our hotel.

The ship's just starting to go under the bridge. When you're watching these things from your hotel room, you really start to notice how incredibly early they start lifting the bridge.

Oh Duluth. You will always have a piece of my heart. Even when it's 30 degrees and windy.

7 comments:

Libby Design said...

Great post, Sarah. I feel the same way about Duluth. I chose not to go there for college right off the bat for a few reasons, number one being I didn't want to look like the loser sister who was following her twin brother there. But I ended up there anyways!! Every time I drive down the hill into Duluth I just feel like sighing a big sigh of relief...like you said - home at last. Too bad I can't convince my hubby to even entertain the idea of ever living there. Nope, instead, I'll be the 1 out of 4 Peterson kids who don't live there...which means I'll forever be "out of the loop". Sad. I'd give anything to be able to just run over to one of my brother's houses just to hang out on any given day. Oh well. We can always go visit. :)

Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parenting said...

So lovely, I completely understand *hugs*

Anonymous said...

I totally agree. There is something about the North Shore that says, "welcome home" in a way no other part of the state does. We have tried to make it up there at least once a year since we got married. It will always be a special place in our hearts.

Amy said...

Oh, that was lovely. My husband, too, would NEVER entertain the idea of living there again. It makes me miss it all. And it makes me miss you and Captain America.

Katie said...

Thanks for helping me remember why we choose to live here. :)

Anonymous said...

So fun to see those familiar sights.

Ahhh.... MN.

jersey said...

Thanks for the inspiration for a posting of my own. (Shameless plug: Posting here)

I wound up in Duluth to go to school on a total Lark, and there are times when I miss it. I think it's more the era of my life that I miss than the area, but Duluth will still have a special place in my heart. Thanks for taking me on the trip to the past.