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Zenith City

Soul searching on the shores of Lake Superior

By Isla BerryPublished 3 years ago 5 min read
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The Duluth, MN Aerial Lift Bridge.

Nestled into a hillside on the shores of Lake Superior, sits a city of nearly 80,000 people. While the sheer number of people would qualify this city as anything but small, the folk who call this place home treat it like a small town. Maybe it's the "Minnesota nice," or maybe it's the fact that the next large population of people is over 100 miles away, but the Duluthians treat every stranger like a neighbor.

From the top of the hill, you can see everything: the towering buildings of downtown, the brilliant glimmer of the water, the spanning cliffs of the North Shore, the thousands of trees that make up the Superior National Forest, and the graceful silhouette of the Aerial Lift Bridge. To this day--nearly 7 years later--I still catch my breath every time the city first comes into view; it's that stunning.

To anyone looking to visit Duluth, you won't be disappointed. Lake Superior itself is a wonder to behold, and you won't find many other places that let you watch the 1000 foot ships come through the harbor to port. As you stand on the pier under the lift bridge and watch the ships go by, it's hard not to feel small; it's hard not to think that there are forces at work that are larger than you.

I didn't grow up in Duluth, but I sure did "grow up," if that makes any sense. When I first visited the city on the hill, I was a credulous freshman in college with big dreams and unrealistic aspirations. I didn't know it then, but I never really chose Duluth; Duluth chose me.

Unlike any of the other colleges I applied to, Duluth offered me a chance to join their pre-med track and run for their track and cross country teams. The offer was everything I thought I wanted, so accepting it was a no-brainer.

Once the time came to move away from my small town in the Minneapolis suburbs and head north, I couldn't get out the door fast enough. The city itself is a work of art, and unique in every way. When I came down the hill and glimpsed the city for the first time, I knew I was home.

If I could go back and tell my younger self one thing, it would be to warn her that these next few years would be the most difficult she had ever encountered, but that these experiences would also be the most rewarding. I would have told her that she was going to weather some hard times, lose some people she deeply cared about, and even lose sight of herself. But, I would also tell her that it was all worth it in the end, because the relationships she would form with Duluth and its people would be strong enough to last a lifetime.

My first year in Duluth was a whirlwind. Within only a few months I had broken up with my high-school boyfriend of nearly 3 years, changed my major to psychology, started going to parties every weekend, quit the cross country and track teams, and made some other decisions I would later regret. As a result, I started spiraling towards rock bottom. But it wasn't all bad. Even though I was quite the mess, I made some amazing friends along the way, and created some memories that would last a lifetime.

I still remember the day that I came to the conclusion that I needed to make some changes; in fact, it was the day I took the picture above. It was the middle of January, and we were just about to plunge into the "polar vortex" (a chilling cold that reached -60 degrees Fahrenheit due to the wind chill). For one of my assignments, I needed to capture a picture of something that had historical value. Thus the reason why I was bundled up from head to toe and on my way to the lift bridge that evening.

I about to walk out onto the frozen lake when I tripped over some ice and fell. My face landed on the cold, hard ground. I remember just sitting there for a few minutes with tears streaming down my face and thinking that this was what my life had come to, when I looked up and saw an agate on the ground.

It was a beautiful agate, bright red with distinct lines and patterns. At this point, I knew what I had to do. I picked up the agate, shoved it in my pocket, and started my trek across the ice. When I made it as far as I dared go, I took the agate out of my pocket and chucked it as far as I could. It skidded across the ice for a moment, and then fell with a splash into the water. I'm not sure it the agate represented my past, my regrets, or the guilt I held, but throwing it away made all the difference.

At that point, I made a vow to turn my life around. I started applying to graduate programs, reached out to some old friends, and decided it was time to take better care of my mental health. I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders that day, and knew that I was finally becoming the person I was meant to be.

It's been nearly three years since I left to pursue a master's degree in school psychology, but I recently returned to the city I once and still called home. Now that I'm back in Duluth and living in a small house along the North Shore, I spend my evenings looking out across the water and thinking about the memories I thought I had forgotten. Maybe I didn't grow in inches, but Duluth sure did help me grow into myself.

humanity
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About the Creator

Isla Berry

Fueled by black coffee and Lucky Charms, I'm ready to take on the world one short story at a time. Passionate dog mom, fantasy junkie, and lover of all things steamy.

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