Minnesota, Our Home

Few years back, we had never imagined that in time to come, we would be living in one of the coldest places in USA. Then it seemed highly unlikely that coming from the tropical place like India, we would even survive the harsh and six-month long winters of Minnesota, which we proudly call our home now. As a matter of fact, Alaska and Minnesota often compete to be the coldest place in USA. In India, we were so used to live in the summer when maximum temperature used to hover around 40-45° Celsius (104-113° F). There we had never lived in a place where snowfall occurred. Even the winter temperature reached minimum of only 3-5° Celsius (37.4-41° F).

Things changed in 2014. We landed in Minnesota and that too, in winter month. Within few days, we had experienced the temperature going down to -30° Celsius (-22° F). Yes, you read it right! We hated our first winter, and waited for the winter to get over, which proved to be a distant dream for next 6 months. Now i seem to enjoy the winter, because now i can appreciate how the entire landscape and scenery changes in winter with its white blanket of snow everywhere. This gives me plenty of photographic opportunities, and adds variety to my shots. I can never imagine similar shots in my hometown in India, unless i move to the Himalayan regions of India which host snow capped mountains. This year, winter ended last month, and we are enjoying the warm summer days now. To be very honest, spring here is very short, usually less than a month. So, i always mention that we Minnesotans almost directly traverse from winter to summer.

Now i am glad to mention that i love calling Minnesota our home. It is a beautiful state in the mid-west of USA. Especially, as a photographer and someone who loves travelling, i am very much pleased with the natural beauty of the state. From the wilderness of Boundary Waters to the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area – Lake Superior, Minnesota has much to offer in terms of natural beauty. It is the state to more than 10,000 lakes, and pristine locations in the North Shore. With more than a couple dozen Fortune 500 companies based out of the state, Minneapolis is the second biggest job market in mid-west after Chicago. State has one of the best living standards in USA and has lower than nation’s average unemployment rate. Taking the holistic picture of the state, i am proud to make it our home. Probably, the only thing i miss in Minnesota is the snow-capped mountains, but otherwise, there is no dearth of snow in the state during cold months.

Above photograph is of the Duluth North Pier Lighthouse, in the picturesque town of Duluth in the North Shore region of Minnesota.