Minnesota is a place I have known intimately for over 20 years. A span of collective years far greater than any other place I have lived. Minnesota is where I grew up finding adventure in the varied environment my family chose as my first home.

Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes. Stunningly, beautiful lakes and rivers with pine forests and natural habitats. It’s inspiring to have a natural canvas in your own backyard. Intense color paints the landscape and fades into muted pastels as the seasons change. The environment unveils a dramatic change in appearance as the calendar year moves forward to the next season. Changing seasons yield transformation, altering the very nature of the surroundings you live in. You learn to adapt to constant change.

Minnesota is a lesson in the “Art of the Seasons.” You gain wisdom from past seasons that influence your perspective of future seasons. You develop an openness to embrace the changing landscape while looking forward to the next seasonal change. It teaches you to focus on the things you can control and find value in the things you can’t. It is a formidable life lesson.

Fall is my favorite time of year. The crisp, chill in the air as you wrap yourself in your favorite cable knit sweater. You start your first fire in the fireplace. Neighbors visit together as everyone rakes fallen leaves in their yards. You smile at the sight of your breath exhaled as you step outside. You visit the apple orchard for fresh apple cider. It’s a sensory experience.

Fall is when Mother Nature takes a bow surrounded by a theater of amazing autumn color and exits the stage for the introduction of winter. I marvel at the Fall season every year, and it’s worthy of a standing ovation every time.

Winter in Minnesota is a lessor favorite. Anyone who has experienced “feels like” -35 degrees below zero will nod their head in agreement. You never quite understand how this temperature drop is possible. It just is. It’s a skill test to ensure you complete any outside task in 20 minutes or less. An adventurous change to the countless hours you spent basking in the sun at the lake this past summer.

Now you strategize how to get the mail, take the garbage out, unload groceries, and shovel the driveway in 20 minutes or less to prevent frostbite. (Ideally, 15 minutes in case calculations are off.) Mother Nature bringing humor to the art of the seasonal process.

Minnesota is a perfect place to master the “Art of the Seasons.” It’s where I learned to find beauty and value in the environment as it continued to change. It’s where I became comfortable adapting to the forces I could not control.

Growing up in Minnesota is where I became confident I could live anywhere in the World, and ultimately, feel right at home.