Truth be told, I have a hard time slowing down.
Even when I’m sitting still, I’m looking for something to read, listening to a podcast, or hatching plans for a new adventure. But last week I went up north to Minnesota’s Boundary Waters where, like it or not, things move slowly. There’s no wifi. And depending on where you are, cell service is mostly unreliable.
So, yes, being there is a forced disconnect from the digital world — or — said differently, it’s a forced connection to your physical surroundings. There’s no choice but to “be where your feet are.”
I’m not complaining though. Doses of analog life are important for my type A brain. I get to spend time with family, walking in the woods, writing down ideas, taking photos, and reading books with real pages.
I get to catch up on sleep and avoid exposure to blue light — though I did accidentally capture this blue hour image one evening while walking back to the cabin…
When you’re up north, there’s a bit of humility that comes with the territory. Everything is magnified. When it’s dark, it’s dark. And when the mosquitos are biting, best believe you’re no longer an apex predator.
Up here, you learn to relinquish some control. I like to think it’s nature’s way of slowing me down, making me pay attention, and urging me to make deliberate choices.
Ironically, I end up feeling more inspired and productive in ways that count vs. spending extraneous energy on the small stuff. Sometimes you really do need to slow down to speed up.
All photos: Leica Q-P
Location: Superior National Forest and BWCA, Minnesota
Coordinates: 48.0010° N, 91.3362° W
