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	<img alt="" src="{filedir_5}Alyssa TN.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 188px; float: left;" />It&rsquo;s been almost two weeks since I left Michigan and I still find myself thinking about it almost every day! Even a couple days after I was back home here in the Twin Cities, I already wanted to pack up my stuff and head back again!&nbsp; The thing that makes northern Michigan special to me is how quiet and peaceful it is.&nbsp; Being a city girl, it took a while for me to get used to living in a small town.&nbsp; There are no shopping malls or coffee shops down the road, and the closest ones were about 45 minutes away.&nbsp; It&rsquo;s safe to say that I was definitely out of my element!&nbsp; After the second week however, I found myself beginning to enjoy the quiet life of the north woods.&nbsp; I had time to think about what I wanted to do with my life and to spend time with God, and I didn&rsquo;t have distractions to keep me from thinking about those things, as I know I would have if I was back home.&nbsp; Looking back, this is what I needed at this time of my life - to get my priorities in order and to let God direct me in the coming months after graduation.&nbsp;</p>
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	<img alt="Photo Credit: Micheal Cannon " src="{filedir_5}Minny Skyline 250.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 166px; float: right;" />I also find myself more in tune with nature here in Minneapolis.&nbsp; I keep looking up to the sky in search for birds, as well as keeping my ears open to hear them. Just the other day I had two awesome encounters with animals in the city.&nbsp; The first was witnessing a group of deer walking through my neighbor&rsquo;s backyard and the second was seeing a bald eagle soaring above a busy street during rush hour!&nbsp; As I saw the bald eagle flying above the cars, I turned my head to see if anyone else was watching it. Sadly, it seemed like I was only one to notice this great bird flying above us.&nbsp; I feel like I am more connected to the environment than I have ever been in my life, and as time goes on I hope I don&rsquo;t loose that connection.&nbsp;</p>
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	<img alt="" src="{filedir_5}Empire Bluff.jpg" style="width: 188px; height: 250px; float: left;" />I do have a back up plan though, and that is to pack up my things and head back to northern Michigan.&nbsp; If my life here in Minneapolis doesn&rsquo;t keep me occupied and if the staff lets me, I&#39;d love to see what Au Sable&#39;s campus looks like when there&#39;s no snow!</p>
