Last week I was in a slump. Outside the sun shone, but a fog fell over my head. That is, until I met Shirley Costello at Charlestown in Catonsville, Md.

I had gone to the community to photograph someone meditating in the Our Lady of the Angels Chapel for an article on the Erickson Health Quest. Shirley raised her hand to the task, and we walked to the chapel after her workout in the fitness center. We chatted along the way, exchanging small talk.

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I’ve been writing a series in The Erickson Tribune on NorthBay, an outdoor adventure camp and environmental center in North East, Md., located at the top of the Chesapeake Bay. It’s been an amazing and eye-opening experience for me. Not just because I get to escape from the office to the breathtaking beauty of NorthBay’s waterfront campus (and climb the ropes course!), but also because I’ve met amazing kids who have experienced life in a way I never could imagine.

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