I grew up in rural Minnesota and spent most of my childhood playing outside. My husband grew up in Connecticut, and he took his first trip into the BWCA in the winter of 1998 with Outward Bound. It fed his desire to build a life here. When we first met, we enjoyed many camping trips in state parks throughout Minnesota, but the BWCA was a new experience for me. The expansive wilderness is a therapeutic space that calms my thoughts and offers complete respite. It's the perfect place to reset priorities, slow down, and spend more time enjoying extraordinary things.

These experiences are transformative, and something my husband and I want to protect for generations to come. Including Friends of the Boundary Waters in our estate plan was a natural way to ensure these public lands remain protected forever.

Though I'm sure I've been cold, wet, or hungry, those are not the memories that come to mind. The moments that stand the test of time are the bond between beings and their appreciation of the wilderness. On a warm summer trip, I was overjoyed to paddle up to our favorite campsite with its vista of sunset views surrounded by an infinite sky painted with innocent clouds. It was the perfect moment for a swim with my two water-loving Retrievers. I wasn't expecting anything of them, but after a moment, I noticed we were in sync. Every stroke, every breath, even the small current we created, was one.

Many years later, after that beautiful pair had passed, a new canine companion was enjoying the same favorite site. As he learned our base camping routines, he became mesmerized by the shallow water along the shoreline. He gently pawed at small rocks and put his nose under water, looking intently with a sense of wonder. A few days later, his nose took shorter dips, but his tail wagged faster. As I looked more closely, I noticed he figured out how to exhale under water. Those bubbles were his pride and joy. We watched this dog, like others before him, cherish this environment as a tranquil reprieve alongside us.

While many parks and natural spaces have certainly captured me, the BWCA is a unique space. Some people portage for days looking for solitude. Some take a single day trip and head back to a cabin for the night. Others take a short loop during an extended weekend. Many do something in between. Regardless of their route or time beyond an entry point, all have been a guest in a most pristine paddleable bounty of water.

We'll take our 20th return trip to our favorite lake near the Gunflint Trail this fall, and I hope we take 20 more, as it is a respite for us and our water-loving pack. Thinking about all the serenity the Boundary Waters has given us, we realized we wanted to give something back. It is important to protect nature's gift and support the opportunity for future generations to treasure. We are grateful for the strategic planning Friends of the BWCA has developed and are proud to include them in our legacy.

By Gail Harris