1000 Places to see before you die...

• Prize
  Honorable Mention
• Photographer
  Helen McLain, United States
• Date of Photograph
  2024

There was a year when my life seemed to stop. A long winter, a long illness. I could barely walk, every breath was difficult,and hope slowly faded. My home was rearranged around survival — a wheelchair, oxygen machine, small refrigerator, and microwave all within reach. Others helped me with food and medication. Trapped inside the world of my illness, I searched for small sources of light and optimism. I found one in Patricia Schultz’s 1000 Places to See Before You Die. Dreaming of distant places and future journeys, I slowly began to color my world with hope again.