Longing for the Mountains
When all is white and the days are short, I can't help but dream about those long (cold) summer nights in high altitude.
Last summer we went on four long hikes in the mountains.
One in the area of Innerdalen (The most amazing place in Norway) and three Go Viking Hikes in Trollheimen (The home of the Trolls).
We are now planning our hikes for 2018 and I am preparing my body for the struggle by walking up and down a steep hill, pulling my son behind me on a sled. He really enjoys it...
I am eagerly longing for the mountains and the sensation of physical exhaustion and mental refill.
We mostly hike with Viking gear and clothes, bringing no more than we can carry.
We stop to drink from the mountain streams, sleep under the stars on reindeer pelts and cook our meals over an open fire.
At night the temperature drops bellow 0 °C and we huddle up under our blankets to keep warm.
These hikes are the most exhausting, but also the most rewarding.
It's funny how tall buildings and big cities freak me out.
When I'm in a big city I feel small, invisible and insignificant.
I get the notion that none of my moves or actions will have an impact on the world surrounding me. That, no matter what I do or say I will remain anonymous, a person who is just one in a million.
I imagine that the monumental concrete buildings may accidentally crush me at any time. Like they are ant hills that might fall over. (Angst).
Walking past tall appartement buildings and large glass window office buildings, I often wonder about the many lives and stories being lived in them. Ant hills, with bodies and souls stacked on top of each other, neatly organized in floors, sections and cubicles.
I admire people who can live and work like this. It takes great mental strength to stay productive and to keep faith in once autonomy and importance when being one in a million.
In the mountains however, I feel safe, visible and significant.
I am a guest and nothing is designed or adapted for my use or comfort.
Where do you feel most comfortable?
