"End? No, the journey doesn't end here"

 A breach in the motion of the accepted plan, in the expectations of "your life path". It has become customary to force ideas of the schedule onto one's life based off past experiences and interests.

"This is the best ever!"

A year ago, my whole head and heart were yearning to be accepted into a graduate program to continue my studies as a physicist, a facade I was unaware I was wearing. As graduation got closer and closer, I began to realize that going back to school immediately was not what I wanted or needed, but it was what was expected of me to do in order to be "successful". The turmoil of trying to convince myself that "I just needed a break in the summer" and "I really did want this commitment right now" became exhausting and I began to live in fear of getting accepted into a program.

Graduation: First day of my Freedom

At that time did I have any conception of the fact I would buy an impromptu, one way ticket to the lands of viking and trolls with almost no plan at all? Of course not, that would be silly and rash! Careful planning and logic are reserved for adults and I'm clearly not ready to grow up yet.

 I am now back home in the kingdom of the Rocky Mountains having left Norway on January 7th. While I was excited to get back home and see family and friends, when I stepped on the plane in Oslo I felt a pit of homesickness, and not for Colorado.

After the chaos of the conference was over, the air about the island was at peace again. Honestly all I wanted to do was sleep and I was able to sneak in some well deserved shut eye before getting back on my feet.

No time like nap time :) 

In celebration of the end of our Manshausen mayhem, Mie, Stein and myself took a short boat tour around the island in the neighboring waters. It was so quiet; the air was still, sitting with a sharp cold that was re-setting the tone from the past week.

.

Sebastian returned the day before Mie and I were set to leave and, for me, it was a nice happy reunion to have everyone back on the island. We celebrated Mie's birthday that evening with wine and the plethora of leftovers waiting in the fridge.

The thought of having to catch the ferry the next morning instilled a pang of dread, in part because I was leaving this island and Norway that had become my home, in part because I was leaving these people I had grown so close to and mainly because I was leaving brown cheese and all this food! (just kidding guys, I miss you more than the food 😉)

Last Dinner on Manshausen

As per the theme of December weather, a storm was on its way to the island! Go figure...and to no surprise the ferry ended up getting cancelled and there was a thought that the bus was not heading down to Bodø either. I was panicked. As much as I wanted to stay, missing my flight home was not on my itinerary. Mie and I were able to catch the bus the night of the 6th and we parted ways with the island. Back in October, I never thought the day would come that I would actually start on my journey home but there I was (and don't tell anyone, but I was totally fighting back tears), saying my goodbyes to Sebastian, the island and the sheep. Just like that, Manshausen and the man in the yellow jacket faded into the black of the evening as we drove away.

The bus took longer than expected and we reached Bodø a little before midnight and since Mie and I both had early flights we set up camp in the airport. My last bed in Norway was the bench next to bag drop.

"Just shut your eyes, and imagine you're back in your own bed, with a soft mattress and a lovely feather pillow."

After arriving in Oslo, the rays of the sun started trickling through the window as we sipped on coffee waiting for Mie's train to arrive. It was the weirdest sensation ever! I don't even know how to describe the whirlwind of astonishment going on in my head. It was so beautiful yet so unwelcome at the same time and I couldn't stop laughing...I don't know why, the Sun doesn't have very good jokes but whatever.

The Gold Medal list

Mie and I said our goodbyes before she headed down to the train and I to my gate. Stepping onto the plane, I was headed back. By no means should I have expected my trip home to be a smooth one; when I landed in Reykjavík, due to technical difficulties at the terminal, I broke space and time making it through customs and sprinting to my gate and arriving at the last possible second. I suppose it was the Universe's way of reminding me that I needed to start working off the copious amounts of brown cheese and other delectables I have consumed the past month. 

Eye Candy of the North. I will miss this every night.

Now that I am back it feels like I have never left but the amount of living I have done the past two and a half months makes me feel as if I have been away for a year. When I was flying over Greenland I was living all of my adventures in a daydream and an overwhelming sadness came over me, but I smiled. I smiled because even though all of these experiences, special connections and situations I have encountered on this trip can never be duplicated ever again, they have happened. And in the end, it all brought me so much joy. I just lived the s*** out of life and It. Was. Awesome.

When it's cold out but you're repping Odell so it doesn't matter. Flateryi, Iceland

Every person I encountered was a special piece to the whole of my trip, so here is a shout out to all my Viking Tour people! To Ulfur who showed me my first taste of Icelandic hospitality when I was on the verge of crying into my hamburger from a mixture of exhaustion and aloneness, to Rico whose immediate friendship helped me settle into my stay in Iceland, to my University ladies who took me in, basically saved my life and took care of me when I needed it the most, to Thomas and Aaron who adopted me into their life where I got my first experience of Norwegian culture and enjoyed mushing adventures, to Anna for being my long lost sister (and how we have never met before this trip is just a crime to humanity ;)), to Nora and Beana because you two are awesome and adorable, to Sebastian for not hating me for missing the stop at Nordskott and being the best company to be stuck on an island with, to Børge for giving me the opportunity to work and be stuck on his island for a month, to Regina and family for taking me in and showing me a traditional Norwegian Christmas, to Bengt for the New Years help, company and talk of adventure and dog sledding, to Mie and braving the island alone together even when chaos struck, to Stein who tirelessly drove the boat back and forth for us in good and *cough* not so good weather and of course to Napoleon and my Dream Team! Thank you to everyone!
  

Sheep Headquarters

The great burden of "expectations" has been lifted and I rest happy with the knowledge that I decided to break that mold, jump off the ledge of my comfort zone and do this. I have the freedom to live now, with no guilt of doing "what I should" or "what is right".

"It doesn't matter where it's going, what matters is deciding to get on." -Polar Express

If we mourn because of the past we miss out on being filled with the joy that once had come from it

We often forget to "get on" as it were. Life is one hell of a ride my friends and whether it is good, bad or boring, be filled with the present, carry the spirit of the past and wake with anticipation for the future.

This is getting too preachy for my taste and I apologize. But seriously, all this preachy stuff has fueled my freedom, all because I "decided to get on".

Thank you to all that followed (and were part of) this crazy trip I decided to take! Norway, I look forward to my return. Skål!

Nyttår!

Smørbrød. Sandwich, directly translated, butter bread. Why does this fact linger on my mind? I haven't the faintest idea, but it is the small wonders of life that make your average day worth talking about. 

This stretch of New Years holiday time is everything worth talking/writing about, so grab a coffee or a cocktail and read on for the first great story of 2017!

Manshausen in a wind storm 

We had guests arrive shortly after Christmas and the island, Mie, Napoleon and his Dream Team and myself were all prepared for these human creatures to come grant us with their company. Mie handled the cooking which allowed me to go about my business continuing to limit my interaction with human beings; it can be scary transitioning back into the human world after being a sheep for so long. 

Earned my Sheep Card. Baaaaaaa

All 4 of the sea cabins were booked for New Years Eve and we had a collage of nationalities and personalities here on the island. I found that one of the special qualities of Manshausen is not these award winning sea cabins or the famous explorer that owns it (but those are pretty cool aspects as well, let's be real) but the personable nature of the island. It's small, very small, so when it is populated it becomes a temporary community. New Years was celebrated by groups of people who entered as strangers but then came together as family.

In This Issue: Manshausen laced with snow

Traveling ALONE makes you think that one would get lonely or feel like they are on a "self discovery" escapade. Grant it, I have felt lonely on occasion, but on a whole I've felt more fulfilled and surrounded by "family" than I ever have. I haven't known anyone here for very long, and some I may never see again, but each person has filled part of the hole that is "completeness" in my conscious. For a few years now I've been "itching"; nothing felt settled, everything seemed to be floating in 0 gravity around me and while I was surrounded by everyone and everything I loved I could never seem to keep everything together. I've been anxious, in every physical sense of the word.

This will never get old

Even the Asian disaster (another bar story to be asked about in person) somehow completed this crazy mess of uncertainty in my head and, while nothing is at peace in my mind, my little brain astronauts have finally got their act together and secured all the nonsense in my head.

Suddenly, after the New Years festivities were over and one by one everyone parted ways, chaos ensued and alone was no longer a word in my vocabulary *cue suspenseful music*

Accompanying Børge to Manshausen a few days ago was a group of 18 people coming for a conference. I was prepared. Everything was set up and cleaned except the cabins because people were checking out that morning, but I planned my diligence that I would be able to get everything completed before their arrival and then...BLACKOUT. That was not a word I wanted to hear from a guest during breakfast. All the lights in the cabins and the conference room were out. Excellent. Absolutely excellent.

Dried fish

 I've duct taped hoses that have been torn in half, I've fixed door handles, I've learned to communicate with sheep, I've helped moved flooring and building materials from the mainland to the island in a dinky little boat, I've even been told that I could have a career in baking if I didn't want to do physics so what is one little "blackout" to add to the list. On a morning that had a schedule laced like a corset. With 18 guests arriving. On an island with no easy access to an electrician. Ha. I see no issues.

Clearly there were issues. After being on the phone for a few hours and trouble shooting multiple circuits and being mystified with the causes of this event, the guests arrived, the cabins were decorated with post New Years chaos and there was still no power. I was heading down to the dock to start the final troubleshooting to find what exactly was causing he problem I saw the boat, masses of people in puffy jackets and suitcases were marching my way, so instead of going about my business I turned and ran back to the building in a panic with the intention of hiding...because that's how adults solve problems. Duh. 

The cause of the power outage is still not fully figured out, but for the sake of "the show must go on!" we got them up and running again.

"New Year new me" bulls**. I bake and am a unicorn now. Fight me. Skål

The rest of their stay was busy as ever; constant running around serving and cleaning and fixing and doing other chores, we never had a chance to sit down. Up until 1400 today I was pulling 15-17 hour days and running on 3-4 hours of sleep per night since December 30th. My feet still hurt.

The pain of the work day was soothed with the gourmet meals provided by the chef that was hired in to cater this event: Halvar Ellingsen. I have never eaten such food in my life before. Everything danced and died in my mouth just as God intended it to in an intoxicating cycle that is "taste and digest".  It was 5 star dinners all around, almost to fancy for me to be in the same vicinity.

Food and Stuff.

We now have enough food to last till Armageddon; this group over-estimated how much they would be eating for breakfast and snacks so leftovers and other fun things must be eaten soon!

I escaped for some peace during this tumultuous time so as to not fully go crazy. The weather has been quiet (God be Praised! -yes, you must say it in that voice please) and the last glimpse of the sunsets have been the supporting course to the meals that are for eyes only. One evening I had to go sit myself down at the south side of the island so I could be alone and let the dark silk ripples of the water flood my focus so I could watch the orange and red of the sky without a thought. It was an angry sky, Venus and Mars pierced the black that sat above the red horizon practically blinding the viewer. But the balance was restored with easy pastel lights yesterday afternoon.

I like sheep butts and I cannot lie.

I am honestly not quite sure what sort of coherent nonsense I have told to you today, or if I was able to convey the craziness that was the unforgettable start of 2017. I am still tired, but happy to ramble on and reminisce on recent days.

During these events snow has finally come to Manshausen. I have been anticipating snowfall since I left my mountains and the loud silence of the coastal snowflakes satisfied that hunger.

"Ah, excuse me, Marina. Can you fix weather? There snow on ground. Where are the studs on the Kayak?"

These hectic days can provide for wonderful stories to tell around the campfire someday with s'mores. The details will eventually fade and I will be left with only the summary of these past few days to recite at social gatherings for the years to come.

The turmoil of the logic behind "smørbrød" will be burned into my brain, as if it were an immortally fresh memory as will the joyous awe of the watching the heavy snowflakes fall to rest on the ground. Never losing the thoughts of the "now", never losing the curiosity of the mundane, as if it were all just one rippling moment that continues forever. I'm not sure what is owed to be taken away from that, but it carries weight to meditate on. 

Boats and floating islands

Arctic Christmas

When your inner genius presents itself, surrender your creativity and let it flourish! I only bring light to this inspiring piece of advise because as I sit and ponder what to write about, I am indulging in my avant-garde dessert creation: The Norwegian S'more. Like I said in my previous post, food is now at the fore-front of my thoughts again, and this my friends is euphoric.

The Norwegian S'more consists of two slices of a Norwegian waffle, a roasted marshmallow and brown cheese to substitute for chocolate. And now we hear the crowd gasp in disgust thinking of putting cheese with a marshmallow, I know at least half of you had a reaction to that. Brown cheese is not really cheese, must I repeat myself?! It's sweet so it works splendidly with a marshmallow. Today's lesson: never rein in that little genius, you never know what may come from it.

Clearly all I want to do is tell you about food, but back to the stories of my life abroad.

To slowly ease into travel stories from food, I did catch dinner the other night! Dinner and then some...The healthy sized cod I managed to lure onto my hook was literally right in the middle of dinner himself. In pulling the hook out I also pulled out a crab, and another crab, and another; these crabs just kept falling out of his mouth! Later I found even more in his gut. At least he died with a fully belly, and that to me is important.

When on and Island...

Last time I recorded my thoughts into the internet I was alone on an island dreaming of a white Christmas. I repeat myself but this year was my first non-white Christmas! Exciting but opposite of the assumption that there would be snow in December in Norway north of the Arctic Circle, now that is a story to tell!

My dearest Napoleon was kind enough to leave a surprise early Christmas gift for me this year. A broken window! Huzza! Our handsome ram was challenging his reflection in the middle of the night when nobody was around to chase him off, but good news is, he won! I was not thrilled...

The First Gift of Christmas!

When I asked him if he had broken the window he sassed me! Call me crazy. This ram came over to check on me while I was cleaning up his mess and his response to "You s** of a b**** did you do this to the window?!" was smirking, cocking his head to one side, turning and strutting away. HE STRUTTED AWAY AFTER INSPECTING THE FRUITS OF HIS DISASTROUS LABOR! I GOT SASSED BY A RAM! This is my life right now...and it's fantastic :) Follow-up: he's still walking around the island all proud of himself for defeating his reflection...PoundSignRamPride

The look you get when you ask your ram if he had anything to do with the broken window

A very nice family (the woman who cooked meals for the guests we had when I first arrived) had me over for a traditional Norwegian Christmas Eve dinner. We had stick meat, which is the rib of a sheep that has been salted and boiled, and for dessert molte berries and cream. The molte is THE Norwegian berry; it is almost like a blackberry but orange and a fresher tart taste. It was a Viking-like dinner!

I brought some of my own traditions to share; some makeshift pizzelles (the Italian Christmas cookies) and after dining and drinking we sat down and watched the Polar Express, a Koepke tradition. I stayed ashore that night and spent the better part of Christmas Day with them relaxing, reading and watching the local wildlife. I was gifted a silver necklace of Steigen fish that morning which they said signified I am now part of the community! I cried (on the inside!) receiving it :')

Get artsy at Christmas

This will be a Christmas I will forever remember. The hospitality I was given filled the homesick slot I would have otherwise felt being away from my family. As much as I thought Christmas would be hard away from home, it was not. My weekend was filled with so much joy and good company that I felt at home here; I am connected to these Norwegian people and I share in their lifestyle. But I am still baffled by the lack of snow.

To top off my arctic Christmas, there was a full evening of an aurora show. The most resplendent Christmas lights in the world :)

Christmas lights on Manshausen 

A storm is brewing in the north. The for-runners of the stampede of wind and hail have already arrived and I pray that my tie-down jobs will hold everything to the island.

But now all I can do is wait out the rage, this time with hot chocolate for comfort and Mark Twain for guidance and hoping the sheep will find good shelter tonight.

Two of my favorite things: my sheep and the aurora

Robinson Crusoe

"Do not fear the storm", they say. "This too shall pass." Or that is what I believe whoever "they" is would have been saying if all my senses weren't flooded by the deep roaring of the wind and the shattering of raindrops and sea waves.

All I heard was "welcome to winter on the coast" as the wood and windows moved in time with the weather; so I sat, staring into the dark abyss of the morning and sipped my coffee.

Maybe I'll need a life buoy if this wind keeps up

The eerieness of this morning was not only a result of the storm but the fact that I am now alone on Manshausen, save The Dream Team and Napoleon. Sebastian left yesterday morning and once he left, the island had an immense, yet contained, vastness weighing in the air; I was (and still am) alone out on a chunk of land surrounded by water.

Ladies and GentleRam (this is probably my most popular picture on facebook to date)

Once again, many days (and even a full moon) have passed since I dedicated time to this blog but fear not! there will be no epic of events to report in this post, just everyday life that has been continuing.

Now that my stomach has finally exhausted itself (save a couple flare-ups of pain), food has once again become the light of my life. The Norwegians have something called brown cheese (brunost or G35) which is the whey leftover from making goat cheese. There is probably brown cheese flowing through my veins as I am unashamedly addicted to it...on that thought, somebody get me an IV!...I have an idea ;)

For those that know me well, I don't do anything in the kitchen unless it is eating so you will be proud to know I've been putting many hours into making somewhat eatable dishes! One of which were Norwegian waffles. Thinner and sweeter than our traditional waffles and have the opportunity for a plethora of toppings (yes brown cheese being one of them) and a shockingly scrumptious combination of sour cream and jelly.

Norwegian Waffles

I also had a go at cooking whale (for you granola crunching do-gooders please put down your phone and stop dialing PETA, people eat whale here, it's a thing so calm down). The whale was lacking in flavor contrary to what the brain assumed it would taste like due to the royal violet color of the meet. It was almost like beef heart (or at least it smelled like what we feed our dogs 😋).

On clear nights, the aurora continues to grant us with dazzling performances. Just the other night was the most sensational show I have seen yet. There were storm clouds hugging the horizon to the south-west and there was a tease of a potentially huge display aurora activity. Being patient and optimistic, we waited under the backdrop of the night.

The Seven Sisters in the light of the full moon

The patience was rewarded with multiple rivers of green, violet and a little yellow threading themselves through the storm clouds. It is almost like watching music; the green notes striking each chord in different routines before dissolving back into the night, all as the atmosphere commands.
For this event the camera was inside and will be forever have a place in my mind's album, but unfortunately can only be portrayed through the image of words.

Sometimes it is important to step out from behind the lens of a camera or the screen of a phone and be in life because that memory will stay with you forever (disregarding the possibility of alzheimer's...sorry bad joke).

That being said, pictures are always a nice touch :) 

Look for the Big Bear!

I wouldn't say I can speak any Norwegian at all...but I have been learning a few words here and there. Maybe someday I will be able to carry on a conversation :)

I suppose I could go on forever talking about the stars (stjerne) and brown cheese and the odds and ends of the Norwegian culture that is slowly seeping into my brain, but we can talk about all those wonderful things over a beer in person someday.

I must go back to myself as company and reflect on being the only human being on an island off the coast of Norway north of the arctic circle...in December...with sheep and a ram... (getting to the point of Daenerys length titles now) because how many people can say that?

"Wool ewe share some baarown cheese with us?" -The Dream Team

Sea and Mountains Meet

I have arrived at my next and final stop on my Viking Tour and I have been welcomed with quite the busy week!

I left Tromsø on Monday December 5th with sweet but sad goodbyes. My flight took me a few degrees south from 69th parallel down to a city by the name of Bodø at the 67th.  The flight was brief, but being above the clouds in the north you can see the vast orange of the sun skirting the globe before fading into the navy sky lit by the moon...I couldn't peel my nose away from the window of the aircraft.

Flight Path

By now you would think the seasoned traveler within me would have a smooth journey to my next destination. WRONG! This is me we are talking about and nothing is every smooth or easy. It was a quick walk to the ferry terminal from the airport but of course I get lost because the Norwegians seem to have a weird thing about street signs as in they are not there, or hidden from view. 



Not only did I get lost walking to the terminal but once I finally made it onto the ferry and began the trip out to the islands they failed to announce my stop so I did not get off. I was able to get off the next stop and through language barriers and utter confusion my ride was able to pick me up by car and drive back to Nordskot before taking the boat to Manshausen Island, my current place of residency. 

Stretch to Manshausen

The population on this resort island is 10 at the moment, two humans, 7 sheep and 1 ram; it's like the happy story of Castaway. My new "boss", Børge Ousland, was here for a few days with another one of his guides and some guests, so the island has a flow of other inhabitants. 

Island in Twilight

 
This week was a busy week! The resort is still under development so there are a lot of projects to be done...like putting together Ikea shelving -_-. It was the devil of my day. It was a giant piece of shelving that did not fit in the room it was intended for so I was tasked to assemble the thing and then re-assemble in the room which was far too small and this shelf had no business being built in there. 

But that is not all! O no. Let's recap: I took my first ambulance ride because I was so sick I truly believed I was going to die and that sickness lingered for a solid 3 weeks. During those 3 weeks I banged my knees up on some ice. Almost broke my arm on another occasion. So now, to top it all off, while moving this Ikea shelf I sliced the back of my hand open on an exposed knife. It was a beautiful display of flaps of my skin with a clean cut soaked in red. 

Such is life. 

On an exciting note though, we went to pick up the ram from shore yesterday! I never thought I would see a ram in a small boat let alone ride with one. 

Stoic

Watching The Dream Team's (what I like to call the sheep on the island) reaction to their new member of the heard could have been it's own reality show. They were very unsure of him, and like most girls ran from this new monster as one entity..."what one does we all must do!!!"

After a while some of the ladies got a little ballsy and would delicately inch towards this new monster. By evening though they seemed to all be settling in and the "getting to know you game" had passed. 

"Who is this guy?"

I tagged along with the guests on their kayaking trip around the neighboring island. The area here is almost tropical. You can see down through the clear blue water made light by the white bed of the sea. And to play on the tag line for Manshausen, this is truly where sea and mountains meet. All these islands are surrounded by massive peaks springing from the water. 

I apologize for my lack of luster in the recent posts, I find I have a hard time focusing on writing when there is so much outside of my computer to experience around me. But I dedicated myself to doing this blog for all those that read so I will continue to keep it updated as promised! 

To close, here is a photo most of you have been waiting for. Ta-da! 

Hello oh beautiful remnants of Sun activity!

Farwell to Lakselvdalen

Today marks the last day in paradise valley and tomorrow the next chapter of my journey begins!

Before we jump to the heart felt reflection of my stay here let's discuss the past couple of days. We got the truck back! Yippee! and took a trip into Tromsø to run errands and see the city. Thomas took me to the Villmarkssenter which is another dog sledding touring company, one that he worked for for many years. 

Sleds and dogs

This place was the ultimate sled dog machine. Business buildings, yurts for tourists, the dog building (food, equipment, lockers etc.) and the dog yard. When you run a huge company such as the Villmarkssenter does, you must have adequate equipment to support the comings and goings of your business. 

Waiting for evening grub

I have never had the pleasure to listen to such a great chorus of dogs as I did that day. 350-ish dogs take up residency in that dog yard. 350! AND THEY HAD PUPPIES!!!! Walking into that municipality of dogs you could feel all the energy from the dogs breathing through the earth and the barking and howling shook your core akin to the feeling you get at an indoor concert. You can feel them. It was spectacular. 

Villmarkssenter Dog Yard

Then we come to The Maiden Voyage: my induction to the next level of my mushing career. There is slim pickings of snow outside, but just enough to possibly justify taking  a sled out. And we did. Before going out I was slightly nervous of the conditions and whether or not I was up to the task of driving dogs in whatever it may be. 

It was intense. Of course I crashed about 5 minutes into the run, my left arm becoming extremely intimate with the anchor that decided to make and escape from the sled, and the falling and flailing did not stop there.

Due to the lack of snow the terrain was sharply changing; small drops were dramatic cliffs, frozen rivers were still trying to decide how frozen they really were and stumps and rocks were smirking as they were hiding just beneath the cover of snow. My break got caught on a hidden stump slamming my hands and the top of the sled into my gut, my face was drug through snow that had hardened as gravel and forget being able to use the break over the winter petrified marshland; there were many moments I was completely terrified which added to the thrill of it.

And we run into the mountains

We made it home, and it was one of those events where you look back and think, "Maybe that was not such a good idea" but then shrug it off because you are alive.

My body was warming up and the adrenaline was slowly dying out of my system and my arm was remembering the tussle it had with the sled and anchor just a few hours before. My fore arm had developed a massive bump and was starting to throb where I was getting sick with pain. The thought was that I had broken it, there was very limited and painful mobility in my fingers and the swelling was getting bigger and harder.

Just what I need, a broken arm right after recovering from Satan's stomach bug. Today I am still sore, but I have faith in the fact that my arm is not broken!

Happy for healthy arms!

It is bittersweet leaving here. In my short time here I've bonded with humans and dogs alike, I don't even remember what it was like not knowing them! I feel very blessed to have come here and will cherish these friendships and my memories here forever. 

"Blessed are those that help ones in need, and blessed are those that spread kindness. But those that are most deserving of a blessing are those who have touched your heart and changed your world. Hold fast to that which is precious, to that which is love."

Goodbye lovely valley and my family here! I hope to be back again someday

Home away from home

Finnmarksløpet

Just when the world seemed to be in a tumultuous mess dreading that the snow will never come!....Snowfall, and the world rested with silent content :)

In our ambition we took the guests out on the sleds for the first time this season and it was a success! One of my favorite parts of the first snow are the dogs; the night/day before they seem to sense it and you can feel their pent up excitement with the knowledge that winter is coming and you yourself get butterflies of joy.

Time to dust off the sleds!!!!

 Unfortunately the snow fall was followed by rainfall the next day, stripping and hardening the land so we have closed until the weather has figured out what it wants to do. And the gods hear our cries as we woke to snowfall this morning and it is still coming down in large fluffy flakes.

Something else hit me yesterday...I have not seen the sun in over a week I think? If the clouds are absent, in the late morning you can see a hint of what is assumed to be sunlight grazing the peaks for just a few hours. Early darkness was hard to get used to but now no sun is even weirder!

Ishvonel and Nanuk :)

I regret to say that there are no great stories to recount for this post except for the snow and the continual sting that still lingers in my gut -_- ....In order to make this post worth your read, I will talk about the World's Northernmost Sleddog race: Finnmarksløpet.

Finnmarksløpet takes place right here in the north of Norway and is the longest sleddog race in Europe of a total distance of 1,100km (where the Iditarod distances a little over 1,600 km).  The race starts in Alta and runs to Kirkenes which kisses the Russian boarder and then back to Alta.

Race Map 

There are three classes that can be run for the race: Junior 6-dog class, 8-dog class and 14-dog class. All classes start and finish in Alta varying in route and distance. On the map about the junior route is in green, 8-dog in yellow and 14-dog in black.

There can be up to 180 entries for the race. 180 entries!!!! Imagine all the chaos of dogs and people scrambling to get ready for the big start only to rush into the solitude running across Finnmark where man and beast test their skills and mental strength.

The race starts the second Saturday in March and the leading mushing arrives back in Alta within 7 days.

Thomas (the musher I am living with) has run this race multiple times and last night I was told stories of the trials out on the trail. I  honestly do not know if I could be brave enough to run such a long distance race out in the elements hallucinating in the chill of the winter and never getting sleep.

 Thinking of every musher that has crossed that finish line or the finish line in Nome, Alaska I almost cried with content. The pride and fulfillment these mushers must feel after completing the ultimate journey with their dogs is probably a feeling like none other in the world; a special one reserved for those brave enough to test themselves and their team in the last great races on Earth.

I cannot wait for the day that I get to be waiting in Nome to watch Sofia cross that finish line. It will be a glorious day indeed :)

Cheers to you my little Wild one!