I stumbled upon this article in early September and it pulled at my heartstrings.
It reminded me of the Norwegian side of our family and the holiday winter adventures I yearn for with family out West. We can’t be where we want to be this year. We can’t be with our family who are spread out across the United States–Midwest, Northeast, South, West. Holidays are approaching that in “normal” years would have meant travel to gather, reconnect, and re-energize. No trips this year. In fact, we’re approaching one year since we saw the grandparents.
We moved to New Jersey for our careers and we built a lovely little life here. But it’s been tested this year and to be honest, the strain of busy lives and schedules was starting to weigh us down before 2020.
Just as I was dreading a long winter ahead, this article found me. In New Jersey. (Norway, this is not.) Frilfuftsliv: get outside, celebrate time outdoors, no matter the weather.
Before I start to defend New Jersey and convince you of its beauty (which I will do, because it’s fully captured our hearts), I realize there is something more important about this friluftsliv ethos. You can embrace it wherever you are. Even if you are juggling two jobs, job loss, children, teenagers, extended family, you can step outside and find even the briefest of moments to regain your equilibrium.
We’re going to give this a go and we believe, “the more merrier” (in spirit, at least). We want to share ideas for “friluftsliving” and see if we can make this winter a little brighter.
Each day we stumble on more articles about friluftsliv. Today, it was the New York Times and a citation from Alfred Wainwright that “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.” The weather is only bad if we think it’s bad.
I’ll admit that these are the barriers to getting our family outside:
- Time
- Expertise
- Equipment
Here’s what we’d been telling ourselves: Weekends arrive and by the time we get through the to-do list, they’re over… And forget weekdays with school and work. It’s too much to plan an activity; the kids grow so fast that we can’t keep up with the right gear; etc., etc. We’re tired and it feels like a treadmill.
And here’s what we’re saying today: We’re stepping outside. We’re going together. Little steps, big steps, whatever keeps us moving. No matter the weather. We’ll figure out the gear, or a way to share it.
Friluftsliv where you live. And help others do the same.
