The Rest Of The Week
For the rest of the week we spent most of our time at Kalle. We all worked a few hours each day, some on building projects, others cleaning and organizing, though our hosts continued to be extremely generous and the work we did was minimal.
One of my favorite moments of each day was waking up and opening the front door. Stepping outside into the fresh cold air and seeing what the bay and mountains looked like today. Everyday was a unique composition between the mountains, clouds, and sea, the colors and textures, sometimes a perfect reflection or a sea tousled with waves and wind. Which ever way, which ever composition it was always unbelievably beautiful and the view would fill me up with gratitude before I had even a sip of coffee.
I would stay out until I was nice and cold and then run back inside and into the living room to meet the boys for breakfast. They would be chattering away or reading, someone would kindly pour me a coffee and I would sit in what had become my spot on the couch, wrap myself in what had become my lavender wool blanket and sip my coffee utterly content.
Kale in the evening
Every evening before starting on dinner, I would take a little walk down the road. It followed along the inlet, heading towards the gap where the inlet met the open sea.
Along the way was a bench where sometimes I sat for a few moments, if it wasn’t too cold. From the bench I might see the bright lights of a massive cruise ship out at sea, or the much more subtle twinkle lights of a fishing vessel. I would say hello to the moon, who was becoming more full each day, and the mountains in every direction. I was so grateful to be in this beautiful place, I felt compelled to constantly say thank you.
I thanked the universe for guiding me here, myself for taking the leap of faith to get here, and every part of the land. I was thankful for good company and new friends, for the sauna, the fire, the cinnamon rolls I had eaten all day. Most of all, the generosity of the family who was hosting us, who had gifted us this cabin, this van and this experience.
Our evenings were our own and felt very much like a holiday. Each night someone made dinner, Astrid had given me strict instructions not to mother the boys while we were away and so I made a point to not to make dinner every night. That being said the boys were in a routine of making breakfast, always had a cup of coffee ready for me and I enjoy cooking, so I did make a few of our dinners.
The Sauna
The concrete building above, with steps reaching far into the sea, is the sauna. Concrete on the outside and wood on the inside, this sauna was my introduction to this iconic Scandinavian practice.
After dinner we would all strip down into towels and run through the snow to the sauna. This sauna had steps that lead down into the freezing sea, some of the coldest water I have ever floated around in and I love cold water. Alternating between sweating in the steam and a frigid dip in the sea made me dizzy sometimes, but in a way that felt strangely good.
Back in our cabins, evenings would come to a close with a book by the fire, or one last chat before one by one, we would all retire to our beds. I was sharing a room with Phillip and was sleeping in a little bunk bed build above his double bed. I’m sure it was meant for a child, but I’ve always loved sleeping in a cozy bunk, loft or some type of small space.
