the first WINTER

I arrived above the arctic circle on march 7th, 2019

Bodø, Norway

Manshausen iSLAND

tHE sAUNA

nORDSKOT, nORWAY - THE VILLAGE + THE MOUNTAINS

out in the cold

tHE mAINHOUSE

Skre:

the Atlantic cod swims down from the barring sea to spawn in the norwegian sea during march & april

exploring our neighbor’s island

We

went

to

lofoten

for

a

week

read about my first two months in norway

spRING

And then, the snow started to melt away in april

from left to right: whaling boats, the cabin called patagonia on the hill top, the white house, the jetty with two motor boats, two row boats & the trimaran

astrid taught me how to make sourdough bread

it’s spring when you can hike in a t-shirt

went rock climbing & got stuck on a ledge

stories of rock climbing, hiking, sea kayaking

& saying good bye to the island

SUMMER

after hiking & camping in scotland & slovenia I was offered

a job back on the island. So in june i returned!

After a quick stop in Copenhagen to meet a special baby, eat the best vegan hot dogs & visit the beach…

Wednesday, July 10th, 2019 @ 23:41

the midnight sun inched closer & closer to the horizon

one day at the beach I came across a mass beaching of jellies.

some floated lifeless in the shallows of sea Others had been washed up onto the sand, left in rows that marked how high the tide had been. It was a somber sight and as I walked along I couldn’t help but be concerned:

was this a natural phenomenon? or had these arctic waters warmed too much for them?

went fishing during the most epic sunset with these two dudes

the midnight sun officially ended but summer’s weather kept up for another few months

stories of the Arctic Summer,

working hard on Manshausen island

Autumn

and then, one day i noticed

the trees were orange and yellow

the birch trees started turning yellow & the sunlight softened

one night the sunset turned the mountains red & I thought winter might be coming…

things slowed down after that & many cozy evenings ensued.

Manshausen in all her glory & from the perspective of our neighbors’ island.

The mountains turned a lovely yellow, orange, brown color.

I ate fresh mackerel for the first time

It was delicious.

we went to this

lighthouse for dinner

& it changed my world

coming soon…

Yellow birch trees & frosted mountain tops

ANOTHER WINTER

and then, snow dusted the tops of the mountains

& the sun began to set earlier and earlier

the cabins called Greenland & franz joseph at sunset

Trying to get back into running is hard when you live on an island. Driving the boat over to Nordskot in the dark & cold of early morning requires another level of motivation…but it was always worth it.

snow came & went for a couple weeks, when autumn & winter overlapped in a sort of dance, when one day was very cold & then next it was summer again. “The last day of summer!” we would all say & try to enjoy every moment of warmth & sunshine.

But on this day, snow fell & stuck. These mountains would likely be white for the next five months, though with the wacky shifts of climate change you never know.

a sweet new baby, born in september, was now living in this little white house!

coming soon…

The coziness of winter was coming,

things were slowing down on the island & my time here was coming to an end

Engaløya

My friends Ingrid & Phillip were house sitting on an island slightly north of Manshausen, & they invited me to stay for a few days. Engaløya is a much bigger island: it takes some 45 minutes to circumnavigate by car & is inhabited by some hundred people. it is quite crafty, with a craft brewery, cafe, wool shop & a potato farm run by the most beautiful farmers.

From manshausen i hopped on the ferry & just 30 minutes later arrived. My time with Ingrid & phillip can only be described as Hygge:

We sat for hours over breakfast & lunch chatting about life plans, I read books in a big reading chair with a cat on my lap, we baked cakes, walked along wintery beaches & most romantic/revolutionary of all, we picked up the most delicious milk from the farmer down the road.

Day ONE - the homestead

This house belongs to a beautiful artist named eva

she had gone to peru for several months & my friends were house sitting for her while she was away.

Living here for a week, in this beautiful house, in this beautiful place, with beautiful friends, was one of the highlights of my time in norway.

DAY two - THE LITTLE BEACH

DaY Four - Ice Skating

DAY five - THE BIG BEACH

DAY six - WALKING THE DOG

coming soon…

Stories of magical englaøya

MANSHAUSEN

mY lAST tHREE dAYS:

After a few days in Engaløya I headed back to the island with ingrid & philip for an event: three more days of work before the island would close. A group from stockholm had rented the entire island for the production of a video & we were all there to help keep things running smoothly.

It would be my final three days on the island.

Not to be a total sap, but it really felt like this sunrise was just for me. This landscape is the kind that brings you to tears again and again, even now i’m tearful.

thank you for the good times sweet, sweet sauna

thank you for cozy nights by the fire white house

leaving norway was very difficult.

this is me on my last day in norway.

I feel forever grateful and spoiled for the opportunity to live in such proximity to mountains & sea. To see this place from one winter to the next. To climb on rock for the first time, To make life long friends, to have my best friend and family visit, to learn the fundamental skill of bread making, to sea kayak, to learn how to drive a motor boat.

This was the best time of my life.

coming soon…

by lily