We sold almost everything and moved to the Norwegian arctic 3 months ago. One thing I didn’t anticipate is the effect living in the arctic has had on me. Our home is an old fisherman’s cabin. It sits on stilts above the sea in a small fjord tucked away in Norway’s Lofoten islands. When storms roll in, you can feel each surge as the sea reverberates through the walls. When the arctic terns circle overhead their cries fill the house, tethering us the nature we are surrounded by. When I catch a fish from the big rocks outside the house, it feels the same as eating a berry from the forest or drinking water that comes from the lake beneath the pointy mountain out our window. As each day passes, the cells in our body are increasingly shaped and infused with this place. If you looked at the chemistry of my blood, it would be easy to tell that the arctic is home, that I eat fish and berries from here and drink water from here. (See stable isotope analysis). The more time we spend here, the more this place becomes part of us. Next time you spend time in a place for some days or weeks think about that. The old saying of "you are what you eat" is true. Likewise, the places we call home become us. With here being home, I've never felt more compelled to learn more about the arctic and speak up for the arctic, the nature and wildlife here. Two books I come back to time and again are Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez and Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. When I think about nature and connecting with her, I think about the lessons and words in these books. If you haven't read them, I can't recommend them enough. #welcometonature @norrona #norge #lofotenislands #lofoten #norway #arctic #norrøna #adventuresamoyeds #reinebringen #reine #discoverearth #visitnorway #hellofrom #utno #dreamchasersnorway