Saturday, June 26, 2010

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." - Seneca


I am few days away from hiking 350 km with my first client.


My days are filled with concrete preparation. I can be found buying, organizing, packing, and agonizing over food. Testing my stove with Swedish Rödsprit instead of my trusted white gas. Saving receipts so I can mark my investments for my future business account. Gathering details about trail conditions, client insurance, and GPS. What still was a dream a few months ago has become reality: I created myself my dream job (life) and now I am living it.


Gone are the days I had to "construct my challenges". Gone are the days I dreamed up ways to live my life to the fullest potential. Gone are the days I worried about the lacking income.


It's all real now.


I got a young human being to take out into the Swedish Fjälls. I get to lead him through unknown territory, hopefully both inside and out. I get to be "wowed" by him. I get to be silent with him. And I get to listen. If I am lucky he'll tell me some of his story.


B will be on our side. He will make us laugh and inspire us to be gentle with ourselves. I will ensure that his paw continues to heal and that he stays well fed and safely away from the reindeer and the moose and the bear.


I will take photos. I will write notes. Work related ones and private ones.


I will get to ponder.


We are planning to hike 350 kilometers. In 3 weeks. Through some amazing territory. There will be mosquitos. We got spray and head nets, a tent, a bivi, and a mosquito net for B.


We are prepared.




We got a few days left to soak up some pre-trip bliss and continue to put the remaining ducks in a row. Maybe there will be another post before we're heading out. Maybe not.


Either way... have a wonderful shift into the second half of 2010!





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Two Years of Furballin'.


Today it is two years since these sweet eyes have found mine for the first time.


I will never forget that moment.


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I had arrived at the Animal Rescue Foundation near Fossil a few minutes prior, full of anticipation. My trip into the beautiful canyon in the Ochocos in Eastern Oregon had one purpose:

Meeting Buford, to find out if I could adopt him.


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Taking a dog into my life had been a long time coming. And yet, it came to me as quite a shock when I realized about a year before meeting the rascal that I am... and this may sound weird... old (or, mature? stable? committed? responsible?) enough to finally fulfill this longheld dream of mine. It felt incredibly empowering to shift from "I cannot have a dog due to... school, the house, money, blahblahblaaaah" to... "holy shit, if I am actually serious about this I can make it happen".


That shift is/was hands down one of the key moments in my life.


And it continues... it seems as if I have been stumped in my development somewhere... I often feel as if I have to "ask" someone else if I can go forward with something. Particularly when the "go forward" seems solely for my pleasure; like, for instance, getting a dog.


Turns out that getting Beefy wasn't just for pleasure.


Taking Buford into my life has made me - and continues to make me - a more whole human being.


I laugh more.


I move more.


I am calmer.


I touch more.


I look more closely.


I am more understanding.


I giggle more.


I am more playful.


I relate more.


I feel more at home, wherever I am.


And I take more photos. :)



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Back at ARF I met Sandy, who later became a treasured friend of mine. We had been emailing. I had asked her if that clown-like looking dog that I had seen on Petfinder may be a fit for my needs. Meaning if I could take him along on Wilderness Therapy Expeditions. And that I lived in a van (and couldn't provide a fenced backyard, however was going to live a life in and about nature with my future dog). Her response had sounded as if she had waited for someone like me to inquire for Buford. (Which differed greatly from the response I got at the local Humane Society. The people there didn't understand my lifestyle. I also didn't really connect to any of the caged up dogs, bless their hearts.)


Nonetheless, I was nervous.


It felt like such a leap.


Buford wasn't around upon my arrival. But there were tons of other dogs swirling around me.


Sandy told me that Buford was up at the nursery with Jerry. They were about to come back.



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Eventually the white van made it's way back to us. Several dogs were running behind it.


My eyes searched for the dorky face I had seen online.


"Will I recognize him?" I wondered.



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There! "Buford!" Our eyes met. That split second was it. Sandy later said that Buford and I "velcroed" right away. I didn't know at the time, but felt that something big was happening. When we took a walk with Buford and some other dogs he kept making eye contact with me and staying close.


It felt like coming home right then.


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I have felt that way uncountable times in the meanwhile.


To this day I whisper to B on a regular basis: "I cannot believe that I have a dog in my life...".


Even though my life has been crazy over these last two years I feel I have been more grounded than I ever have.


I remember worrying that I couldn't provide B with a life as good as he's had at ARF.


Now I understand that he needed something that he couldn't have had at ARF.



He needed a person the way I needed a dog.



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To many more amazing and adventurous years Little One!!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Start Eget.





Peacefulness... captured a few hundred yards above our home.




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Slowly but surely my business is being born.

One of Mr. Moose's favorite things to tell me is to "slow the *f* down and be patient".

As I have alluded to here before..., patient I am not. At least not when it's about me securing myself a future. In the end I have to be.... and eventually, things work out. May as well stop stressing over the little bits and pieces.

Here's what's been happening on the business front recently.

I have gotten confirmation that I will receive government support for the first 6 months of my business venture. Yay for being 'let in' to the Swedish world by having gotten a personnummer a while back. So, I, like most other people who 'start eget' (= start their own) will be supported by funds as entrepreneurship is understood as a positive way to not fall into the ditch of unemployment. For me that means that I will receive approximately US$ 850 (brutto) per month for free starting July 1st. In order to be granted that money I had to meet with a free (!) business consultant a few times, deliver her with a business plan and register my business (which I did today... horray!). They will take away approximately 30% in taxes (yup, that's how we roll here) and still: I get an income no matter what. Brilliant! (Particularly as I plan to create a financially secure business.... meaning I don't actually depend on this support.)

I am also a mere 10 days away from going on my first 3-week hiking expedition with my first German client. I know, I know, I announced here that I had my first client already - and I did. But this, you guys, is the real thing.






The next 10 days will be spent setting myself up for a (mostly) unsupported backpacking trip west of here. We will hike on the stretch between Sälen and Storlien, the so-called Södra Kungsleden. The distance between the two places is 349 km - obviously there are tons of ways for us to log more or less miles depending on how things go and what we encounter. I get a feeling that it will be rather mindblowing... you'll certainly hear all about it.


Parallel I am working on a web presence for the business venture... aie aie aie... so much excitement!



Recently, I was also able to make an initial connection with a local photographer who is looking to work together with others. It's rather exciting actually... she does nature photography trips with groups and is eager to collaborate in creative ways. When I shared my interest in doing so she sounded at least as intrigued as I feel. She has lived on Grönland before and done some other incredible stuff. We are planning to have fika together on Monday... am curious how that little seed will develop.




So, for now... I get to plan, prepare, and nurse Beefy back in shape. I'll still have to wait for the results of the tumor analysis... We should know by the end of next week. Either way we need to get the rather substantial cut from the surgery to grow back together seamlessly... not an easy task with us two who are movement junkies.




Better listen to Mr. Moose and be patient, huh?


Friday, June 18, 2010

Last week was all kinds of wonderful.

Having my parents here for a visit allowed me to make even more out of my days.


Early on we went to Linsellborren Naturreservat where I whipped out a Swiss Cheese Fondue.


It's my second outdoors, made on a fire.


They're good!





On another day Mr. Moose and I took a long kayaking trip. We started waaay up on the river and made it all the way to our houses. True bliss... and it will likely soon happen with clients.








I took my parents to Sånfjället Nationalpark a few days ago. We hiked to the top of Lillfjällen. Gorgeous!









I cannot get enough of the wide wide open that's "mine" all of a sudden.

Mine to play with, that is...







Beefy is still recovering. There are better and not so good days.

It will take a while for the results of his tumor to be given to me.


Until then, he's being cute...






As we left the Nationalpark area, we encountered the following family:

What's with the goat?





And yesterday... yesterday was the cherry on the pie. Not only did we see the following reindeer herd,...







... but also did we get to see my first swedish bear (and their first bear in the wild)!!!


I think I have landed.




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Monday, June 14, 2010

Finding pleasure in slow paced activities like... chewing big ass bones.

I am super busy with finalizing my business set up and the parents visiting and life happening all around.

For a quick update here some shots of the cute guy that's recovering well.

Will be back for more shortly!




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Friday, June 11, 2010

It's been one year!!

Since I arrived in Sweden and started this blog. Here's what I filled it with:

... freaking out about letting go of the comforts that the States have provided for me.

... being separated from Buford for 3.5 months and 5 weeks.

... finding comfort in sharing Swedish struggles and glory with a wonderful online community.

... getting a brain work out when (attempting to) speak Swedish.

... being fascinated by typically Swedish things like the osthyvel.

... finding, going for, and falling in love with Up North.

... playing with photography, nature, and the B.

... wondering, hesitating, hoping, and leaping.

... taking "trips of a lifetime" on two occasions.

... coming up with my business idea and taking steps to realizing it.

... earning very little money yet still finding ways to feed the Beef and I.

... traveling to the US and Belize for work on two occasions.

... meeting new people, making connections.

... loving life.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

B is on drugs... not enjoying the high though.



B has a tough day today.

No breakfast for starters...

... and... the surgery.

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B used to be very unconcerned when visiting the vet.

Yep, used to be. After being taken his temperature in his butt a few too many times and having been stitched up after a skiing accident a little over a year ago he started to be more careful around those caretakers.

When we visited the vet for the first time here a couple weeks ago he was timid.

Today, he was really scared.

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It's over now.

We're home - he's whimpering in his sleep.

I carried him out of the car and onto his bed.

He will have to take it easy for two weeks (!). Bummer.

I really hope that this traumatic event wont leave any scars. He really doesn't need any of that.

I also hope that the growth turns out to be a histiocytom.

I struggle when B isn't well. (How's that for a surprise?)


Send some love!!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

B's Pea Update.

Buford is getting surgery on his paw tomorrow.

We've been playing hard these last few days in order to pre-compensate for what's to come.

He's happy as ever. Unfortunately his paw has started to "puke" and bleed. The pea is smaller however also weirder. We're hoping for the best.

Cross your fingers for us - we gotta be healthy to fully embrace Up North.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Kayaking with the B.

Training on land: check!



Self-portrait: Check!




Cuteness: Check!


Back on safe ground: Check!




Sweet Saturday adventure: Check!


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Moose-lets in the hood!!

Look what happened while B and I hiked our butts off!!



Isa had her calves. They touch my soul and feed my sense of wonder.



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After visiting with them in the back area of the hägn, they made it to the farm house for the first time in their lives...





Sweet little wonders of life.




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Friday, June 4, 2010

My future... illustrated.

I spent four days living the life that I am building for myself right now.

It was unbelievable!

The little sweetheart enjoying Särvfjället's everchanging vistas.


Finding a way through some marshy stuff...

Don't they look like troopers?


It's the life.



After some apprehension at home, B bonded with the kid during the adventure.




View from the saddle... I'll bring my parents here during their upcoming visit.





As I was setting up our sleeping spot, B positioned himself in front of the departing sun...





... while "the kid" decided to forego his tent set up ("too complicated") and settled in for the night.




B and I's sleeping quarters.




Shortly after taking a coffee making break at the hut behind us.





B is quite serious about taking breaks.




On our third day of hiking we had to cross these kinds of features... and waded through lots of water and muck.




Our destination was my "safe place" Malmbäcken. Isn't it incredible?





The shared struggles and pleasures did wonders. B therapy is enjoyed by all...


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