I really enjoyed this post, Meghan, and deeply relate to it. I spent several years living (and hiking) in Jasper and Hinton, and later moved to North Vancouver, another place where folks are intense about their outdoorsy-ness. I remember one year I kept a diary of all the peaks I had bagged and hikes and backcountry trips I had completed, like it was a competition and I was going to win a medal at the end for everything I had done. In time I figured out that I actually just like being outside, whether I’m climbing a mountain or just taking a stroll around the block or having tea on a patio. It’s a bit of a relief to be able to embrace that, don’t you think?
It's more than a relief; it's liberation! Though I'm grateful for the drive I had in the past and places it took me so - namely summits (that's something you just can't experience without putting the work in!) I still track my hikes but I think it's more to remember what I did rather than see if I did enough. Right now I am looking out at a purple sky and snowy mountains and simply grateful for the day that is waking up to me.
Thank you for this inspirational note, Meghan. I think you’ve really captured the essence of friluftsliv and the impact it can have. Like you, I’ve always been goal driven, but more so in my professional life than in the outdoors. I think a lot of that has to do with being steeped in the culture of friluftsliv. While I still enjoy challenging myself physically outdoors, having nature as my “non-competitive zone” really helps me cope with other stressors in life.
Thanks for the comment, Linda. Looking back, I wasn’t raised in a culture steeped in friluftsliv but I am grateful to have been raised in the 80s/90s when we played outside every day. It was its own way of life, and one I encourage my kids to embrace. But the cultural aspects made it so that it was like a pool we were dipping in and out of, not swimming in all the time.
It’s not so binary that I was always passing through nature like it was an arena, but I think I’ve been missing what you describe as that non-competitive space to simply be. I’ve had tastes of it here and there and some truly magical moments with Nature. The shift I’m feeling is one towards something much deeper and richer—familiar—which is why I’m so drawn to learn more from Indigenous wisdom too.
Us Canadians could sure take a lesson or two from the Nordic cultures. 🙂
I really enjoyed this post, Meghan, and deeply relate to it. I spent several years living (and hiking) in Jasper and Hinton, and later moved to North Vancouver, another place where folks are intense about their outdoorsy-ness. I remember one year I kept a diary of all the peaks I had bagged and hikes and backcountry trips I had completed, like it was a competition and I was going to win a medal at the end for everything I had done. In time I figured out that I actually just like being outside, whether I’m climbing a mountain or just taking a stroll around the block or having tea on a patio. It’s a bit of a relief to be able to embrace that, don’t you think?
It's more than a relief; it's liberation! Though I'm grateful for the drive I had in the past and places it took me so - namely summits (that's something you just can't experience without putting the work in!) I still track my hikes but I think it's more to remember what I did rather than see if I did enough. Right now I am looking out at a purple sky and snowy mountains and simply grateful for the day that is waking up to me.
Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Thank you for this inspirational note, Meghan. I think you’ve really captured the essence of friluftsliv and the impact it can have. Like you, I’ve always been goal driven, but more so in my professional life than in the outdoors. I think a lot of that has to do with being steeped in the culture of friluftsliv. While I still enjoy challenging myself physically outdoors, having nature as my “non-competitive zone” really helps me cope with other stressors in life.
Thanks for the comment, Linda. Looking back, I wasn’t raised in a culture steeped in friluftsliv but I am grateful to have been raised in the 80s/90s when we played outside every day. It was its own way of life, and one I encourage my kids to embrace. But the cultural aspects made it so that it was like a pool we were dipping in and out of, not swimming in all the time.
It’s not so binary that I was always passing through nature like it was an arena, but I think I’ve been missing what you describe as that non-competitive space to simply be. I’ve had tastes of it here and there and some truly magical moments with Nature. The shift I’m feeling is one towards something much deeper and richer—familiar—which is why I’m so drawn to learn more from Indigenous wisdom too.
Us Canadians could sure take a lesson or two from the Nordic cultures. 🙂