Camping or Homeless?
I am currently in the Lofoten Islands riding the wave of sleeping in a tent every night without any concrete plan. By the end of my time here, I will have been here for 5 weeks without spending a dime on housing (which I think is cool). I lost my Workaway room on July 1st, gained a bit of camping gear, and hit the road with my thumb out and my energy open. I’m following intuition and seeing where the days take me, and so far, it’s worked out in the most wondrous, funky of ways. I’ve had three weeks here already where I’ve thoroughly explored the islands, figured out how to navigate without a car (it’s not easy here), and built a scattered social circle of some of the most interesting, open-hearted people I’ve ever met. Having had those few weeks to build some sort of base made the transition to camping a lot easier. I’ve always felt the most in my element when I’m sleeping outside, so being able to do that for a longer period of time has felt really natural to me. Despite the occasional stressors that come with running such a loose operation (i.e. eating proper food, getting stranded on a dirt road whilst hitchhiking), I actually haven’t felt this relaxed all year.
The other night I ended up at a midnight sun garden party. I didn’t know anyone except one mutual friend going in, but I decided to take the leap and show up anyway. I was honestly pretty nervous going in because the party was way out there, and I didn’t have an escape plan if I wanted to leave because the bus system is so random & scarce in Lofoten (often leaving one stranded miles from their desired destination as referenced earlier). But as soon as I walked in, I was immediately at ease. Once I realized it was just a bunch of humans hanging out in the midnight sun, the intimidation factor went away.
Sometimes it’s just as simple as that: taking a deep breath, and with that breath, a shift of perspective. Being the “new person” is only as awkward and nerve wracking as you make it. I told myself to be chill & embrace these new people with full openness and genuinity. The reality is that humans are inherently social beings, and becoming friends with the ones who match your energy is inevitable. Luckily for me, the people who seem to make their way to the Lofoten Islands, happen to match mine.
Right as I walked into the garden party, I ran into this British couple that had picked me up hitchhiking a few weeks earlier. I was trying to get from Henningsvaer to Svolvaer at 2:30 in the morning, and they happened to pick me up and ended up driving 40 minutes out of their way to get me home. When I first met them, I could immediately recognize that they were kind, creative souls. The guy is a photographer, and the girl is a freelance graphic designer who also runs the coolest knitwear company. I’ve met a ton of people out here who have gone against the grain and figured out ways to turn their passions into careers. It’s a refreshing and inspiring energy to be around. It felt a bit serendipitous to run into that British couple again. I love serendipity.
Nevertheless, there happened to be a bunch of cool people that quickly became friends at this witchy garden gathering. We danced in the grass and talked by the fire into the morning. I left feeling fulfilled & once again, rewarded for going out of my comfort zone. I’m learning that when I’m solo travelling, I almost never regret saying yes to an opportunity that comes my way. It’s usually connected to this invisible string of moments that somehow give importance to my life and just my general journey towards growth.
