People ask us why we do what we do (or they don't dare to ask but silently wonder). Why we like to drag or carry heavy stuff around in cold places. Why bother working our asses off to labour a full day through the snow from one place to another? Why sleep in a tent in subzero temperatures? Eat freezedried food, rations of nuts and chocolate and dry socks inside a sleeping bag? The answer is simple: because we humans are actually made for this. Let me explain: Looking at the evolution of mankind, we've spent centuries gathering our food, building our own houses, baking our bread, woodchopping, farming, hand-made stuff. In other words, we've evolved to MOVE! We're not made to sit behind a desk a whole day, to sit in a car from and to work, if only to come home, sit at dinner and afterwards to sit on a couch watching TV! (ok, the cold temperatures are optional; they are merely our preference) Trekking boils life down to its very basics. To the essentials: a (safe) place to sleep and something to eat and drink. Move from one place to another. Venturing outdoors and being appreciative of nature surrounding us makes us feel small and it makes us realise we are mere guest on this planet amongst the other creatures living on it. Appreciative of the little things: a piece of chocolate between the nuts in your daily ration; a cup of (instant) coffee in the morning; Seeing wildlife; studying snowflakes in its many varieties... Ok, neither the muscles in my neck might be the happiest campers ever after being faceplanted in the snow when the 20kg backpack decided to catapult me forward and downward in a nice parabolic dive when one of my skies caught some unexpected resistance on the front tip; nor is my air mattress in the tent a memory-foam bed. I do as a result wake up regularly during the night with one or 2 numb arms.... But oh my: my neck will be just fine and surely not as permanently annoyed as it were when looking at a smartphone several hours a day, every day of the week! It got to extend and look at birds or a rare animal (we saw a Wolverine!!) up a mountain slope. On a trek, we live life at its own pace, not the pace we push upon life. You know, the pace that makes you feel like wanting 36hours in a day...or 8 days in a week.... This is a result of a society where we get caught in high and perceived expectations of self and others and the inherent need that is felt to do everything faster, bigger, better...and yesterday. We're not immune to that either; hey we're all human. Acually I think one of the biggest drivers for me to be writing this right now is actually that I fell too much into that trap the past year. This last trip really was one of the best ones yet in terms of resetting my pace. Taking two newbies on a trip, having a young dog along, meeting old friends...it all contributed to many days of intense living. Real connections. It is from this passion and liveliness that I am creating FRAM Movement. It will be a platform to help, inspire, motivate and coach an active lifestyle and conscious choices regarding physical well being. A platform that will accomodate training, guiding and guidance, coaching and in the future my work as a Physical Therapist. Fram comes from Norwegian, it literally means: forward. Forward motion, learning, growing, going somewhere. But Fram is also the name of the Ship that Norwegian polar explorers Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen used to travel to the poles. It is also the command we give our dog when she can start pulling. My separate website is still in the making. For now I might post some FRAM-related posts here until it is ready. My biggest challenge will be taking it one small step at a time. To live it at life's own pace. There's only one way to eat an elephant with a teaspoon..... bit by bit! I do not post this for likes, I'd rather you save your 'like' and go out this week. Get wet, get dirty, run, walk, bike, hike. Stand still....appreciate your surroundings and your loved ones. Maybe see this as a challenge: just show me afterwards a picture of what or where you went. Let's go. let's move, go forward: FRAM!
0 Comments
|