"Cold allergy" and adventure - how does that work?

Life as an extremely cold person: Åre resident, expedition guide, arctic traveller, adventure creator, and life enjoyer on a mountain walk in -25, any questions on that?

Yes, I live and work in the mountains up north, the most beautiful thing I know is winter glitter and pastels, I rather travel further up north than down south for the views and the untouched landscapes - the colder the better. But one little tiny bit of skin exposure can make my situation problematic and critical, and I will make it even worse and even more demanding. If I don't have a backup plan I don't have any possibility to get my blood flowing again when my body parts have become white, which often makes me extra conscious when I'm about to head out for a winter tour longer than two days.

"It's simple, just move, do some burpees or put on an extra layer!"

I've heard it so many times and I'm thankful for people wanting to help out with their tips, but it doesn't help. I've tried working out indoors for an hour - still white. Putting on everything till I sweat around my core - still white on other body parts. I've had this thing for 15 years and I've put a lot of energy and time in trying different solutions. None help, none besides not getting cold in the first place.

So, with that said, if I don't plan my equipment carefully with regards to weather changes and freezing temps with protection, heaters and other misc solutions, the possibility/risk of both getting cold and/or being worried about getting cold will be present, and so the whole point would be kinda destroyed even from the beginning. But I still wanna experience what I think is the most beautiful thing in the word and still enjoy it to the fullest when I'm there. I still try everything I can, test new solutions and go through my equipment and kits every time just to make sure I have everything I need and to know exactly where I put my things so I can just grab it when I need it out there.

So what I always do, and what you should do in general to make your stay outdoors as enjoyable as possible:

1. Layers, layers layers

2. All skin parts unexposed to air

3. Don't sweat

4. Always bring extra liners

5. Bring a thermos and Nalgene-bottle (to use as a hot-water heater)

6. Sleep in the biggest South pole sleeping bag and mats you can find on the market

7. Use heaters

8. Ensure you use a kitchen that will always work at any time

9. Backup with extra equipment

10. Always wool, never cotton!

Yes, I carry a lot of equipment, so much that my backpack has become a joke haha. But to my advantage, I stay stronger than I wouldn't have been without it. AND without it, it wouldn't be possible at all.

The serious kind of play

Them: "You're living the dream!" Me: 😂

If they only knew...

"The Dream"

Sometimes I bring my computer in the lift. Most days I work 6-9, take a few morning turns, then I pick up my computer and take a seat at the café on top of the lift to get some more work done with a view, with a great coffee in one hand and to wave hello to my skiing and snowboarding friends with the other who head inside to take a short break. In this way I get the best of both worlds, every damn day! The dream? YES, it truly is my dream!

To me it's so much more than the practical things. My health and happiness for instance. Thanks to the fact that I give myself the freedom to choose when I want to work, to follow my flow, my focus, and to give space to be a human who needs her interests in her daily life and sometime just want to get some beautiful views and environments, I make my work so free from distractions. Cus I never need to "no" anything. I don't need to sit inside all year round and long for vacay or Friyay since I always have the possibility to do what I want to do on my "vacay" and that which makes me feel damn good every day, to hang with my people and friends, to see beautiful views and nature, and that I can be outside during daylight. And just as simply I can take a seat by my computer and work when I have flow, and since I work with another great passion of mine it's never hard. my freedom nurtures and keeps my discipline and engagement.

"The other side" (nothing comes for free)

To sit with my office on a snow covered mountain before and after getting fresh air, workout, nature, rides, views, halos, pastel skies, sunrises and sunsets, and to have a coffee break with friends who come in to take a break from the slopes, is possibly one of my best ways to work with something I enjoy doing. I've experienced the opposite, having a choice for one or the other, when you have better or worse creative periods, getting stuck and not getting loose, fighting against tired and uninspiring days and hours just because it's said that you should sit there 8 hrs every day, and at the same time longing for those passions you work hard for to afford experiencing on your vacay every year. When the confusion catches you, "what should I do with my life?". When those thoughts start to take control, when life starts to lose meaningfulness, cus you don't have time to do other things than working. And then, if you have a bad day/week/month at work, it's like you're having a bad day/week/month in your life since that's the only thing that take up space in your life. You try to solve it with your own thoughts, to get around the problem and feel that you still are doing a great job and can deliver in time. Or when you have days when you have heaps of energy, inspiration and creativity but when you're done with your tasks and there's nothing left to do at the office you still need to stay cus your contract says so, and to fill up the time you get to do those admin jobs and tasks that no one wants to do because you're quick and have time, so you start questioning if this really was what you studied for 5 years and invested your time with loans to pay back. But you still love your job and want to work with that, just not like THAT. When you don't get to use your drive and lose self-confidence, start to think to much, try to solve unsolvable obstacles, when the wall doesn't only sneak in but kill all you ever fought for and want with your life.

So when play gets mixed with serious business in the way that it does today, there is nothing that gives me such peace, inspiration, excitement, focus, self-confidence, happiness, vitality and meaning which all make room for motivation to grow and engagement to flourish. That's luxurious! Yes, it's a true - as people call it - dream! Yet a dream that require sacrifices, and a dream that not many would stand living when they realize what it means and how you can't prioritize. Like a descent home, relationships, your deserved level of salary, a socio cultural city life, dance classes, and everything else one might want in one's life. But if it feel ok to lose some to win your passion, then it's worth a try. Nothing is complete, no life is content. But you can still choose to feel that way! That's all your own decision and attitude.

And then, when the lifestyle finally works out fully, when you stop paying with your health, meaningfulness and well-being and start to get paid for your passions so that you can live with them fully, then there's not much left than if it's worth the sacrifices or not.

In only one day I'll switch office from snow to water, ice to salt in my hair, 5 layers to bikini, mountain view to pastel horizons, board to board. From one meaningful daily life to another. Tomorrow we're going to Sri Lanka!

The world's fifth equal country

"I, who live and work with adventures, often hear that I'm "tough" and "brave", but who says that to a man who heads out in the mountain to put up a tent?"

The world's fifth most equal country.

If I'd list everything that I have on my cv but was a man my situation would probably be completely different, both in the industry as a design engineer and in the adventure business as an adventurer and guide. A countless amount of times I've been discriminated by salary, competence and socially - both by men and women. The same amount of times I've pushed uphills, fought through upwinds, been extorted, threatened and diminished. And the same amount of times that buster next to me who plays soduko at work has gotten higher salary and more backslaps than me. And there I am, with a passion an will power that makes people around me wonder if I have some sort of hyperactive disorder, a cv that would make many people fall off their chair, an iq that is far above average, and deliver work that gets honored with prizes and helps companies get investment money, all while existing in an environment that makes me feel useless.

And just as many times I've chosen to leave. This time for a job as a breakfast hostess with coins for salary. On weekends. No overtime compensation. When I more likely "should" be a good deal above average salary for a design engineer if I were a man, and "should" be respected and not questioned all the time for my competence as an adventurer and expedition guide. But I never leave to give up, but to set free some time for myself to work with that change that's needed in our society in general. I'll never quit, just work in other ways with other people. Starting up Adventure Stories is one example, where I hope we can continue be part of that change in norms that we want, or as freelancing design engineer where I get to boss my own time and still have colleagues.

How did it end up this way?

To be honest, I'll never accept just adjusting to unwritten rules that only exist by tradition, to be part of an unhealthy hierarchy, to pour honey on self-declared queens' and kings' own conservative wills just because I want to work with my passion. There are always gonna be other, better ways. Sometime you just have to create them yourself. Moreover, I don't wanna work for or be part of companies that discriminate by mindless routines. Where values I don't support are held quiet and gets forgotten since so many don't want to or care for talking about the existing unspoken conflicts that infects at least half the people in the office or who are willing to adjust to the norms behind the walls just to save their own jobs. Either if it's put out in the open, or quiet. No matter which, it's the daily actions that are the ones that will lead to change. I rather be that person who gets smashed by doing something about it, by acting towards a more inspirational and better workplace for all, while big companies just sit and watch since it's "too expensive" or "too time consuming" to make those tiny changes that are needed to gain big positive results. I don't wanna support actions that make me and other people feel bad. I want both me and other people to never have a "Monday" for the wrong reasons.

A job can be even more than just dreamy, it can be magical. But if you get to pay with your tears it's never worth it. It's more important for me to surround myself with people who lift each other, laugh, support and give love, whichever job I may have. I'm not just gonna accept being seen as smaller and less competent just because I'm a woman, blonde, kind, sympathetic, don't like to show off and get my competence devalued just because I like sitting in places where I can focus instead of noisy open-plan offices or rather wear tights than outdoor pants when adventuring. It's weird how the world still unconsciously or knowingly value "competence by clothes, manners or gender". Don't we know more than that?

And what does "fifth most equal country" mean, that if you reached that goal you can lean back and say "we're one of the top five in the world".

(Attn. I don't point this text to specific companies. I just inform what I've seen, heard and experienced that have made me and other people itch and pull their hairs).