Growing up in the Nordics has not only provided me a strong general foundation for life but a deep love and appreciation for nature. As a youth in Finland, the natural environment was considered everyone’s property and respected accordingly. From a young age I was equipped with the basic knowledge of how to survive in the wilderness. Both my father, and later in life, mandatory military service, taught me what to eat when no protein bars or s’mores are around, how to make a fire, and to make camp with or without a tent. Even reading the stars in the sky was something commonly taught to kids in the Nordics when I was young.
Having lived in several Nordic countries by now, I have always been fascinated by how the neighboring Scandinavian countries differ from one another, both culturally and geographically. Multiple international moves meant maps of all kinds acted as entertainment in place of cartoons as a kid. But it wasn’t until after my teens that I started seeing those hours spent pouring over topo lines pay off.