New experiences with simple goals

Sandarne, Sweden, July 2, 2020

A few years ago, Lotta and I did 100 everyday adventures. It was a joint project where we came up with 100 different trips and activities, about once a week for two years. We started with 50 adventures in one year and after the first year we were completely in agreement that the activities added so much value to our lives that we wanted to continue for another year.

The idea behind the everyday adventures was inspired from various sources. I had just read Micael Dahlén's book Kaosology, where he tests 50 different habits in one year. One of the concepts he coins in the book is life blur, the days that we do not remember where everything blends into a blurry mess. If instead we do some special things in our daily life, the days become more memorable and we have something to hang them around. A cliché is that "life is the days you remember" and like many clichés there is some wisdom.

The second source of inspiration was an interview in the adventure podcast Husky with Louise Östberg who did 365 adventures in one year. Her idea was that many small adventures together make a big experience. That it is possible to do something big without having to be on vacation for 6 months and climb a mountain in the Himalayas or ski to the South Pole.

We made our own definition where we would together do something every week for a year that felt a little new or exciting for at least one of us. Preferably in nature and preferably a bit demanding. In the end, we had 100 everyday adventures over two years. A period that brought us closer and made life more interesting and exciting. We planned together and always had something to look forward to. Usually, we did it just the two of us and sometimes we had friends with us. It definitely was two memorable years.

After the everyday adventures, we bought a mountain cabin to get even closer to nature and more often experience a different type of nature. We decided that it was a test, to see if we used the cabin and got what we hoped for. Since then, we have to a significantly greater extent started exploring and experiencing the mountains all year round, in a completely different way than before, when we more sporadically hiked or skied down. Now we go on tours all year round with running shoes, boots, snowshoes, touring skis, or backcountry skis. Counting the peaks we have reached, in just over two years we have managed to reach 22 different peaks without stressing. Most of the time, we still go to known lakes and peaks. Nature changes character all the time and a peak tour is still not the same.

This year, due to Coronavirus regulations and work situation, we have had a little less opportunity to go to the mountains. We therefore decided to do a small mini challenge. In recent years, we have often bathed and swam, in many different places and all seasons. All of our baths have really given us a taste for more. We also have several in our social circle who have engaged in fun goals in nature.

A swimming challenge with 30 baths at different places in June, felt like something that could give many beautiful nature experiences. We made it a little easy for ourselves, and decided that it was OK to swim at places we have bathed before, primarily to make it fit into our daily life in the evenings when we did not have time. We had the ambition to visit as many new places as possible without making everyday life too difficult.

First, we made a list of possible beaches, then gradually filled it in. We thought that the beaches should be a mixture of different activities and environments. It became long swims in open water, which sometimes was very windy, short swims in cold rapids, nice swims in warm pools and lakes and some swimrun in less accessible lakes and forest ponds. All to make it work in everyday life and yet make it diverse. We have paddled, walked, run, cycled and driven to the beaches. Many times we have brought food and eaten on site before swimming, usually after work. Since the weather was so incredibly favorable in June this year, it has been really easy. Worse weather would of course have made it tougher, but perhaps just as memorable.

The thing is to set a stimulating goal and then focus on making it as fun on the way as possible. Take a small step at a time and make sure to "show up". To know where we are going, the goal gives direction and the way there is the most important. Here and now it's about doing the workout, studying for the exam, practicing the instrument or painting a wall at a time. It's the same thing, goals help us prioritize and direct our energy. To benefit from long-term goals, we need to make sure that it is somehow rewarding along the way and that it is in line with how we want to live. For us, it has been to appreciate doing things together, experiencing nature, talking about experiences, taking photos, looking, remembering, writing - everything that enhances the feeling of wanting to do and experience more.

The most memorable swims we have agreed on:

#1 The quarry outside of Holmsveden

#7 Bike ride with our friends to Tannsjön in Trönö, cooked food on site in the forest.

#4 At the old bridge Ljusnan, in Ljusne

#12 Summit Digerhogna with a swim in the mountain creek

#15 Surfski to Branthälls beach, with friends

#16 Vallviks Seaside

#19 Midsummer swim around Stålnässkäret

#25 Surfski to Olsåkersudden, swam and drank wine in the evening sun by the cliffs

#27 Seaside in a stiff gale and waves with friends at the cliffs below Agö lighthouse

Swim more! Live now!

List of all 30 swims

1. Stenbrottet Holmsveden.

2. Bocksjön, Kyrkbyn, Mohed..

3. Storsjön, Sandarne, swimrun.

4. Brofästet, Ljusnan, Ljusne.

5. Marmen, Askestabadet.

6. Lillålsjön, Ljusne, Swimrun.

7. Tannsjön, Trönö, gravelbike med Afaf och Per-Erik.

8. Färsjön, Söderhamn.

9. Slottsparken, Axmar.

10. Löten, Sandarne, Open Water simning på hemmaplan.

11. Kölströmmen, Ljusnan, Färila.

12. Fjällbäck på väg från topptur Digerhogna, Lofsdalen.

13. Ruttjärn, Lofsdalen.

14. Orbaden, Arbrå.

15. Branthälls badplats, paddling surfski, med Afaf och Per-Erik.

16. Vallviks Havsbad.

17. Källviks Havsbad.

18. Dammsjön, Sandarne, swimrun.

19. Midsommarsimning runt Stålnäskäret, open water simning.

20. Stortjärn, Stålnäs, swimrun.

21. Marmen, Skäret, nedanför Lötgärdet.

22. Järsjön, Trönö.

23. Storsands Havsbad, Stålnäs.

24. Pipsjön, Sandarne, gravelbike runt Lövskär.

25. Olsåkersudden, surfski, mat och vin i kvällssolen på klipporna.

26. Sågverkstrampet, Långrör, Sandarne.

27. Agö Fyr, vid klipporna, med Afaf, Per-Erik, Erika och Christer. Styv kuling och stora vågor. En riktig kick.

28. Ormsand, Agön, swimrun. Samma sällskap som ovan, kuul!

29. Gussisjön, Sandarne, swimrun.

30. Sälstenarna, Stålnäs, surfski.