DAY 66 - 69
Day 66 - Spoiled
The strangers I met on my trip spoiled me. Not only did Espen buy me food and wash my clothes, the next morning he took my backpack and drove it to a relative of his in Majavatn, 35 km away.
Goodbye pink…
Hello green!
Before leaving the house, I made myself some lunch and put everything I now had to carry in my pockets. It was weird to walk without Mr. Skywalker, I felt naked without him. But oh, the speed! It felt like I was running that 35 km distance. Even though I did not have 25kg to weigh me down, I felt a different kind of pain in my lower back. I was probably using a different set of muscles, so by the time I got to Majavatn, I was thrilled to be reunited with my backpack.
I got invited for cake and coffee, and in Espen’s relatives’ company, I ate while watching some squirrels out on the porch. Before I went outside to put up my tent for the night, we agreed the next day to drive to Namsskogan together, so that I could collect my box of resupply before the shop closed and hide Mr. Skywalker somewhere, so I could walk without a backpack for another day.
Really? Where?
Steps: 46 863
Day 67 – Trøndelag
Trøndelag! Sweet, sweet Trøndelag. I was done with my long trip through the northern part of Norway, called Nord Norge. I was ecstatic. But even though I was happy, I was very bored. I was constantly doing things to make time go faster, like talking to my family and boyfriend, and listening to audiobooks, I even watched "Catch Me if you can" on Netflix while walking. Great movie!
RIP
I had left my stuff in a retirement home in Namsskogan because I knew I wouldn’t get there in time before the shop would close (4 pm). So when I arrived at 5 pm, I went to collect my stuff there before locating a nearby inn – Nams-inn and rented a room for the night. It was a tiny room, but just perfect for me to unpack and repack Mr. Skywalker, make some food, and enjoy the goodies my mother had added to my resupply box.
Nordkapp 1372!
As I've mentioned earlier, I spent a lot of time planning and preparing before I started this journey, and food was the most difficult thing to figure out. What to eat? How much food do I need? Required calories, fat, and vitamins are something I definitely should have looked more into because, in the beginning, I lost a lot of weight. Too much.
My weight has always been a topic for me. I've been called skinny and anorectic my whole life and for a long time, I believed what was being said. A few years back, I found a picture of my 12-year-old self in a bikini, playing frisbee at the beach. What I saw, surprised me, because this girl was not a gangly, skinny thing, but a long, lean, and healthy girl. The words of other people had me completely convinced.
I thought that those thoughts belonged to the past, but when I saw myself in the mirror for the first time back in Mazé (day 14), I started to cry. I got scared because I had lost weight. I was also fearing what other people would say. It was a long and difficult process, but I was glad that the old wounds from the past could come up yet again because then they could be healed.
I made the decision of eating more food. That would mean that my backpack would be even heavier, but so be it. That was the price to pay, but it was totally worth it. Before I left, I had prepared 9 boxes of food that would be shipped and sent to me along the way. With this plan, I was depending on help, and my mum, my dad, and Liv rose to the occasion magnificently. Not only did they send the packages to the right location at the right time, but they also added motivating postcards, extra food, and chocolate.
Thank you.
Steps: 41 148
Day 68 – Summer for a day
There's not much to tell about this day, and the reason is that E6 is a long, and boring road to hike on. However, there were certain highlights I would like to mention:
1: Waffles for breakfast. Nice touch Nams-inn, thumbs up!
2: It was summer again, for a whole day. I could wear my shorts and T-shirt.
3: One day closer to Simon's visit, which is TOMORROW! aaaaaaaaaah
Steps: 31 371
Day 69 - Countdown
When you are looking forward to something, and that something is approaching, time seems to slow down. I was looking at my watch every 10 minutes, and I was constantly calling up my boyfriend for an update on his position on Google Maps.
3 hours to go.
I decided to take it easy. It was another sunny day, so I stopped along the way to enjoy the weather and make myself some lunch.
2 hours to go.
I watched an episode of Suits.
1 hour and 17 minutes to go.
Another episode.
34 minutes to go.
I listened to music while watching my progression on Google Maps. I chose a spot I could stand and wait for Simon to arrive.
Counting meters. 400 m to go.
300 m
210 m, 90 m, 50 m, 10 m.
STOP. Wait. Listen. Could the next car be a van?
7 minutes, 9 cars and 2 trucks later, the red Sprinter approached me and I was reunited with my other half. My twin flame. My Simon.
Steps: 26 861
