I spent three weeks backpacking in Europe in celebration of my 30th anniversary. It was a relief to escape sensational headlines and the frustrations of the writing world, namely waiting. Aside from Walt's iphone, I disconnected from technology. The experience left me feeling free, like I was living life to the fullest. I climbed out of a crevasse in Norway, danced a medieval dance in Germany, watched the moon rise in Austria, and rode a vaporetto in Venice.
Climbing out of a crevasse
I figured time would stand still in the writing world. I figured wrong. In three weeks time, I received two rejects, a clip in Fun for Kidz (a reprint of an article first published in 2007), a request for photographs because an editor is interested in buying an article, and notification of a possible school visit. I also had to review a summary for a presentation in November.
We watched another group move, roped together for safety.
We hiked a lot in Europe, so I'm starting an International hikes segment of this blog.
We did a glacier hike in Folgefonna National Park in Norway. What an exciting adventure! We were roped together with a family from Britain, a Chinese man who called himself Ken, and a couple from Stratton, Vermont. In helmets and harnesses we crunched across the ice as our guide, Knut, led the way up the glacier. At the top, we were treated to a magnificent view of nearby lakes and the fjord far below. We got a taste of ice climbing by scaling the ice in a shallow crevasse using ice axes and carabiners. What fun! Then we crouched down to explore the perfectly rounded walls of an ice cave. Water trickled down from the top as we inched our way deeper in the dark, frigid hole. Perhaps it was my trust in our guide or maybe it was the Norwegian spirit, but I was not afraid at all. I learned that Norwegians are exceptional hikers and fearless too.
