Walk this Way in Week 9 of "15 Weeks of Friluftsliv"
Ideas for winter walks that aren't "just another hike" as we stroll into to the second half of the season.
A new month, a new way to walk
February has arrived! Not only are we more than halfway through our “15 Weeks of Friluftsliv” winter adventures (from December to Spring Daylight Savings), but February 3rd marked the halfway point between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. There are many ways this midpoint is marked around the world from Celtic traditions of Imbolc, to Groundhog Day festivities in the U.S., and we’re ready to embrace this moment too with ideas to get outside and embrace the season.
“…from a friluftsliv perspective, there is no right or wrong way to walk, as long as it brings you pleasure and contentment.” —Linda Akeson McGurk, The Open Air Life
Did you know the Swedish language has multiple words to describe different types of walks? There is a section dedicated to the health benefits and variety of walks in the wonderful friluftsliv book, The Open Air Life, by Linda Akeson McGurk. We’re taking a page from this inspiration and adding a new walk to the list with this week’s activity guide.
And with so much walking, one recipe of the week won’t cut it in Week 9, so we’re featuring a whole cookbook that is not to be missed! Read on.
1. Walk this Way - Week 9 Activity Guide
“Barfotapromenad” (barefoot walk), “mankenspromenad” (moonlight walk), “snabbpromenad” (quick walk)… these are just some of the Swedish terms and types of walks that Linda Akeson McGurk shares in The Open Air Life. What each of these have in common is their ability to create joy. At this moment midway between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox, we figured we could use a good dose of the creativity, improved cognition, and boosts in overall health that walking provides.
For this week’s activity guide, we’re offering another type of walk for the list: “podcastpromenad” (forgive the mangled Swenglish). It’s a walk to get your mind, body, and heart moving. Check out the guide and gather your group!
This activity can be modified for a range of ages, depending on the podcast episode choice and type of connections you hope to inspire. We’d love to hear your podcast episode recommendations to kickstart great walks, so please share in the comments or reach out on Friluftsliving Family Instagram
If you check out McGurk’s book for her full list of walk variations (which we recommend you do!), you’ll find us mentioned in the last chapter on “Localizing Friluftsliv.” We can’t wait to hear how you friluftsliv (and promenad) where you live.
2. A Baking Love Fest - Recipe of the week
How about a love letter to Scandinavian baking to kick off February? Instead of sharing a family or traditional recipe week, we’re sharing a whole book! Scandinavian From Scratch: A Love Letter to the Baking of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden by Nichole Accettola has enough wonderful recipes to take us all the way to summer.
Gnome Matter the Weather illustrator and collaborator Lauren Theis found this gem at a Frenchtown, NJ bookstore and gave it as the perfect gift for Friluftsliving Family’s culinary adventures.
Favorite recipes so far include:
Waffles and Cardamom
Smoked Trout Salad
Lemon Moon Cake (ok, we have not made this one yet, but the photo looks amazing and it’s on our list for the next full moon!)
If you’re looking to give gifts of love this month, add this to your list, or better yet make and share one of its recipes.
4. Ways to gather
Find a favorite walking spot and invite friends to join you: For NJ area friluftsliv-ers, here’s a partial list (there are so many more!) of great winter walking spots with easy-to-follow paths in Central New Jersey:
Fairview Farm Wildlife Preserve, Raritan Headwaters Association
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
Natirar Park
New Jersey Audubon's Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary
Reeves Reed Arboretum
Schiff Nature Preserve
Get crafty: February kicks of “Februllage” on Instagram. A month of collage-theme prompts led by a Norwegian locative collage artist. Locative collage is the idea of mixing collage and the outdoors. See what you can create!
Check out NJ happenings: The Jersey Collective February newsletter and Instagram account feature many ideas each month for local happenings like a winter photography contest and a bake sale for L.A. You’ll also find a familiar friend in the NJ Q&A section where Friluftsliving Family was interviewed this week!
Mark your calendar:
Yoga + Hike at Fairview Farm on 2/15 with Gnome Matter the Weather’s Lauren Theis.
Wintry Mix Dance Party on 2/22, a collab with Bernardsville, NJ’s Dance Local and Friluftsliving Family.
Not local to NJ? Everything we host and share is something you can modify to do wherever you live.
Here’s to sharing ideas and getting outside with a “free-air-life” ethos, gnome matter the weather. Speaking of sharing, please spread the friluftsliv love and send this newsletter to someone you’d like to walk with this winter. We love connecting with you and creating the warmth to get us through the season.