The Norwegian have a term called “friluftsliv”, which translates to “open-air living”. The concept celebrates being in nature purely for recreational reasons, no matter the time of year or the temperature. Norway even has several outdoor kindergartens, where the children spend 80% of their time outdoors, as well as “libraries” where you can borrow outdoor gear for recreation. 

Every year, many of us make New Years resolutions, and so many of them are restrictive: spend less time on your phone, eat less takeout, drink less wine. But what if we decided to add something to our lives, instead of depriving ourselves of something? Here’s my suggestion: take up a hobby. 

I love traditions, but I’m a big advocate for dropping the ones that don’t serve you. With a large extended family, and three young children, and a school calendar packed full of special dress-up days, I’m in a season of life where holidays can be more stressful than they’re worth.

This past weekend we decided to pull the kids out of school for a day, forgo the multiple sports obligations and spend the weekend at a place we keep coming back to, Deep Creek, MD. It’s the place we return to again and again when we want a break from the stress of daily life. It’s only a two-hour drive, there are ample rental houses, and there’s a lake, mountains, and several beautiful state parks and forests within a 25-minute drive. Sometimes you just need to be surrounded