So I spent all of March in the Arctic Circle in the North of Norway (Tromso to be specific) on an organic farm. Why, you might ask?! Well, I've wanted to go there for some years now, partly because of the beautiful & dramatic scenery, also the possibility of seeing the Northern Lights (which I was lucky enough to see once, spectacularly), but also to discover the remoteness & harsh conditions in which people live & work up there.
I had visions of daily treks through snow storms in eskimo attire, but in fact, life was surprisingly 'normal' (despite occasional wipe outs...) Roads are kept clear with ease, houses are heated hotter than my own back in Devon & everything ticks over pretty much the same as it does in the UK; people go to school, work & play without the conditions stopping them.
My own experience however was slightly more unusual, as I lived, worked & photographed life on an organic farm which I discovered through the organisation, WWOOFING. (I highly recommend this to anyone wishing to soak themselves amongst a different culture for a while, living & working with local people for food & board. You can do it pretty much anywhere in the world..just I happened to choose Norway.)
Before heading out there, I had thought I was going to be staying on my own for a month with my host, Leikny. However, when I got to the airport, after half an hour of wondering where anyone was (!), discovered two East European boys waiting for me with a sign that read: 'English Wwoofer =)'. They had arrived just the day before me, so I was not alone! I ended up spending the entire month with these boys, who became good friends & of course often (to their patience & kindness), my subjects.
The boys were staying at the farm for 5-6 weeks before hitchhiking across Norway & catching a flight from Oslo to Thailand. They are working and travelling as they go, and I look forward to seeing how their year of adventure pans out.
