The birth of the travelbug or the start of it all

I have been wondering where to start this blog.
How much detail to add and what to leave out.

Actually, the nature of my trips has changed a lot during the last 12 years.
The early years were often technical hikes into remote areas.
Finetuning my kit to be suitable for hiking in the wild mountains in Norway or the remote highlands of the Icelandic interior.
In later years the travels have increasingly become more focussed on feeling at home in the woods.
With an increasing knowledge of "Bushcraft" skills, being in the peace and solitude of Europe's last wild places has made me feel comfortable in them. And even here in this small country, there are places to feel the power of nature.

So, I will start at the beginning.
It was the year 2000, I find myself in a puddle of cold water. Through a blurring haze of noise and tremors, I began to notice a rhythm and melody. The raw screams of something wild and unearthly. Through half opened eyes I see wild shapes bowing to the black and white painted creature on the stage. I remember now. This is Dynamo Open Air at the Goffert Park. A black metal band is blasting trough the fog in my head.
I open my eyes and wake up.

Why is this the start of it all I hear you thinking?
Because sitting next to me, was a woman who would become one of my best friends.
And who would be the first to show me the beauty and power of nature.
Sif Sveinsdottir of Iceland. On a roadtrip through Europe to see metal concerts.
I'll leave the details, but at the end of that day I took her home.
The next day she had to leave to the airport for her flight to Iceland.
Not long afterwards I am finding myself on the Iceland Air flight to Kevlavik.
The following three weeks we fell in love even more and she introduced me to the magnificient Icelandic landscape.

Seljalandsfoss

We rented a car and traveled around the island. There is only one main road and there are so many beautiful things along the way.

Puffins

Endless road

Wild-camping and walking through that raw landscape.
It was during that trip, that I fell in love with being in the outdoors.

Magnificient Dettifoss

Downstream Dettifoss

Midnight sun at a beautiful campingspot

It is hard not to feel small in a landscape like this.
It was even more special to share those moments with someone dear to me.

Boiling pools of mud and a lot of other geothermic activity.

To be continued.