The Solivagant Writer

The world is my playground; the pen, my friend

2020 Word of the Year: Clarity

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This year was my inaugural word of the year. To say that I have found what I was looking for is with choosing it is not the case. The word for 2019 was focus. I was supposed to focus on… Continue Reading →

Nostalgic Reading: Top 5 Books in Childhood

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In childhood I remember I was a bookworm. I was shy and introverted, albeit I still am. It’s a part of who I am. Who I will always be, most likely. As children, we have wild imaginations; we create our… Continue Reading →

“How to Make an American Quilt” (’95): On Life and Relationships

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How to Make an American Quilt That’s a good question that I don’t know the answer to. This ’90s throwback recently came on Netflix and, because it starred Wyonna Ryder, I decided to watch. How to Make an American Quilt… Continue Reading →

Poetic Thoughts: An Open Letter to PTSD

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I’m terrified that is all but it’s not enough you do not leave me you follow me like I’m your prey you’re a ghost from my past terrorizing my waking dreams holding me back in fear I’m terrified but that… Continue Reading →

The Misadventures of an American Tourist in the Lyngen Alps

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As I look back at my brief time in Norway from last year, all I can think of is the positive experiences I had. All I know is what I felt there, despite my grit and determination to go it… Continue Reading →

What’s in the Name: The Solivagant Writer

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What’s in a name? That’s what I am curious about. And I will also explain to you why I chose The Solivagant Writer. If you’ve read my About Me page, then you are well on your way to understanding. But… Continue Reading →

Poetic Thoughts: Anxiety*

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You’re an invisible scar holding me down, holding me back you know where I hurt you know where I hide and you come find me some days or some nights. You’re a waking nightmare that I can’t push aside I… Continue Reading →

The Canadian Dream: The Historic Charm of Quebec City

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From the Canadian Rockies in Alberta to bustling city life in Vancouver, British Columbia or Toronto, Ontario, each province leaves you feeling charmed. Admittedly I have never phsyically visited British Columbia or Alberta, but many of my childhood favorite movies… Continue Reading →

Poetic Thoughts: Belonging

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It’s hard when you can mix and mingle among crowds, blending in but not fitting in. It’s hard to know where you belong when mingling with one is better than the crowd. How do I know? I rarely feel I… Continue Reading →

Word of the Year 2019: Focus

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  Taking a cue from Lola Åkerström, I want to begin a series on Word of the Year starting this year. Right now. 2019 is meant for change, and most importantly: Focus As a writer, I am captivated by words,… Continue Reading →

30 Things to Do Before I Turn 30!

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It’s New Year’s Eve and I have been MIA on this blog for a few months. To my followers, I am grateful you’ve stuck by me. I envision various things for this blog in 2019 and I have been working… Continue Reading →

Foreign Films & Series: Introduction

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I want to start a new series about the entertainment I watch, or have watched in the past, that has had an impact on my life and my perceptions of the world. Almost a decade ago, I was introduced to… Continue Reading →

On a Study of Mountains and Roads

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Since coming back from Norway, I haven’t been able to travel far or wide to capture what is in my imagination. I am overwhelmed by a number of ideas and must contend with the fact that I am currently unable… Continue Reading →

On a Study of Depth

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Over a number of weeks I have been participating in weekly photography challenges. In this case, we were challenged with depth (of field). I currently own an amatuer camera: a Canon EOS Rebel T6 with a couple of starter lens…. Continue Reading →

Spotlight: Paul Penn

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Several weeks ago, I got to interview my friend Paul Penn. If you read any of his poetry, you will find that it has a neat rhythm and is typically lyrical. Many times, for example, he has collaborated with @babsginger… Continue Reading →

On Trains, Planes, and Cars: Norway Edition

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Ok, so besides taking the T-bane and Flytoget in the capital of Oslo, I didn’t take many trains on my recent trip to Norway. Nevertheless, on both trains, everyone was quiet. Even going into the T-bane stations, I was surprised… Continue Reading →

Poetic Thoughts: Anxiety

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Close your eyes Breathe Hear the sound of your heartbeat. Anxiety is a raging storm inside Its thunder is your hidden pain Its lightning, your flashes of reason It manifests your imperfections into a seemingly perfect, beautiful mess. And you… Continue Reading →

Into the Forest

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I’ve visited Madame Sherri Forest in New Hampshire at least four times now this summer. Each time I have challenged myself by taking self-portraits, something I am inspired to by other talented female photographers including Elizabeth Gadd, Helena Moore, and… Continue Reading →

Poetic Thoughts: Anxiety

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You see I know you by name You know I don’t always have control. There’s something I can’t shake You know, it’s you. I can make it, you can break it. Just wait, til I’m livin my best life. You… Continue Reading →

The Last Hurra (Or So I Thought)

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On the morning of May 29th at around 3:00 am, I woke up to sunshine peering through my window at the Fossekallen cabin at Norwegian Wild/Camp Tranøybotn, adjacent to Anderdalen National Park. Like a few days before that, I was… Continue Reading →

Quote of the Week: John Muir

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Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to the body and soul. ~John Muir

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to the body and soul. ~John Muir

Spotlight: Paul Penn

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A few weeks ago I got to interview Paul Penn, a poet and an entreprenuer. We were able to talk about life in general for at least an hour before we really got into the interview, which I really enjoyed…. Continue Reading →

Quote of the Week

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Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. ~Winston Churchill

  Have a wonderful Labor Day!

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. ~Winston Churchill   Have a wonderful Labor Day!

Poetic Thoughts: Quiet Strength

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Don’t forget you have a quiet strength deep inside you. Capture it. Live it. Fight. Don’t forget you have to be courageous: Speak up don’t stay silent Be brave Fight. Sorry I haven’t posted much poetry lately. I think it… Continue Reading →

The Sounds of Senja: A Week in a Fairytale

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After my friendly welcome to Senja, I spent the majority of time alone. Alone in thought. Alone hiking the mountains. Alone in my rental car, driving around the island. Alone listening to P5 Hits, a Norwegian radio station that plays… Continue Reading →

Quote of the Week

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The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Eleanor Roosevelt

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Eleanor Roosevelt

A Little Secret (ie Book in Progress)

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Keep it secret, keep it safe. Gandalf in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring There’s a part of me that likes keeping things under wraps, to not share everything on social media. (Does this count, then? hmmm)…. Continue Reading →

Ruby Sparks (2012)

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Stars: Zoe Kazan, Paul Dano, Annette Bening, Antonio Bandaras, Chris Screenplay: Zoe Kazan Director(s): Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris Rating: 4/5 There’s something about movies that have great situational irony that I seem to love. As much as I have begun… Continue Reading →

Environmental Spotlight: Leonardo Valenzuela Pérez

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If we’re destroying our trees and destroying our environment and hurting animals and hurting one another and all that stuff, there’s got to be a very powerful energy to fight that. I think we need more love in the world…. Continue Reading →

Quote of the Week

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It is a kind of nowhere, famous for nothing at all and has an appeal because of just that. Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

 

It is a kind of nowhere, famous for nothing at all and has an appeal because of just that. Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance  

Velkommen til Senja: Norway’s Fairytale Island

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I woke up early in the morning on May 26th, refreshed from a relatively good night’s sleep in my cabin Fosskallen. It was quiet. All I could hear was a nearby waterfall. Outside the window, all I could see was… Continue Reading →

Tromsø Harbor – Black & White

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To Senja With Love

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“The earth has music for those who listen.” I read this caption a photo from that region over two years ago. That is when I knew I needed to add Senja to my bucket list. Indeed, if you listen to… Continue Reading →

the man on the moon Excerpt

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wandering away my fears took me so far from where i wanted to be. This excerpt comes from page 209 from Christopher McGeown‘s new book: the man on the moon. It is one of many poems I personally connected with…. Continue Reading →

What I Missed: Oslo Edition

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ie, what I didn’t get a chance to see or do in Oslo. Barcode Oslo With the Oslo Opera House nearby this neighborhood, I don’t know how I forgot to visit this place. Either way, the next time I visit… Continue Reading →

the man on the moon Excerpt

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For more find him on Facebook, Instagram, and via his website. To order his new book, click here and his first book here. To read more from the interview, click here.

Country Roads…take me home

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  Driving down the country roads in Troms County in Norway was incredible and captivating. Small fishing villages dot the coastlines; it’s a picturesque landscape.  Undoubtedly quiet. Who wouldn’t want to listen to some John Denver on these roads?  

Hello Helsinki, Goodbye Helsinki

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“Bye bye rocks,” Lilia chimed in. We had stopped at a lookout near a bridge in Lohja after visiting the Paavolan Tammi there. The Paavalon Tammi was the reason why we drove an hour and a half outside of Helsinki,… Continue Reading →

Poetic Thoughts: Make it…

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We try our hardest to make it in this world, when all we really need is to create our own and live the life we have always dreamed. Sometimes our roads are met with obstacles, a bridge burned or a… Continue Reading →

Author Spotlight: Chris McGeown

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A couple of months ago, I got to interview my friend and published poet Chris McGeown. We spoke about his writing, his inspirations and motivations, and about his most current project: The Man on the Moon. His new book, The Man… Continue Reading →

Oslo Food Experience

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In Oslo, I visited a couple of upscale cosy restaurants that either served traditional Norwegian cuisine or had a distinctive menu suggested by the Oslo Pass. Perhaps I should have ventured outside of my comfort zone, but since I spent… Continue Reading →

Fairytale Islands and Dreamy Landscapes

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I spent three weeks in Scandinavia, Norway and Finland to be specific. I had chosen my destination points wisely, visiting the metropolitan hubs of Oslo, Helsinki, and, in Northern Norway,  Tromsø. I thought spending five days would be enough to… Continue Reading →

The Capital of Norway: Oslo

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I don’t think I got nearly enough time to discover the hidden gems of Norway’s capital city of Oslo. I had decided to buy a three-day Oslo Pass to ensure I would find something to do each and every day… Continue Reading →

The Year of the Long Walk

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The second half of the day I connected with an Instagram friend of mine Ursula, @ursula_uriate, at a local Joe and the Juice where we met up with Julia and Nicole. Ursula and Nicole had already met up and were… Continue Reading →

The Liebster Award

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I have only been seriously blogging for about two to three months, though I prematurely started this blog last September in preparation for my recent trip to Norway and Finland I took. More to come on my solo traveling adventure,… Continue Reading →

PSA – Back from Vacation

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Hey everyone, This past Tuesday I got back from my three week vacation to Norway and Finland. And they did not disappoint. Especially Northern Norway. I don’t want to spill too much of the beans (so to speak), because I… Continue Reading →

Monday Inspiration

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I know the sag of the unfinished poem. And I know the release of the poem that is finished. ~Mary Oliver

 

Do you ever feel this?

I believe I do sometimes.

Mary Oliver on the process of writing poetry.

Poetic Thoughts: Castles in the Sky

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I’ve built my cathedral in the sky, there my dreams surely reside. There’s no time to tear it down, to tear away the bricks and mortar of stories Left untold, unfolding in the decaying walls. I’ve built my castle in… Continue Reading →

Monday Inspiraton

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Poetry is one of the ancient arts, and it began as did all the fine arts, within the original wilderness of the earth. ~Mary Oliver

 

Mary Oliver on poetry

Welcome to Norway & Gratulerer med dagen

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I arrived in Norway around 6:00 pm on May 16th. I was tired from all the traveling, having watched two episodes of Valkyrien with Sven Nordin and Pål Sverre Hagen before somewhat dozing off on the five-hour flight to London…. Continue Reading →

Monday Inspiration

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We can't choose where we come from, but we can chooe where we go from there. ~Stephen Chbosky

In honor of beginning a travel journey to Norway this week, I want to share this quote. It appeared on a 365-Day travel calendar inspired by this book that I have it posted on a wall in my office at work. Hope you enjoy!

We can’t choose where we come from, but we can chooe where we go from there. ~Stephen Chbosky In honor of beginning a travel journey to Norway this week, I want to share this quote. It appeared on a 365-Day… Continue Reading →

Little Women and Me

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My thoughts on the classic Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

Disappearing Act

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A poem on being forgotten,:those who are left out or invisible. A poem in three parts.

Monday Inspiration

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Poetry isn't a profession, it's a way of life. It's an empty basket; you put your life into it and make something out of that. ~Mary Oliver

 

Mary Oliver on poetry as a way of life

Monday Inspiration

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Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. ~Hans Christian Andersen

Just living is not enough… one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. ~Hans Christian Andersen

Poetic Thoughts: Anxiety

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She plays on your fears she hides from the sun she thrives on your doubts she cannot be undone give her time and she will make you crack give her time and you can never look back It’s never easy… Continue Reading →

Monday Inspiration

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For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. ~ Leonardo da Vinci

For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. ~ Leonardo da Vinci

Earth Day 2018 – End Plastic Pollution

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How to begin my first post on the environment? It’s been nearly seven years since I completed my BA in environmental studies, yet I feel like I haven’t contributed to making this world a better, healthier place to live. I’ve… Continue Reading →

Nostalgic Films – Disney Edition Part II

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Looking back nearly two decades ago to my childhood, these movies rank as my favorites. I see a pattern in my entertainment tastes, whether it’s a movie or tv show or recording artists. That is I am a fan of… Continue Reading →

Poetic Thoughts: Evening Light

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Featured image by Lis Roger.

2021 Year in Review

Hello everyone, It’s been a long time. Like a really long time since I posted on this blog. Anyway, when I was thinking about what word I wanted to choose for this year, it was going to be: LOVE To… Continue Reading →

Hiking with the Huskies: Norwegian Edition

“In a car you’re always in a compartment, and because you’re used to it you don’t realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You’re a passive observer and it is all moving by you… Continue Reading →

The Legacy of Game of Thrones: It’s Affect on Tourism in Iceland

Anyone anticipating the last season of Game of Thrones as much as I am? Game of Thrones, an ambitious 8-season long series distributed by HBO, is known for its diverse filming locations. Croatia doubles as King’s Landing. Principal filming took… Continue Reading →

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