On Top of the World

Aug. 18, 2025

I’m sitting right now north of the Artic Circle. I can’t believe it. It freaks me out a little bit to be so far away from home and to be some place so remote. I’m in the little town of Bodo (pronounced Buddha) which is mostly industrial until fifteen years ago when they decided to cater to tourists.

In a two days, Claire-Adele and I will embark on an eight trip through fjords of Lofoten on a fifty foot sailboat.

Right now, it is raining sideways, the wind is howling and the water is choppy. 

I am going to spend eight days on a boat in this shit?

What the fuck am I thinking? Why am I doing this? How come I didn't read the fine print or google where "Lofoten" was? I had no idea it was north of the Artic Circle. I thought the trip dipped north of the Artic Circle, but we are well above the line now, and the trip starts further north. My friend J did this trip last year and I thought it sounded super cool when J talked about it. I sent the link to Claire-Adele and let her pick the trip. Seriously. It was fine she picked the trip, but I could have read about what she picked. What was I thinking?

My friend Jen took a road trip in Norway last year at the same time and she said it rained every day. Not a little rain, but it poured. The videos on the website show people in bikini's jumping off boats. There is no way I would be jumping off a boat in this weather. No way. I doubt I'd die, but it would be really, really unpleasant.

Yeah, so I'm terrified. I am excited, but also terrified. Terri-cited, I think is what Glennon Doyle would call this.

I hope this doesn't suck.

Maybe it is better that I didn't read up about this before. I probably wouldn't have signed up.

Yes, I am north of the Arctic Circle.

Scandinavians know their pastries.