Cosycactus

I thought I might try to share a little bit through my blog again. I miss my camera, I miss capturing the details with it, but feel weary about putting photos "out there" again. I like the fact that instagram has private accounts, though my feeling is that it probably just is an "illusion" and that nothing we post online really is private. Anyway, I won't be sharing photos of my kids and family, at least no photos where they are easily recognised. I guess I might post now and then, most likely without having much to say, but then again I have always thought of blogging as having a conversation with myself and putting thoughts down on paper (online?) instead of just in my head.

I have been meditating on why I feel the urge to share, with who are basically complete strangers, little bits of my everyday. And I can honestly answer that I do not really know. I started blogging in 2008 when my oldest was one year old (he will turn 11 this year!) and I wrote on and off for several years. I took away all those posts a while back since I didn't feel comfortable leaving them when I wasn't using my blog anymore. Maybe some of you remember my posts about my field work and PhD journey, about the beauty of northern Norway, the midnight sun and my first dwelling into knitting and baking. I remember those times fondly and cannot help but smile and admire at how far I have come and where life has taken me. I am now a pretty good baker and knitter, and live even more isolated from the rest of the world than we did 10 years ago. Life has of course also been hard in between all the sunshine, but overall, I am pretty happy with who I am today.

On another note, I wanted to share a little glimpse into my book shelves ( I said I was going to post about random stuff!). I have a couple more bookshelves with some fiction, and I take immense pleasure in picking books up and glancing in their pages. I do the same with my yarn stash, to sit and dream of what project to take on next and wish I had more time on my hands. Right now, time is scarce. I am due to deliver my PhD thesis around easter, and the date for my public dissertation is set (8th of June). I cannot believe that after 9 years, I am going to achieve my degree. So much has happened during those years, four children and a move across the country (but still in the north), gathering lots of data and watching my project and myself mature as a scientist. When I was away from my studies for a long period, for example the two years of extended maternity leave I took with each child, I always wondered if my priorities had changed. Did I still find science exciting and fulfilling? The answer was always yes. I felt that little tinge of excitement each time I returned to my studies, each time I spent time outside with my beloved tundra plants and checked my data for patterns.

And now, I will continue writing a little on my dissertation. I am completely alone at my office since it is the weekend, and it is so nice to breath in the silence after a crazy morning at home. The children were outside when I left, in spite of it being -22 Celsius, and I hope they have burnt out some energy by the time I come back home in a few hours.

Until the next time. xxx