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March 29, 2020 by Torrie Hazelwood

Wander Womxn

March 17, 2019 by Torrie Hazelwood in USA, New Zealand, South Korea

Some of the adventurous, tenacious and tender hearted people I’ve wandered this world with. And while there are many more not captured here, I am grateful for their presence, curiosity and continuous pursuit of the wild.

Lake Solitude, Newbury, New Hampshire, USA

Here is Hjem

June 04, 2018 by Torrie Hazelwood in Norway

In May, the day stretches out as the sunlight lingers until about midnight in Norway. Gone are the days where the sun only shows itself for four or five hours and instead people can be spotted strolling with an ice cream as late as 11 pm. When I first get to Norway during this time of year, I always find myself staying up much later than planned, largely because of the everlasting twilight, but also because I get carried away catching up with family. My days here are packed with hiking, playing soccer, goofing around with cousins, and lots and lots of coffee, cheese, and chocolate. Immediately below is the view from my tante's (aunt's) porch in Bergen. Every evening we would sit outside in our knit sweaters (mine made by her!), sip coffee, and watch the fog roll in. It is here, in this landscape and among my family, I feel a deep sense of koselig and a certainty that this is home.

Hiking into the snow, Balestrand, Norway

May in Norway also signifies the time for Russ. Russ, meaning red, is a tradition unique to Norway where students who are in their final year of high school spend the last month before they graduate wearing red, blue, green or black jumpsuits or overalls - color indicating their field of study. They go to music festivals, party, and hand out Russ cards to children who feverishly collect them and compare who and how many they have with their friends (these are basically baseball player cards with a funny photo of them as a kid and an often cheeky joke). While it originated with red caps being worn by high school graduates, it has grown into an all-encompassing, month-long experience. It's meant as a time to celebrate completing thirteen years of school, but some of the recently added traditions have come under criticism by older generations and current students themselves. Russ students usually form groups with their friends and pick a name, perhaps design a logo, some commission musicians to write a theme song for the group, and many groups will purchase a car, van or bus to paint and decorate with their group's name and logo. The astronomical amount of money spent on buying and refurbishing buses with sound systems has, in some areas, turned into a sort of arms race to see who can spend the most money, which has driven many students to opt out of purchasing a vehicle or not participate in Russ at all.

Russ are also known for playing pranks (see photo below) and partake in scavenger hunts of their own design with questionable tasks to tick off. While challenges certainly lie ahead with how Russ continues to function, one thing is for sure: I do not envy the students who, after a month of nights spent drinking, sleeping on their school's fields (yes, school is still in session during this time, so they can't be late to class), and driving all over Norway to attend music festivals, have to sit for their exams immediately after their Russ time commences on the 17th of May. Seems like a foolproof plan.

This is evidence that Russ were here. A group of mischevious Russ added dish soap to one of the park's fountains in Olso.

As the only two people who hopped off the ferry in Lygra, we waved off the boat and turned around to face the steep grassy bank that rose just beyond the dock. Fingers crossed the place I had scouted on Google Maps existed, we climbed the hill to reveal a rolling landscape dotted with little white things (soon identified as sheep). The picturesque fields were bathed in a golden light that I've come to associate with Norwegian evenings. As we followed the small dirt path we passed a sign that read, "Lygra sentrum" (Lygra town center). Perhaps this was a joke the locals played on visitors because the sign was firmly planted in the middle of an empty field (or maybe commentary on the fact that sheep, who clearly outnumber humans in Lygra, congretate at this spot regularly)? Soon enough, however, we passed through a gate and walked across the only road running through the town to meet the owner of the guesthouse, Dan. He stood on the porch of one of the handful of houses visible on this stretch of island and greeted us warmly. After setting our things down, we chatted with Dan who we quickly learned also doubles as a local sheep farmer. It was lambing season and Dan explained that he had been sleeping in the sheep shed for nearly two weeks getting up every few hours to check on the ewes, in case any of them had trouble giving birth. As he sat petting his favorite sheep, Dolly, who he had bottle fed as a lamb, he told us he would not be able to forgive himself if a lamb or ewe's life could have been saved if only he had been there. So, as a result, he hangs out 24/7 with the pregnant sheep during lambing season. While I have family in Norway who farm, I was reminded how grueling and labor-intensive livestock farming can be and how it takes a special kind of passion to find joy in the daily grind of this profession. After commenting that Dolly was better than any lawnmower he could've ever purchased, he said goodnight and walked back to the shed, Dolly trotting after him.

My L.L. Bean Dog

March 20, 2018 by Torrie Hazelwood in USA

*Feel free to skip the writing and go right to the photos, I get it*

Full disclosure, Svein is not an L.L. Bean model but every time we get a new catalog, we'll leaf through it and say, "that could've been you, Svein. Too bad you missed the callback when you were a pup." While being incredibly good-looking, and told that constantly, Svein is still the every-dog with his struggles and quirks. For instance, if I throw the ball for him in the snow, he is terrible at finding it even if he saw where it fell (top photo here was when he found the ball after a 10-minute search...). He also gets his lip caught on his teeth fairly often and looks like a complete doof. And, during the winter, he regularly immerses his head in piles of snow for unknown reasons (smells? Idk). His hobbies include coming up from behind people and jamming his head in between their legs in hopes of a chin scratch, looking hopeful whenever food is around, and deciding to roll onto his back, right to the middle of the bed every night, without fail (why should I have room for my whole body to fit on my bed? Who am I? The Queen of England??). That being said, Svein is also gentle with children, has been a great source of comfort through some rough times, and is the best running buddy. So L.L. Bean dog official or not, he's more than deserving of my obsession with him and worthy of the Instagram account I will inevitably create for his many fans.

Puppy Svein (he still chooses to sit on my lap this way from time to time). Photo by J.H.

Your Heart Knows When It's Home

February 19, 2018 by Torrie Hazelwood in USA

We met across the ocean and over copious amounts of cheese and chocolate. When you find kindred spirits, you hold them close, no matter the distance or time between visits. While we spent four months together in Switzerland, traveling around Europe, and living in a sort of "Grand Budapest Hotel" situation in Croatia, our time between seeing one another steadily grew - a few months, a year, and then a couple of years. But we kept in touch. Mutually invested and following the action in each others' lives from a distance. After all, we had been together through bold fashion choices, breakups, hands getting stuck in Nutella jars, new jobs, loss, graduate school, and exciting new adventures. I hadn't seen them in four !FOUR! years and that changed this weekend. I think of home in various ways, though often not as a physical place. Rather, home is a feeling, and it's what I feel when I'm with these two. They are my heart home. Full of empathy, wit, integrity, determination, and intelligence. I feel at ease with these two gems - they make a rough time feel like it will pass and they make celebrating life's small moments feel like major accomplishments.

When friends are your heart home, it doesn't matter where you are in the world, as long as you're with them. And as for this trio, we found each other in Switzerland and haven't let go of each other since.

Maywood Pancake House, Maywood, New Jersey, USA

Ashbury Park Beach, Ashbury Park, New Jersey, USA (photo by M. Butler). (We've been asked multiple times if we are twins. We don't get it, but we're leaning in.)

Ashbury Park, New Jersey, USA (Photo by K. Marsh)

For further explorations into the dynamic world of female friendships (this is just an off-the-top-of-my-head list - there are so many more!) : Broad City (TV), Call Your Girlfriend (podcast), Another Round (podcast), Parks and Recreation (TV), Text Me When You Get Home (book), 2 Dope Queens (podcast), Ghostbusters (film), A League of Their Own (film), Summer Sisters (book), The Joy Luck Club (book), Ghost World (film), Frances Ha (film), The Secret Life of Bees (book), Grace and Frankie (Netflix), Girls Trip (film), Bridesmaids (film), Clueless (film), Waiting to Exhale (book/film), Swing Time (book), Before Everything (book), Mean Girls (film), Mystic Pizza (film), A Thousand Splendid Suns (book), Girls of Riyadh (book), Fried Green Tomatoes (book/film), The Heat (film), Beaches (book/film), Chimney Corners Camp for Girls (...a camp).

Some Call it Vacationland, I Call it Home

December 30, 2017 by Torrie Hazelwood in USA

One of the greatest parts about friends visiting or moving to your hometown is you begin to see it in an entirely new light. Much like watching kids experience things for the first time, your awareness of what's going on around you is peaked and new joy is found in the seemingly mundane. You're more apt to explore, you appreciate what you've taken for granted for so many years -restaurants, cool local businesses, nature, LIVING ON THE OCEAN-, and you become (even more) fiercely proud of where you grew up. People often ask where I'll settle down, and the answer usually involves a shrug of my shoulders and a "who knows", but as time goes by, the thought of Maine being my forever home creeps in every once in a while.......but then again, 🤷🏻‍♀️ who knows?

PS Thank you to all of my lovely friends from across the USA and around the world who have come to visit or moved to Maine - you've truly made my heart grow fonder for this place!

Svein, Harpswell, Maine, USA — *Svein, Harpswell, Maine, USA*

Giant's Stairs, Bailey Island, Maine, USA

Pine Point Beach, Scarborough, Maine, USA

Urban Farm Fermentory, Portland, Maine, USA

一期一会 "Ichi-go Ichi-e"

September 01, 2017 by Torrie Hazelwood in Japan

When I was fifteen, I woke up every morning to go for a run. In an attempt to avoid the Japenese summer humidity, I would get up around 6 am, lace up my sneakers and head out. As I ran I saw the city of Utsunomiya wake up - people in their neatly pressed uniforms waiting in line at the bus stop, students whipping by on their bikes, and the smell of breakfast - fish, rice, egg - wafting out of the few open windows. While I appreciated all that I was observing and experiencing on a daily basis, I don't think I was fully capable of practicing the Japanese concept of 一期一会, which means "one time, one meeting," at fifteen years old. The idea is that encounters - the combination of time, people, space - will only happen once in a lifetime. It's also a reminder to approach every moment with intention because these moments will never recur. My morning runs were full of these moments - the group of older women exercising that I smiled at, the man opening up his sidewalk tea shop who would give me a nod, and the little kids with their quaint straw hats clinging to their parents' hands on their way to daycare. While my Japanese was minimal, I wish I had stopped and bought a matcha from the teashop man, or at least had the confidence to say "ohayo gozaimasu" to the group of women, who seemed to have noticed the white girl running for 30+ days every morning (people running outside like this wasn't typical). At fifteen, I think I gravitated towards meaningful interactions but hadn't thought too deeply about intentionality. I would, however, get a second chance.

Luckily when I returned to Japan this past summer, I had spent countless hours thinking about what it means to be intentional with my time and my interactions. I had also traveled more, spent time with people who thought differently than myself, and found my knack for being reflexive. I was also the leader of the group of fifteen-year-olds where I had once been a participant, and my perspective was markedly different. This time around I didn't go running in the mornings - too early, bum ankle, and SO humid - but I did make a conscious effort to communicate with everyone our group encountered (even if there was a language barrier) as well as spend time being quiet and observing. The concept of 一期一会 has stuck with me after this summer in Japan, and I've kept it in my consciousness. I've reflected on how I approach relationships and time spent with people. A lot has happened over the past year, and it's become clear to me that I needed to be more thoughtful about who I spent my emotional energy on. I used to feel as though I had to be super friendly with everyone and give each relationship my 100% buy-in from the beginning. My thought process going into this has since shifted. I can't help being friendly, it's who I am, but I'm more thoughtful about how I expend my energy. I have begun to focus on the relationships where both people are invested and show unconditional love and empathy, which has brought a new depth and richness to these friendships. "One time, one meeting" to me has come to mean we have a finite amount time and to cherish each moment, and I want to start living with this in mind. I am grateful my time in Japan helped me work through some tendencies and experiences that weighed heavily on me - and working on 一期一会, I feel a new freedom to step forward into the next chapters of my life.

Tea ceremony, Utsunomiya, Tochigi, Japan

Bunsei Junior College, Utsunomiya, Tochigi, Japan

UNESCO World Heritage City, Nikko, Japan — UNESCO World Heritage City, Nikko, Japan

Dodgeball game at Utsunomiya Shiritsu Kiyohara Central Elementary School, Utsunomiya, Tochigi, Japan

Utsunomiya Futaarayama Shrine, Tochigi, Japan

Takoyaki party with homestay families, Utsunomiya, Tochigi, Japan

All the Fjells in Norway

June 10, 2017 by Torrie Hazelwood in Norway

It’s possible to hear the low, rhythmic rumble permeating the city at any point during the day and not unusual to see a young drummer and their mentor as they stand tucked in amongst the old white houses of Bergen. Called Buekorps, these neighborhood youth organizations are particular to Norway’s western city of Bergen and started in the 1850’s by the youth themselves. Most active during the spring and summer, and especially on 17 May, Norwegian Constitution Day, they can be heard practicing. Up until recently, the bataljoner was reserved for boys. Norway, much like other parts of Scandinavia, has the well-deserved reputation of cultivating the most gender equal societies in the world. But even Norway isn’t entirely free of a history steeped in beautiful, yet unequal, traditions. From what relatives have told me, in addition to the boys' groups, there are now drumming clubs for girls who wish to be a part of something that Bergen holds so special. The first girl buekorps formed in 1991, causing a bit of controversy, though the girl and mixed gender battalions now appear to be widely accepted. I spent a few weeks in Bergen this year, including 17 May. My Aunt, who lives nestled in one of the hills surrounding the city, pointed out the buekorps whenever we saw or heard them. She is a life-long resident of the city and is fiercely proud of this Berganese tradition - and quick to point out the girl buekorps during the 17 May parade.

Flag-bearer for a buekorps on 17 May, Bergen, Norway

My time in Bergen was also spent hiking all seven fjells (mountains) surrounding the city with friends where we experienced breathtaking sunsets on the fjord and quad burning uphills. I also popped up north to see the midnight sun in the Lofoten Islands and was stunned by the most beautiful hikes I’ve ever done in my life (see Horseid Beach Hike). Friends from the USA joined me throughout my time in Norway and as I spent time with my family. From learning how to operate my Uncle’s farm equipment (spot the woman with the wild smile in the scooper thing -getting technical here-), to playing soccer with my cousin's women's league team, to slowing down each day with multiple cups of coffee, I find it hard to articulate how much my family's welcoming, loving and relaxed approach to life means to me. Until next time, Norway, jeg elsker deg.

*Trading Russ cards on 17 May, Bergen, Norway*

Midnight sun, Lofoten, Norway — *Midnight sun, Lofoten, Norway*

I Ran Over a Possum (and Other Happenings in NZ)

December 20, 2016 by Torrie Hazelwood in New Zealand

There is no place where I freak out about light more, blink harder at the staggering beauty of contrasting landscapes, and feel the need to point out every farm animal I see while driving than in New Zealand. Finishing out my working holiday visa this fall was marked by opportunities to learn from a generous visual journalist, get a permanent addition to my body placed there by an incredibly talented artist to remind me of this place that feels like home, and go on a beautiful trek across the South Island. After I returned and began processing my experiences, I found I developed a stronger sense of self and have, perhaps, become more prudent in how much emotional labor I do for people. As Zora Neale Hurston once said, "There are years that ask questions and years that answer" - and it's propitious when the question and answer happen to come in the same year.

Also, I did run over a possum while traveling in the South Island. We had just finished the Routeburn Track and it was a dark and windy road in the mountains. In my defense, I had just learned from the DOC ranger at the Lake Mackenzie Hut that possums are killing off many native bird species in New Zealand so, I guess, I did it for the birds.

*The Pinnacles, The Coromandel, New Zealand*

*Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park & Coromandel Forest Park, Waikato, New Zealand*

*Bag-End, Hobbiton, Matamata, New Zealand*

*Crown Range Lookout, Otago, New Zealand*

Routeburn Track, Mount Aspiring National Park, South Island, New Zealand

Routeburn Track, South Island, New Zealand

Key Summit, Fiordland National Park, South Island, New Zealand (Photo by: T. Allison)

Tongariro National Park, Wanganui, New Zealand

Learning from Experience, not AUS-mosis

August 12, 2016 by Torrie Hazelwood in Australia, Travel

I've often tried to recall the moment or series of moments where I became more aware of my positionality and when I gained a sense of agency with regard to my role in larger social issues. My years at a four week overnight summer camp taught me independence, how to live and work with people who think differently than myself, and to never assume I have the correct or complete answer. All this laid the foundation for my more "profound" realizations (I'm only in my mid-twenties and realize I have a long way to go). Despite my fuzzy recollections of specific moments on my way to being more reflexive, I do know that most of them have come through traveling.

From my first trips with family and then graduating to solo travel, I’ve found the development of self-awareness is key to learning about the people and places around me. I've also found that a heuristic approach allowed me to learn from mistakes and sharpen what I've now come to think of as my intuitive judgment. It is particularly important for me to remember this when I am leading immersion leadership travel programs over the past four summers. Along with a co-leader and host partner, we facilitate a group of fifteen fifteen year olds. For those of you who have traveled with teens, or were once a teen and can to be real with yourself, exploring travel and what leadership looks like with this age group has its ups and downs. Many are adept at navigating airports, most greet new experiences with enthusiasm and, in the programs that I lead, they are motivated to improve their leadership skills. While cultivating and improving these skills are key aspects of the program, there's the overarching goal of cultivating social responsibility. The core of participants' understanding and practicing social responsibility comes through developing a heightened sense of awareness and then transferring the skills gained and experiences back to their everyday life.

Social responsibility is a heady concept with varying definitions. I found that boiling it down to: a heightened awareness of yourself, how your actions impact others (both positively and negatively), and your ability to work with others through active listening, asking questions, and taking measured action is palatable to most teenagers. Practicing this, however, takes time. I have to remember that I wasn't a fully formed human at fifteen and despite the intense five week leadership program, developing the key components of social responsibility, if following the heuristic approach, is a process. Giving kids the space to evolve allows them ownership over their skill sets and, often times, I learn from them in the process. Here are a few shots from the recent program I co-lead to Australia. The first set of photos are from the Sydney area - nearby mountains, famous architectural landmarks and relaxing city dwellers – and the last few are from the Broken Hill area – ghost towns left from the mining boom, an introduction to Australian first nation peoples, and red dirt that gets everywhere

*Blue Mountains, Katoomba, NSW, Australia*