You may not have heard of the Norwegian term friluftsliv before. And if that's the case, you'd be forgiven. In a world that’s increasingly tethered to screens and schedules, the concept of friluftsliv (pronounced free-loofts-liv) offers a gentle reminder to reconnect with the outdoors.
The word, which translates to “open-air living,” was first coined by famed Norwegian playwright and poet Henrik Ibsen and has evolved to mean so much more, explains Linda Åkeson McGurk in her book The Open Air Life: Discover the Nordic Art of Friluftsliv and Embrace Nature Everyday. “The idea of consciously using nature for rest and recreation in the way we today call friluftsliv is less than two hundred years old,” she writes.
