My name is Amanda Matti. I live in Gällivare, a small town above the Arctic Circle in Swedish Lapland, with my husband-to-be, our 2 year old son and our two dogs. I try to spend the most of my time outdoors. I hike, bike, walk, surf, ski, snowboard or just sit outside making coffee over open fire. Why? Because out in nature is where I can hear my own thoughts.
I have spent most part of my life doing what I thought I was supposed to, in a way I thought I had to. I have always felt a little misplaced, no matter where I’ve been or whom I been with. Ive been working long hours, trying to make a career, being professional and smart, get a good job, work long hours, earn good money, dream big but not too big and talk more – but not too much. And then I decided I’ve had enough. I realized I didn’t want to grow old, not knowing what it would be like to chase after my dreams. And not the dreams people told me to have – my real dreams.
Life is supposed to be lived, every single moment of it
I believe we are supposed to be happy, not successful. And happiness really comes from within, from being present, not from material things or fancy titles. I find my happy when I’m out in nature, surrounded by trees or looking out over the open landscape. I no longer give a damn what people think. Because underneath all of those titles and things, I am a human being. A human being who spills her coffee often, who laughs more than she cries, someone that cleans the house less often than she should, who rather drinks coffee made over open fire than in a fancy espresso machine, who brakes out in dance spontaneously and someone who believes that people deserve a second chance, and sometimes even a third. And being human is way more important than being successful.
Adventures, arctic lifestyle and outdoor
Explore a Little More is where I’m gonna write about my outdoor adventures, everyday life in Swedish Lapland, the travels that we go on, my business strategies, the success or failures I experience with my own business, my thoughts and insights about life and how I believe that slowing down and being present is the answer to finding your own inner peace and living a happier and healthier life. Talking, taking pictures, teaching and writing is my thing and making the world a better, more friendly place, is my vision. I hope to inspire more people to do what they really want in life, to slow down and appreciate the world that we live in and the life that we have.
