– I was just wondering if you had a book that I could get for free? Ivo Vatnar stands in front of the counter in a Norli store in Bodø. What she has just asked seems unthinkable to the vast majority of people in “the world’s richest country”. But not for Ivo. For Ivo, it is a necessity. And she gets what she asks for. A paperback that will accompany her on her journey through the country. Without a smartphone and without money. But why? Ivo Vatnar asks for a book. The clerk at the store thinks her story is cool, and wants to help her fill the loneliness she can feel when darkness creeps in. Photo: Kai Jæger Kristoffersen / news A different adventure People in Norway are often referred to as shy people who do not seek contact. Most people like to avoid eye contact with strangers, and saying hello to someone on the street can seem unheard of. Ivo Vatnar has started a project in his own life that makes this impossible. From Norway’s northernmost municipality to the southernmost, the 29-year-old will hitchhike, beg and pray. Ivo is a trained copywriter, but is currently unemployed. Photo: Kai Jæger Kristoffersen / news With no money and no smartphone, she has chosen to live in a way where she is rarely allowed to relax. Constantly in motion. What does she get out of it? – I do it to experience a different adventure. To live simply and experience what it is like to live off the kindness of others. It is a very rich experience. The feeling of discomfort, struggle, that one is cold, tired and hungry. I believe that when I expose myself to this, I learn something valuable as a human being. I’m in my prime right now and I both love it and hate it. Ivo VatnarOn the journey, Ivo sometimes has to use the tent It can often get wet shoes and cold feet on the road – Many people live friction-free, I do the opposite – I do it because friction can bring a lot of happiness She has been traveling for over a month. During that time, she has felt both discomfort and euphoria. Food, human contact and small pleasures are amplified beyond recognition. – It’s a condition I will never fully get used to, since I am constantly exposed to discomfort such as hunger, that I get tired, have no roof over my head, and am constantly in a state of unpredictability. I am never completely safe, and I carry my home on my back. It only works if I trust the people I meet and that I tolerate rejection. She has gained a lot during her journey. Food, shelter and transport. Hurtigruten has given her a three-course dinner, and she has flown in a small plane from Bardufoss to Evenes. Completely free. Ivo was given a ride by the head of the Air Force’s Flight School, Hallgeir Bjørkestøl, to Evenes. Ivo before she hitchhikes with Hurtigruten to Tromsø. By hitchhiking, Ivo has made it to incredible views, such as this one at Akkarfjord in Finnmark. Ivo admits that there is often a fine balance between demanding and abusing others’ consciences, and accepting others’ kindness. – Do you feel that you are taking advantage of people, or are you giving something back? – I give nothing back. Or, I give humanity. Something happens when I get things. I find that people do it with a good intention and that they get something back in the form of a good feeling and a good conversation. Others do it because they feel they have to, and then I feel like a stranger or a thief. An intruder. – Is it easy to get hold of food and such in Norway, without paying? – In some places it has been very easy. I’ve been full all the way through, but the question is how hard do I have to work for it. I am a modern hunter. The question is how much do I have to beg and how much do I have to expose myself to vulnerability. Selfie on the island of Røst, Nordland.Selfie at Tarhalsen, Akkarfjord, Finnmark.Selfie at Husfjellet, SenjaSelfie at the gaphuken Havørna, Træna. Another unpleasantness she exposes herself to would perhaps be the worst for many people in this country. Ivo has left the smartphone at home. She has acquired a phone that only works for two things. Calling and sending messages. Over a year has passed since she sold the iPhone. – How is life without it? An un-smart phone that has freed Ivo from the smartphone. Photo: Kai Jæger Kristoffersen / news – It’s delicious. I feel that the time is mine, that I am not missing anything. I live without an audience and I don’t have to deal with so many other people. The screen is a large part of our everyday life. 19-year-old Syver uses her mobile phone 9 hours a day. Many people may think that it is tiring to have to plan your trip without being able to access five different apps at the same time to book flights, boats and buses. – It was not an easy choice to travel without the internet, but we have lived without it for thousands of years. So why not use the machinery that we have in our heads? My vision, vigilance and presence are cranked up to max, because I have to. And precisely the attention, Ivo is very concerned about. – We are wasting the most important thing we have, the most precious resource of our time. That’s our attention. Creating, being curious and sensory experiences, that’s what gives life. The smartphone is lifeless. It creates something, but takes away so much more from us. Ivo looks out over the sea gap at Træna in the gap hut Havørna. She says that traveling alone can lead to a lot of loneliness. But with time you learn to live with it. Photo: Private What now, Ivo? Ivo is heading south, but doesn’t know how long she has to travel to get there. In the meantime, she makes contact with almost everyone she meets on her way. – I read, I walk, and I crouch down on all people with whom I make eye contact. I have a very strong need for human contact, so those I meet on my way become prey. I have felt a lot of loneliness, been sad and bored. – Does it happen that you lose your faith? – Sometimes I ask myself why I do this, why I’m not just in Oslo and earning money like ordinary people. But I learn to tolerate those feelings, and eventually I meet people who take pity on me and take me into their home. On the way to Lindesnes, Ivo has plans to do a lot of fun. Absolutely free, of course. – I want to bungee jump, parachute, drive a racing car and much more. It costs a lot of money, but I have faith that I can get it from others. If I don’t think I’ll get it, it won’t happen. I have to be confident and confident enough that what I am asking is something that can actually happen. I can take that further after I return to society. – How would you describe yourself now? – As of today, I am just a loafer. A tramp. That’s what I am. A sparkling lazaron. “Either I stand in the way with my thumb, maybe I’ll meet someone tonight, some boats going south, or something like that,” says Ivo while she’s visiting Bodø. Photo: Kai Jæger Kristoffersen / news
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– A different adventure – Nordland
