The Norwegians have a phrase that encapsulates the difficulty of starting a journey. Those masters of tough expeditions have put a name to the struggle of setting out from your warm, comfortable, familiar house into the cold, uncomfortable, frightening outdoors.
You are snuggled in front of the fire with your beautiful blond lover, and the prospect of leaving the comfort of your home, walking out the front door and beginning is not at all appealing. Imagine leaving all this behind and stepping out into the cold, dark, swirling snowstorms to begin a long and difficult journey. This is not an easy thing to do, and yet you know you must begin.
The Norwegians refer to this moment as the Dørstokkmila — the Doorstep Mile.
The Doorstep Mile, the Norwegians say, is the longest mile of any journey. Crossing the threshold and beginning.
And yet it is nothing more than one single step.
the Scandanivian word for ‘The Doorstep Mile’. This is a word I first came across when watching this brilliant talk by Alastair Humphreys,
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