I Stopped Eating in Front of the Marking Pile and Lost the Afternoon Slump
For years my lunch was eaten one-handed over essays. Moving it to a different room turned out to matter more than what was on the plate.
Solveig Brekke
@solveig.brekkeTeacher in rainy Bergen for thirty years. I walk, swim, lift, knit and write about getting older on my own terms.
10 articles518 clapsJoined Apr 12
Articles
The Norwegian Cabin Without Electricity Where I Learned to Be Bored Again
Every summer our family spends three weeks in a hut with no power, no road and a well. It took me twenty years to understand why I need it.
Thirty Years of Teaching Teenagers Taught Me Who Actually Changes Lives
It was rarely the brilliant lecturers. It was the caretaker, the dinner lady and one quiet maths teacher who remembered names.
I Walked 10,000 Steps in Bergen Rain Every Day for a Year
In a city where it rains more than two hundred days a year, my step goal became an argument with the weather that I mostly won.
Both Our Children Left Home in the Same Autumn. The Silence Was Louder Than I Expected.
I had prepared for one empty bedroom. Two at once, in the same month, rearranged my marriage and my days.
I Picked Up a Kettlebell at 52 and Felt Strong for the First Time in Decades
Walking was easy. Lifting something heavy felt like a door I had assumed was locked for women my age.
Learning to Swim Properly at 51 Changed How I Breathe
I could keep myself afloat for fifty years. Learning to actually swim meant unlearning a lifetime of holding my breath.
What Happened When I Gave Up Evening Screens at 52
No television, no tablet, no phone after eight o'clock for six months. The first three weeks were the worst.
I Learned Spanish at 51 Using Only My 22-Minute Bus Ride
No apps with streaks, no classes. Just a bus, a paper notebook and two years of tiny, stubborn sessions.
Menopause in the Staffroom: What I Wish Someone Had Told Me at 48
For two years I thought I was losing my memory and my patience. Nobody at work talked about it, so I started to.
