Channel 1 Inhabitants

This extremely handsome creature is Baykal, my wolf. He's a Siberian rescue and not really a wolf at all. In fact, he seems to think he's a Parisienne Dandy with the attitude of a cat. He was 1.5 years old when I got him, and he only listens to me when he feels like it. It's extremely embarrassing, particularly since Stefan, who specializes in functional strength training and somatic coaching, is a dog coach and a damn good one. Baykal listens to Stefan slightly more. OK - a LOT more. I swear, though, it's not me, it's HIM! He's a friggin' Diva! The Wolf shares his quarters with Stefan's three hunting dogs in the old horse stable on Channel 1 Farm. He's picky with his food. The other dogs don't dare touch it, though, because he won't let them forget that – garbage grub or not – it's HIS! This stable is also a tranquil spot for storytelling and writing retreats, perfect for unwinding after dealing with a diva wolf.

Spunk and Ghost are tricksters who pretend to be perpetually starving. If they hang out in front of your cottage door, plotting how to get you to feed them, don't fall for it! It's ALL LIES. I feed them too much, because they stare at me when I'm writing, knowing I'll give them treats to make them stop burning holes into my soul. I'm a weak, weak human. 

 I love them, though, and they are decorative when they plant themselves into one of the flower pots.  

The gang doesn't stand still. They are hunting dogs, Smilla, Ville and Jussi. Not Baykal, though. He'd like to be, but he has no training. Instead, he plots their escape and puts ideas in their heads about "the big outdoors" because he likes the idea that he might have Siberian Huskey blood. Maybe he doesn't. The others tolerate him, mainly because he's pretty. 

Ville is our old professor. When he tracks, he's all in. Focused, steady, cool. He's getting a bit old, so when the others play and roughhouse, he naps. Jussi is a bit of a chaos pilot. Not so much focus, but all paws and exuberance. Smilla is the Queen. No one messes with her. She calls the shots. As a pointer, she knows her stuff and has great discipline. We hope she'll have a puppy next year. 

The gang lives in the old horse stable where they sleep in a heated room, have a generous indoor space to roam around in and an outdoor space under a roof. Stefan built a fence behind the farmhouse and they have plenty of space outside to run around freely. It's not bad to be a dog at the Channel 1 farm!

I have a kid. He likes his privacy and I respect that. I want him to get off the screen occasionally, so I put a dart board in the trainigns box and bought a Tischfussballtisch. We both suck at darts, but he's getting quite good at Tischfussball now.

He was born in Chicago and was four years old when we moved to Gotland. We have the same weird sense of humor. 

My kid has been teaching me about parenting since the day he was born. Not that I knew much about it beforehand. But everything I thought I knew turned out to NOT work in regards to him. So, I decided I'd just level with him, always. To be totally honest. To let myself make mistakes and own them. We hash things out together. He can argue the paint off a wall and he's learnt that from me. But he also can admit when he's wrong. 

I poured a bottle of water over him once, when we were taking a walk, because he had insisted on bringing the water and then tried to make me carry it. After a while of back and forth, I've had it. I took the bottle, unscrewed it and doused him. After a while of walking in silence he said with a air of slow realization:  "You're  just not like other moms, are you?" No. No, kiddo, I'm not. But I love you more than I could ever put in words and I'm proud of you and if anyone would ever try to hurt you, I'd wait for them  in their garage with a crowbar. 

Stefan doesn't like to get his picture taken. He is happiest when he is doing things and one of the things he does, is creating tracks in the forest for hunting dogs. He had a career as a nurse anesthetic and saved people's lives in his work with road ambulance and helicopter rescue service. He is a born caretaker and fixer with a deep love for nature and its preservation. When I first met him in his role as dog whisperer, I  knew I wanted to be his friend. It was definitely not convenience that allowed us to find a way into each other's life. I understood quickly that he was not one to ever be bored and my own life was rather complicated, too. But when you realize that when you are in each other's presence, you are both tuned into Channel 1, you find a way. And so we did.  

Stefan brought a strong sense of belonging to my life through his connection to Gotland. His family has a family tree. I saw it hanging on the wall in the dining room of his family farm: 17 generations of Gotlandic farmers. It would go further back, probably, but the archive in Denmark that held the records had burnt down and older documentation had been lost. Speaking of being intertwined with the land...

 I regret never having had a chance to meet his parents, but I named my trainings box mascot after his mother, Britt. This may not sound like much, especially since that mascot is a pig, but it's a very important pig and Britt's spirit is in all things that require strength, courage, support, kindness, care, creativity and unbroken livskraft. 

I wish someone would write this for me, cause writing about myself sucks. In the interest of resonance, of reaching those who may vibe similarly, let me try it this way: 

Growing up in different parts of the world –Dornbirn (Austria), München (Germany) and Dar es Salaam (Africa) – my sense of belonging to a place has met many challenges. Language, appearance, background, experiences - the difference between me and others has always been easier to identify than the commonalities. However, I have a strong memory of playing in the dirt with a group of kids in Africa. It was very dry, but there was a little stream of water - just a trickle, don't ask me where it came from, I don't remember. It created a thick clay-like mud. All I see now, thinking back, is our hands touching and forming it, shaping something. 

It seems to me that everything I've ever done after that, was trying to find that sense of unself-conscious joy again – of getting my hands dirty together with others, and shaping something magical out of dust, a little bit of water, and the spirit of play and co-creation. 

My life is a commitment to fostering aliveness, connection and mutual liberation - maybe because those were not strong themes in my own upbringing. Nature, health, animals, body, story and systems have been recurring themes throughout my life, to a greater or lesser extent. During my "academic career" years, some of them took a back seat while I tried to fulfill external expectations. Once I let go of that (which was HARD and SCARY, I can tell you...!) I found a way to re-integrate them. Now, I'm very much a feral academic, doing the connecting work (across domains, disciplines and people) I find most meaningful. I've always loved teaching and mentoring. I am now particularly in service of early career researchers and women in academia. I do this through teaching workshops at PhD schools and hosting academic writing, grant proposal and self-leadership workshops at the Channel 1 farm. You can learn more about that here. 

Without those who came before us and their custodianship, the Channel 1 farm would not be what it is today. The people who lived here have woven themselves into this place and have become an indelible part of it - as is the case with everyone who gives their energy to connecting to the land and the environment around them. They extend beyond their physical boundaries and become part of something bigger, more enduring. We honor their legacy and are grateful for all they have done. We love this place, not least because they loved it before us. Their care and vision is present in the plants and numerous little details around the farm. We hope that all those who come visit can feel the great commitment and dedication to Kräklings 150 that has preceded us and lives on.

The Channel 1 farm – Kräklings 150 – is located in Kräklingbo, a small, rural area with one school, a church, and graveyard. If you want to buy groceries, you need to drive to Katthammarsvik or Roma. But there is also Krakas Krog, an exquisite boutique hotel and restaurant, run by Ulrika and her husband. Krakas is a place people whisper about way beyond this island, and I've heard of it long before I knew where it was. Now we live almost next door to it. Ulrika, who runs Krakas with her husband, is a bridge builder between things grown in Gotlandic soil and the cutting edge of culinary culture. 

And there is the Kräklingbo men's choir, well known on the island, who performs every year at the bonfire on April 30th, to celebrate Walpurgis Nacht: Valborg. 

Kräklings 150 has hosted the Valborg celebration for years, thanks to those who were the farm's custodians before us. Now, Stefan and I have the honor of continuing this tradition by making our land available to the community to gather around the fire. We are VERY, VERY, VERY tacksam /grateful for the Kräklingbo fire department for their presence there, and their watchful eye, and ALL that they do for the community in general. 

The fifth graders at my kid's school have been selling sausages, sweets and beverages at the Valborg fire, to earn money for next year's school trip. Neighbors – backing away from the roaring flames – chat between the bushes on the periphery, catching each other up about local life; who is here, who is missing, who has fallen ill but is recovering, and whose children have moved away...

It is magic – down-to-earth magic emerging from attending to tradition, the seasons, nature and people – yet magical nonetheless, and we are a part of it.