Some people spend their lives trying to make money, buy nice houses, and drive fancy cars. They hold value in how much they spend on something, or if they’re following the latest fashion trend. Other people live an entirely different lifestyle. They choose to go off-grid and live in the solitude of nature. These people don’t desire material possessions and receive their happiness from their surroundings. Tinja Myllykangas, of Finland, is one of those people. She gave up city life to move to the wilderness; where she lives a quite peacefully, living off of the land, and taking care of her animals.He was doing a visual project on people that live away from any kind of society. Tinja lives a life that is about as off the grid as you can get.
Being 180 miles from any other human, she found a place of solitude. A place where she can find peace.
A life that she absolutely enjoys living. Her home has no running water and no electricity.
Every morning, she has to break the ice covering the river in order to get water. She cooks on an open fire and has to use candles to give her home light.
“The chores never feel like a burden. This is a way of life I chose for myself,” she told Portolano.
She has an incredible amount of companionship. In her care are 85 dogs and several horses.
She enjoys feeding them, exercising them, and even cleaning up their cages. She gets to know each animal individually, in order to strengthen her bond with them.
People visit from all over to stay with Tinja and her wolf pack. She offers dog sledding tours to those that want to experience the Arctic life.
The customers decide how long the safari goes for. Whether it’s for a day, or a week, Tinja enjoys the time spent out with her dogs.
“For visitors, a several day safari through the fells is an unforgettable experience. It certainly is for me – every single time,” she told Portolano.
She’s truly a symbol of the strength women carry within them. “Tinja is the woman we sneakingly all harbor to be: independent, strong willed, eschewing the modern world’s temptations without self regard,” one person said.
Everyone needs some sort of human interaction. Luckily her boyfriend, Alex, has been living with her for two years.
She absolutely loves the cold, winter months. She feels that the colder it is outside, the more energized she feels.
During this time it is completely dark. The moon and the stars give just enough light for Tinja to enjoy it, though.
Every few months she has to make the long trek into town. Supplies are needed and Tinja also gets to take a real shower when she gets there.
The days are long and tiring. And I’m sure the silence can be deafening, at times.
She has found happiness where so many don’t. That is definitely worth more than anything that money can buy.
