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The wedding with Johnny was performed by two Blackfoot Indians. Brylluppet med Johnny blev gennemført af to Barefoot indianere.
Ivalu har gennem alle årene måttet arbejde under intermistiske forhold, som her i en bar i Thailand.
Ivalu in Whitefish, Montana, USA. Ivalu i Whitefish, Montana, USA.
Over the years, Ivalu has lived under makeshift circumstances, for example, here in a bar in Thailand.
together like children. It was great fun. What I learned was simple: Joy. This word kept turning up everywhere for me. I have tried to live in accordance with this ever since, says Ivalu. Working anywhere, any time She takes her work with her everywhere, so the travel has not so much been about holidays, but more about experiencing people and places – and, more or less involuntarily, learning to adapt to circumstances. A lot of her work has been done at airports, ferry terminals and restaurants. Once on Koh Phangan, there were 12-hour power cuts that continued for weeks on end – and she had to work and send e-mails when the power was on, sometimes in the middle of the night.
generously let me use their apartments, rooms or sofas. - I really appreciate knowing such lovely people and I have been very aware that it should be worthwhile for them to have me. I cook, wash dishes and clean – take them out to dinner, buy beer or whatever is necessary to show my appreciation, explains Ivalu Risager. She has become good at travelling alone and talking to new people. Ivalu has used couchsurfing.com, which is another inexpensive way to travel. People offer either their sofa or their company, so you can be introduced to their town or area. - It is a marvellous way to travel – especially if you travel alone. You have to be careful of course. I ended up enjoying staying at hostels and couchsurfing for company to show me round.
In addition to taking her work with her, Ivalu has also had to work at keeping costs down. - All this travel would not have been possible if I did not have good friends who
Married in an Indian ceremony Ivalu was, of course, also travelling when she met the man who would finally get her to drop anchor. Some of her many trips had a business
content and it was at a big international trade show for Adobe users that she got to talking with one of the other guests at the hotel: Johnny from the American city of Phoenix in Arizona. After the show they parted company, but there was »something« and they met several times in the following months. In the meantime, Ivalu visited a friend who lived in Whitefish, Montana and the Greenlandic graphic designer fell for the place. In her opinion, the people here are wonderful. Here, she can combine her love of horses and nature, which is very like that of Greenland. Before long, she and Johnny were a couple and she persuaded him to move with her to Whitefish, a place with fishing, hunting, skiing and cowboys. Romance blossomed between them and Ivalu and Johnny were married in 2014 in a ceremony at Whitefish Lake performed by two Blackfoot Indians. - It was only possible because I am half Greenlandic and therefore kin. It was a
huge, very moving experience. »Robert Rides at Door« held an eagle wing and called to the four corners of the world and then they calmly talked us through the ceremony. They chanted a little in Indian and translated for us afterwards. The music came from an IPad – very simple and modern. - We had friends who came from San Clemente, Phoenix, Copenhagen and Saskatoon, as well as local friends who had never experienced a Blackfoot ceremony. We held a Greenlandic »kaffemik« afterwards and all the Greenlanders ended up sitting together at the table with Indians, eating and chatting. It was an amusing experience, remembers Ivalu. She and Johnny are thriving in Whitefish, where they have a year-round ski pass and where Ivalu volunteers at a local riding school. She still works as a graphic designer, primarily for Greenlandic customers and she dreams of visiting Greenland with Johnny at least once a year in future. 26 2016
greenland today
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