Wild Northerner Magazine Fall 2016 | Page 32

will never falter, even when we’re both on the brink.”

Joel and Mary-Lyn Anderson are proud parents. They love their kids. The tight and unbreakable bond and relationship the sisters have give the parents peace and comfort, especially when the girls are unleashing their wild side.

“They have always just loved each other,” Mary-Lyn said. “The girls have each other to go to for anything and we know this. They are there for each other and stick together. They appreciate what the world has to offer and they want to experience as much of it as they can. There are many more adventures in their futures.”

The sisters have distinct personalities, but they have always meshed well, especially in a crisis. A few years ago, they were volunteering as nurses in Haiti. Lauren fell in a hole and cut her leg badly. Danika was there to treat the wound. Then, Danika got cholera and Lauren helped get her back on solid ground.

“Lauren has a quiet confidence,” Mary-Lyn said. “She is big on what is right and doing the right thing for herself and others, and she is caring and giving. Danika is a bulldozer with a fighting spirit and she is just tenacious and gets what she wants.”

The sisters have traits from their parents, but the adventurous side in them both sheds light on the family tree.

“My father was Danish and a prospector and came to Canada at 17,” Joel said. “He was in Quebec in the bush and travelled a lot. He wrote memoirs and the girls read them and they identify with him. They may have got some of that from him. It’s special they know a lot about him.”

These two women have many more journeys planned for the future. There is no stopping them. They have faced down stiff challenges in their adventures, from being robbed on a street car to breaking down in the middle of Death Valley to leading groups of teenagers on month-long canoe trips. The sisters have excursions on the Nahani River and in Denmark on the agenda for 2017.

“Adventure is risky; which is why it’s awesome,” Danika said. “Adventure, in all it’s forms, is electrifying. Feeling freedom is electrifying. It’s easy to become addicted.”

Lauren and Danika’s travel tips

Substitute shopping for Thrifting. Lauren is easily the most talented thrift shopper in the world.

According to Danika: Never pay rent. Van life is THE BEST. Work for stay, couch surf or learn to find the floor comfortable.

According to Lauren: Want vs. need is an important question. Do you need a new laptop? Or can you go to the library and spend the $1200 on a flight to Nepal to hang out at base camp (#goals).

Learn to cook. It’s possible to be healthy and cheap at the same time. Even cheaper if you adopt a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle. (Beans and rice for the win!)

Be a minimalist. The more stuff you have the more your life costs. Lauren let her earring holes grow over, enjoys going commando and is a fan of the “no-shampoo” movement. Danika can fit all of her worldly possessions under the bed in her van. Practicality and versatility are keys. Why buy a pot and a kettle, when the pot boils the water, feel us?

Don’t pay for a gym membership. The world is your gym. Walk, hike, play on the playground with your kids, learn to handstand in your living room, find a free yoga class, or punch dance out your frustrations in an empty warehouse Kevin Bacon- style.