After the night when I wake up, I'll see what tomorrow brings...

Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one! Unfortunately, due to my Christmas morning dip in the River Barrow and having accidentally swallowed some of the river water(tasty...NOT!), I have been struck down by a case of THE BLACK LUNG. So while all of you lovely people are out celebrating like you successfully raided Lindisfarne, I'm stuck at home like Rollo left off the most recent raid on England! However, it does give me some time to let you know what is instore in the coming year. Silver lining and all that jazz.
First up in January, I'll be commencing Archery classes. You're not a Viking without some serious bow and arrow skillage. This should be fun for a number of reasons. Mostly because I'm about as coordinated as a baby giraffe trying to stand for the first time. Seriously, I trip over myself when I'm standing still. Probably should take out an insurance policy...just to be safe!
February brings me to foreign shores. My very first raid...awww. Not very Viking as I will be arriving by plane but plenty of outdoorsy, Viking things planned. On the agenda will be: setting up camp in a National Forrest Park by a lake, spear fishing, various types of boating activities(apparently I'll be rafting off a waterfall...not sure how I feel about that...well, I do. I'm just in denial), and there's been talk of boar hunting.
I'll be taking a few little trips around Ireland visiting places that have some significant links to Viking culture. Then there's the training. Trying to get into peak physical fitness to be able to convincingly perform everyday Viking chores like weilding axes, climbing ropes, etc. So I'm currently scoping out some form of bootcamp classes that can help me in this endeavour. Stuff like beating up a tyre with a lump hammer and other graceful, lady like activities...Why be a lady, when you could be a shieldmaiden!?!
Not to mention some hobbies I'll be brushing up on. Having rowed for years, I'll be taking a boat down to Blessington Lake where they actually shoot the series. You never know, I may end up captain of one of Floki's amazing creations yet. Then there's horse riding. Haven't been in the saddle for a few years but you got to be able to gallop around the place if you're to raid far and wide. Let's just hope it's like that saying about learning to cycle a bicycle...just with lots of hair and a mind of its own.
I'm also currently looking into taking some sword fighting lessons. Strangely enough, these aren't readily available. And, it's kind of weird when you have to Google search these things. Just in case my internet activities were being monitored for national security purposes, I've become very strict at putting "for film/tv" at the end of each search subject, just to be sure to be sure.
There'll also be some creative stuff. Thinking about booking a Viking themed photoshoot. So there'll be all manner of props and things to prepare.
And of course, when the time comes when they put out their call for extras for the new series, I'll be bringing you through that process with me. Hopefully I'll be successful and might be able to post a blog or two from the set...
So, hoping when you wake in the morning your head isn't too sore and everything you have wished for on the final night of 2014 comes to you in 2015.
Happy New Year #LikeAViking

And so it begins...

Well it actually began on Christmas Day with my first task of proving how Viking I can really be.
The thought process behind this entire blog is to "train" to become a Viking. A somewhat modern, coming of age series of tasks or skills that I'll undertake or learn in a bid to be fully capable of anything that might be expected or requested of me in a Viking extra capacity.
So first on the list was acclimatising to the temperatures and environment that they would have been used to. As they are/were seafaring people from way up North where their climate can only be described as "open plan icebox", I felt it was important to demonstrate that I am comfortable in such temperatures, and hopping in and out of water. This would be useful for invading territories. For example, ship sails in and Vikings disembark into frosty water and onto land to raid and plunder. Being a little princess about getting cold and wet would not fly with your fellow Vikings. That would probably lead to certain death...only the strong survive, etc.
So as the tradition now goes, people across the world come together on beaches and river banks on Christmas morning and partake in charity swims in freezing cold temperatures. Let's just say, mass doesn't seem so bad after all when faced with the River Barrow on a frosty morn in late Decemeber in Ireland!!!
You may have heard the cast and crew talk about the various challenges of shooting a show in Ireland. Predominatly, they will talk about the changeable weather conditions and, in particular, the cold. Well, they shoot in the summer and autumn months...that would have been a luxury to go swim anywhere in Ireland at that time(really only this year actually, with that unusually sizzling summer we enjoyed...good times!). I would challenge each and everyone of them to brave a river in Ireland on Christmas Day to prove their Viking-ness.
I can't even put into words how unbareably cold it was. A bath of ice cubes would have been warmer than the water myself and my other fellow brave souls endured. I could have done with a few of those snazzy bear furs they parade around in on the show to warm up after instead of my ridiculously summery beach towel(the hot whiskeys that were provided once we made land again did help greatly, to be fair). But let's not forget it was all for a good cause too. Much needed funds were raised for Crumlin Children's Hospital, Dublin. In the coming days I will hopefully be able to report on the amount that was raised and have a photo or two of the event...because you know, of course there was papparazzi!
Task one: Wet and wild(and not in a good way) Status: Completed successfully #LikeAViking