About – Linda McGurk

Linda Åkeson McGurk: Inspiring a life outdoors

Linda Åkeson McGurk is a Swedish-American speaker and writer who helps people of all ages reconnect with the outdoors. She is the bestselling author of There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather and The Open-Air Life, top-rated books that have been translated into 12 languages and inspired readers all over the world to embrace nature as a way of life. Linda is a sought-after podcast guest and speaker, whose work has been featured in countless media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and TIME Magazine. She is also the creator of the popular Substack newsletter The Open-Air Life and the blog Rain or Shine Mamma.

With warmth, knowledge and passion, Linda brings the secrets of the Nordic outdoor tradition of friluftsliv to the stage, making a compelling case for connecting with nature in everyday life, regardless of the weather. A staunch advocate for children’s right to play outdoors, she believes the best childhood memories are created while jumping in puddles, digging in dirt, catching bugs and climbing trees. Whether she’s writing, speaking or just exploring the pine forests of western Sweden, where she lives with her family, Linda’s mission remains the same: to make sure her generation won’t be the last one that remembers playing outside.

“Time in nature isn’t spent; it’s invested. It’s a down payment on our physical health, inner peace, and connection to the Earth. I can’t think of a better way to build true wealth.”

Hi, I’m Linda!

I was born in Sweden and moved to the US when I was in my twenties. When I had my first daughter in Indiana, I quickly noticed that the nature-centric parenting philosophy of my native Scandinavia was far from the norm. The playgrounds were deserted, preschoolers were scheduled to the teeth and virtually nobody – regardless of age – stepped outside in the wintertime. I realized that if I wanted my daughter to have the same playful, outdoorsy childhood that I’d had myself growing up in Sweden, I had to become very intentional about taking her outside. I fell back on my upbringing with the Nordic philosophy of friluftsliv, or open-air life, and at the same time started sharing my outdoor parenting journey.

Today, as my children are growing up and we have moved to Sweden, I continue to advocate for outdoor play and open-air life. Not only because it makes us happier, healthier and more resilient, but also because I believe being connected with the natural world makes us more likely to want to protect it.