Our residents: Marcus Eriksson

Already at a young age, Marcus had a great interest in fishing, which is what led him to move north to Ammarnäs at the age of 19. Today, Marcus and his wife Sanna run the supermarket Ammarnäs Livs together with Monica and Patrik.

What brought you to Sorsele Municipality?

While I was born and raised in Halmstad, both my parents are from Sorsele Municipality, so I have my roots here. I moved to Ammarnäs at age 19, mainly to fish, and only intended to stay for a short time, but that’s not what happened. I met my wife here, and now we have two children together. My family has also moved north, my sister to Skellefteå and my parents to Sorsele.

Tell us about your daily life and your hobbies.

Fishing has been a huge part of my life, but interests change and evolve over time, and right now my main interest is running. Although in the autumn, it’s mostly berry picking, hunting and fishing.

I spend most of my spare time cross-country running, it’s such great fun! I share this interest with my wife, and it’s a nice way to get outdoors. If you walk for an hour or run for an hour, you see so much more if you run! Running’s easy and euphoric once it becomes habitual, a must. In winter, I really enjoy snowmobiling. It’s probably these traditional hinterland interests and lifestyles that I’ve adopted.

We see many guests in Ammarnäs who’ve travelled from, say, Stockholm to come up here and fish, hike in the mountains and more. Imagine the inconvenience. It’s great to live here as you can just step outside the door whenever you want to hike, fish or run without having to travel or plan.

What does Sorsele Municipality mean to you?

Peace of mind! I don’t think I could imagine having children anywhere else. Having children here is easy. I feel safe letting them go off cycling at any time. Knowing everyone in the village is also reassuring. If there’s a kid who’s taken a tumble, there’s always an adult on hand to help out. You probably don’t get that same sense of security in places other than small communities. Even though we live in the countryside, we lack nothing, we have everything we consider important, which means peace of mind, security and great fun in our spare time.

What’s your favourite place in Sorsele Municipality?

I’m spoiled, I live in one of my favourite places. But my interest in cross-country running has helped me to find more. If I can choose something other than a specific place, the Tjulträskleden trail is a real favourite. It’s so unbelievably beautiful there! Tjulträskleden is a continuation of Kungsleden if you’re coming from the south. And after Tjulån, the trail continues all the way up to Tjulträsk.

As a place, in what way does Sorsele Municipality help you realise your dreams?

This is where I want to live! Sorsele Municipality takes good care of small business owners. Help and support are always on hand. And another important factor for us is that the school is still there – without it, I can’t live my dream. Without functioning schools, the countryside dies. We moved here for the nature and the lifestyle, but community services are important.

What would you say to someone who’s thinking about moving to Sorsele Municipality?

Just do it! Many people who talk about moving here see work as an obstacle, but things usually work out. You choose to live here because of the sense of security, the nature and the active outdoor pursuits on your doorstep. So, maybe you have to lower your career expectations. There are many people up here who do a few different jobs and it works really well.