High in the Sky

Hello to you! I’m writing to you from high in the sky. Today, I leave the beautiful mountain world of Åre and return to my seaside paradise in Hunnebostrand. What a gift to live in a country with diverse landscapes and natural beauty. I feel really lucky to call Sweden my home.

I spoke with the taxi driver the entire way to the airport. His name is Martin. He was so friendly and we shared a lot of similar interests and saw the world in a similar way. When we arrived at the airport he said he felt bad charging me for the ride because it was like talking to a friend. How sweet. I know the feeling. It felt like catching up with a dear friend. I love when that happens in life. You meet people you just connect with. Of course, I paid him and told him I look forward to seeing him on the slopes next year.

He asked where in Sweden I live and the closest town is called Hunnebostrand. As soon as I mentioned that, he said where I live is Sweden’s Summer paradise. It was a gentle reminder for me to not take my home for granted. That I need to share more of it with the world now. I shared my dream with him to have a mountain home where I can jump on my skis and just enjoy the wintery landscapes, and then soak up the coastal nature of beautiful Bohuslän during the Summers. I love to ski and this is probably a big reason why I feel called back to Åre.

I really enjoyed traveling alone and can’t wait to do it again. I now return home feeling more confident and open. I think there is something healing about traveling alone. You get to be with yourself, hear your thoughts, tap into what your heart wants in every moment. It felt really free to just be and not worry about soothing fellow stressed out travelers. I’m a very calm person and am deeply affected if I travel with people who are easily stressed out. I have empathy for them but I’m learning to prioritize my energy. Everything about this trip was smooth sailing and it only proved to me that I’m capable, kind, flexible, and organised.

The beauty of travel is that the place changes you. I believe that every experience, every moment (big and small), changes us on some deep level, whether we are conscious of it or not. And this reminds me to just enjoy who I am in this moment, because in the next I might see the world differently.

Whether I'm experiencing an event or reading a passage from a book, it all changes me in some way. The funny thing is, often we think we can't change but yet here we are, changing in every moment. When we see that and truly believe that, I think some level of self-acceptance happens. For me, realising this made me feel excitement for life again. The joy of possibilities just came flooding back in. It’s so wonderful to continue to grow in new ways through life’s experiences (both planned and unexpected). The lesson of this trip is to be open and trust. Change is possible and you can be whoever you want to be. You have more freedom than you think. Be free.

Each day while I was away, I really wanted to challenge myself by not closing myself off. To just be open to what the day brought me. To be open to talk to strangers and meet new people. I’m not an introvert and have found that past hurt has caused me to close off from people. I’m working really hard to get back to my true self. To connect with that calm core that I know is there. I believe we all have it. We can all feel safe in the world again. We all have the capability to heal our soul. To sometimes call it back to us in the darkest times.

This trip was really about taking in the natural beauty but it become so much more. I breathed in all the good energy of the fresh mountain air and carry that in my heart. Now the mountain and the snowy landscape is a part of me. I had the most calm and contentment by simply being in each moment.

I swam every day at the hotel. I find water so incredibly healing. I feel inspired to swim more regularly now when I get back to the coast. I recently signed up to the local health and wellness club. It’s right on the water where you can take cold plunges and then sauna. I look forward to sharing this more with you on YouTube now that I've decided to make more video blogs in the New Year.

This week has been incredibly rewarding and has taught me the power of rest and living in the now. We don’t need to be doing things all the time. Sometimes it’s most rewarding to just be and flow through the day. Each moment is truly a gift. It's also an opportunity to stay connected to your inner world. I’ve been processing and reflecting a lot on what’s happened this year so I can start 2025 with more clarity.

Now the plane is already landing in Stockholm to catch my connection to Göteborg. I love these short flights. I realise that door to door it takes about 10 hours of travel. I’m tempted to drive to Åre next time to capture all the natural beauty and changing scenery on the way. It takes the same amount of time to drive.

Now It’s Sunday, the final advent and Christmas is upon us next week. I hope you have a beautiful Sunday evening. I look forward to seeing you soon. I feel excited to share more of my life with you. All the ups and downs and the beauty and serenity of Bohuslän.

I now close this beautiful Are chapter. Once I land in Stockholm I have about 30 minutes until the next flight. Then 2-3 hours drive up the coast to my beautiful homestead by the sea. I’m actually really looking forward to coming home. A new wave of gratitude that I feel for my beautiful house and for my cat, Leiana. I can’t wait to see her and give her a cuddle. So much love in my heart that I want to share with her, to give to my home, and to share with the world through the gift of the internet.

I hope you have a beautiful Sunday and see you next week!

Speak to you soon ♥︎