Why California?
Before moving to Sweden, I spent 8 months living in California. Spending time in California was an important first step in my healing journey.
For those of you who don't know, I was born in Redondo Beach, California and raised in Sweden and England. My Father is Swedish and my Mother is British. Two years after I was born we moved as a family to my Dad's roots in Sweden in 1991.
I spent my young magical years living on the West Coast of Sweden exploring seas, forests, riding and caring for horses, creating art, baking, and playing make believe with the trolls. I was a big fan of Astrid Lindgren and other classic Nordic fairytales. My favourite being Ronja Rövardotter and Pippi. So for me this journey back to Sweden is like coming home to my heart, the magic, and the wonder of life.
Before California I lived in a tiny flat share in London, England. It was during the Coronavirus pandemic where I realised I wanted to live closer to nature. As the world became more accepting of remote work, the dream of living closer to nature started to feel more possible.
In January 2022, I left London and rented a cottage in the Cornish countryside. I had never felt more lost in my life. Isn't this what I wanted? To live close to nature? I learned it wasn't enough. I had no personal connection to Cornwall. The nature and the culture there was beautiful but it didn't speak to my heart. I needed something more. An emotional connection to the land, my ancestors, my heritage.
But where would I land? At the time I didn't know. I was still in a fog of uncertainty. I needed clarity. So I decided to start from the very beginning. My birthplace. It was there I started my inner child journey. I exposed myself to everything I loved as a child: nature, horse riding, creativity, and Disneyland. Through this journey something started to come alive again inside me. A spark of life. A curiosity for life and about myself. I wanted to learn more about who I was, where did I come from, who my ancestors were.
It was here in California I got the clarity I needed. For that, I am grateful for this step in my life journey. More about this in my previous blog post The Painting that Changed My Life
