SNOW IN THE NORTH.

My plan was to tell you and remind my future self about some of the journeys I have taken myself on, but I have to start with where I am now. I left Sweden in a snowstorm eight months ago and I came back to an icy and snow-covered Sweden two weeks ago. I left, thinking that Sweden was a gray and bland country, with an unexceptional nature and slightly boring inhabitants. The first country I went to visit (straight from that good-bye-snowstorm) was the wild and festive Caribbean island of Jamaica. My mind and senses were blown away by the colors, the culture, the nature, the food and the lifestyle. I was in awe, awe as in both admiration and horror. I continued my travels to another island in the Caribbean and then to Mexico. What I want to say is that I saw absolutely amazingly beautiful places and sights, and I met exciting people with gripping stories, and I cannot wait to tell you about this, BUT, but, but, but Sweden in snow with old friends, let me tell you.

Imagine this. It’s two o’clock in the afternoon, the big lady will set in an hour, and there is a sense of calm urgency that you have to finish your errands before the dark. Sure, the darkness can seem daunting and depressing, but the comfort in knowing that you can take cover in your warm home, maybe even light a fire and sink down in a leather chair and now around Christmas time sip on some glögg (mulled wine). Cozy. This comfort-in-knowing makes the darkness cozy. But back to the hour pre-sunset; the sky is a cold pink and light blue, the fields are tucked in with a white blanket, and it’s glimmering too! The crystals from the humid and biting last night sprinkled every surface it could touch with glitter. Everything. Bramble branches and pine needles, wooden cottage walls and men’s mustaches. You can smell the countryside, and stable as you hug your favorite horse around his neck. He is large and warm, and dancing steam breaths out from his nostrils. A sense of calm is growing in you. Heavy snowflakes are now falling outside and being around such beauty you can’t help but think HERRE JÄVLAR (”lords devils” in Swedish / “holy goddamn shit” in English). The feeling in your chest reminds you of feeling in love.

I feel in love with the nordic winter. I am in love with the low sun and the cold weather. The tall pine trees, and the animals’ tracks in the snow. I feel so so grateful. A friend from my travels taught me the word “vanga”. It kind of means Welcome. “I welcome you breeze on a hot day” or in my case “I welcome you dancing snowflakes in the dark”.

Vanga, vanga, vanga.

With gratitude,