Finding North

Swedes take their gardening very seriously. And the main attraction in any garden could only be - the flowers of course . Now that winter is behind us, there are bright and colorful flowers everywhere. Nature has been incredibly generous and everything has been in full bloom for a few weeks. Which means that no self-respecting swede wants to be left behind when it comes to their pride and joy, oh no. The sun, the Spring and the ( mild ) heat are like blessings that need to be treasured and preserved, since we all know they're not going to last very long. It is like a very fleeting, passing moment and before we know it, it's gone as fast as it appeared. I should tell you I don't know much about flowers, neither their names nor their specific properties, but I do know that I love to smell them and above everything else, how they look. Their aesthetic brings me so much joy, I could just stare at them for hours at a time. So when my boyfriend's dad invited me to join ...

«Don't stop trying to find me here amidst the chaos» The week started and I...simply had no idea what to write about. Two weeks ago I had started composing a neat little text in my head about how Spring was in full bloom and how many relaxing outdoor activities I was getting to do. I hadn't known how living in the countryside could be so much hard work, but the fact is there are always things to do with the turn of the weather and I was thoroughly glad to get a realistic sense of what it was like to live here during these months. We brought out the hammock, the deck and the chairs to go on it, but it was necessary to oil it in preparation. So I did it and I fully enjoyed getting my hands dirty doing something so practical, under the sun. Someone had to rake all the gravel stones from the lawn, there due to all the shoveled snow we took from the driveway during the winter. I did that happily, slowly making it look better and better every day. The strawberry bushes needed to...

Swedes like to mark the occasion on the evening between the 30th of April and the 1st of May during a holiday called Valborgsmässoafton. Apparently it is celebrated throughout a few European countries and its meaning varies according to several factors, including location and religious myth. Here, many people commemorate by burning bonfires or fireworks, this tradition being linked to the concept of light and spring, the very literal symbol of " burning the old and making room for the new ". Personally, I was quite fond of that idea... Our celebrating didn't involve starting any fires, but it sure had plenty of light, fresh air and nature. We went to a friend's house to have an outdoor barbecue and it was a most magical evening. I got to feed sheep for the first time in my life, enjoy delicious food and be in the forest again. Couldn't really ask for anything better from this experience, which was the first in many ways. My heart fluttered for the entire ti...

The birds are chirping, the sky is infinitely blue and most importantly, the sun is shining ( don't worry, this isn't about to turn into a Disney movie ). April started cloudy and cold, as I reported in one of the previous posts, but spring arrived unannounced and the weather changed abruptly. As you can probably guess, I was more than delighted .  I welcomed the warmth with open arms and started to enjoy the cozy garden sofa we put out on the balcony. I sat there with our dog almost every morning for a week, listening to music and soaking in the sun. Whenever I'm out there, I feel much happier and light. A slight breeze goes through my hair, keeping me cool under the hot sun and it makes me smile. Life is beautiful and I'm lucky to be alive. It's a blessing that I intend to treasure and this glorious weather makes me that much more thankful .  Our dog really loves it as well, so he takes advantage of any little sunny spots he can find. As soon as ...

«Door number two, I've already gone through.  I wanna see what's behind door number three...» Spring is upon us, much like anywhere else on the top half of the world. Here, that means the sun is getting warmer, but not nearly there yet. All the ice and snow are melting away ( although the fields are still almost completely white ), creating little streams of water in the most inconvenient places. But they're also not melting fast enough, which means the ground is still slippery, muddy and wetter than ever! Some days are amazingly sunny, the sky of a pure, deep blue, which makes me ache for proper spring to come: being able to go outside and enjoy the sun on my skin ( without wearing a massive jacket, which is currently how I can attempt to do that ) and feeling the green grass under my feet. But other days are cloudy and grey ( it even snowed a little yesterday ) and the setting around me looks incredibly brown, dirty and dreary. It's hard to define which season...

This year, spring started on the 20th of March for the northern hemisphere ( in theory at least ). Here in the north, the day started with a lot of snow. I walked the dog in the morning under heavy snowflakes and was mesmerized by the way everything outside looked so peaceful. All nature seemed to be asleep under this mantle of white and it was almost like time had stopped. With a slow, deep breath and the fresh wind in my face, I stood in the middle of the road to take it in.  But as the weather is known to be whimsical, it completely changed without warning. It looked like spring had indeed arrived... After lunch all the clouds had astonishingly cleared and the sun was shining again - something that hadn't happened in a few days. Because the day was so beautiful and I needed to get rid of some stress, I decided to go for a walk. But nothing could've prepared me for the stunning sights I was about to see. Witnessing nature at its best put me in a great mood and brought th...