By: Michala Freeman
As fall approaches, I want to follow cues from nature and slow down. The cycles of the city tell us to hurry up, to always be rushing, but what are we in such a hurry for? To arrive home to watch Netflix? I have learned that we pay for the hurriedness, in one way or another. Capitalism tells us we have to be “busy” at all times to prove our worth and arrive home from work rung out like a towel. But what if there was another way to live? One that didn’t sacrifice our nervous system and the body’s need for rest?
This summer I was able to return to the rhythms of nature while on a Workaway trip to Sweden. It gave me a taste of what life could be like. Workaway is a cultural exchange program where a host provides room and board in exchange for help with home and outdoor projects. It was a highly immersive experience, one that I’ll always remember.
My Road to Sweden: The Journey & First Impressions
At 7 am I flew from San Francisco to Newark, then on to Stockholm Arlanda Airport. I landed at about 9 am.
My first impressions of Sweden were that the air was clear and pure, in contrast to the US. Customs in Sweden was very welcoming. Though they told me not to stay “too long” in a colloquial sort of way. The airport had large photographs of famous Swedes like the beloved Stellan Skarsgård and Stieg Larsson.
Tall, blonde, and exceptionally beautiful Swedish officers welcomed me with a “Hej, hej!”
I then boarded the train from Arlanda to Jämtland, Sweden, a territory in the middle of the country.
By that time I was keenly aware I did not speak the language. It took three trains for me to arrive. At my train change in Uppsala there was a busker that played the accordion. It was so distracting I almost got lost and missed my connection to Sundsvall. Many of the girls sported these pink anime hairdos that led to the thought “Every Swede is the most Swedish person I have ever met. And no I will not elaborate further.”
The trains were beautifully designed and exceptionally clean.
On the way to Sundsvall, I boarded a train with many children and their parents. I noticed how attentive and patient they were with their young children; playing games and reading to them the whole way. I could tell they really prized their children and treated them with respect.
I boarded one last train, by this time I was barely able to keep my eyes open. It was 4:00 pm. I finally arrived and was greeted in Östersund by my host, a man in an old Volvo station wagon, accompanied by a woman in the front seat who was from New Zealand. She was on a bike trip and would stay over for the night.
We drove back to the house and were greeted by our other host, his wife.
I entered the big yellow farmhouse and met two fellow Workawayers: a doctor in training from Spain, and a nurse from Germany.
Our host explained that we would have family dinner every night, and we would take turns cooking foods from our host country. He also gave us two rules. The first was not to panic. The second was that if you think you should do something, do it. This advice helped me a lot when making decisions on this trip.
As you may know, I love to cook, so I was very excited at the proposition of cooking for everyone.
It was our friend from Spain’s turn to make dinner, which put him on the spot, but he made a beautiful Spanish omelet and gazpacho.
Morning, Day 1 at the Farm
The next day, we had family breakfast. There was leftover Spanish omelet, coffee, and this amazing homemade bread and cheese.
We had a long discussion about food and our host said that in Sweden, they don’t do a lot of cooking at breakfast,
like in the USA. It’s usually just toast, maybe some jams, butter, and cheese.
After breakfast, the cyclist from New Zealand departed to “chase the midnight sun” to Alta, Norway. We wished her safe travels. I was very sad to see her go.
She said, “Enjoy these days. It will go by really fast.”
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The host and the Workawayer from Spain went to the cabin by the river to clear the path with the weed trimmer; while my new friend from Germany and I stayed back to clean out the chicken pen and the horse stall.
When our work was finished, we had a short coffee break.
We all reconvened at dinnertime and shared stories.
Moose Hunting
Afterwards we went for a drive to look for moose. Our host said finding them was a mathematical probability.
We wound through backroads of the Swedish forests of Jämtland.
The scenery was breathtaking at times. The moose – meese? were very shy. Eventually we spotted a moose from a distance.
We stopped so I could take a photo of the beautiful lake, and the host asked our Spanish friend for some water.
He looked in the trunk of the car. She said, “No, go and get me some from the lake!” The water and air is so clean you can drink water straight from a lake.
We returned to the house and it was still light out. I thought it was maybe 9 pm. But it was midnight.
A midnight sun is a soft twilight glow that remains throughout the night. Of course I knew this would happen in theory, but nothing prepares you for the reality.
The quiet here was something new. A complete stillness. Not a sound could be heard for miles- only the occasional sound of the train headed north.
And that was what a single day was like in Jämtland, Sweden.
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Over the next few weeks, we explored the forests, worked steadily on a few projects on the house, and spent afternoons swimming in the clear lakes.
One of my favorite activities was baking with my fellow Workawayers. We made apple pie, traditional Swedish semla, brownies, and parker house rolls.
Our host made köttbullar, traditional Swedish meatballs with lingonberries and mashed potatoes.
At the tail end of my trip, we had a visit from another cyclist who was also headed north. He was from Chile originally but had lived in Sweden most of his life.
Check out Christian’s journey on Instagram
He made us laugh hard and gave us a nice change in our routines at the farm. It was so nice to have him around. On our final night we had family meal as usual. We had tacos, a traditional meal in Sweden on Friday nights. We shared stories by candlelight and had delicious ice cream cake for dessert. We spent our last night shooting pool in the game room. By this time, it was like we had all known each other for a long time and were like old friends.
I learned to savor every moment of the trip. There were too many good moments to name. But I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything, and I am so glad I shared it with people who were open enough to share their lives and traditional foods. There was a generosity of spirit from everyone.
What I brought back with me
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Back to Life, Back to Reality
When I returned, I doubled down on my creative projects. I started travelling more within the Bay area and blogging about my travels. I was touched by the generosity of my hosts, the bond I had formed with my fellow travelers, and so, so impressed by the bravery of the two cyclists headed north. I have thought of them every day since. But more than anything, I had a want, no- a need- to slow down for the sake of my body, and for the good moments, so I can be present, long enough to know when they’re happening.
Current Inspirations:
“Individually we are one drop. Together we are the ocean.” – Ryunosuke Satoro
If It Makes You Happy by Sheryl Crow
Slow Burn by Kacey Musgraves
Resources & Rules of Thumb When Travelling to Sweden:
Do I need to learn Swedish?
Everyone speaks English. However, learning basic Swedish phrases and phonetic pronunciation helps when navigating in a new place where you don’t speak the language. As a rule of thumb people appreciate when you make an effort to speak their native language.
What is the weather like in Sweden?
I travelled during summer months in mid-July and the weather was on the cooler side. It was mid- 60s (F) during the day all the way up to 80. It could get windy and drop down into the 40s at night. I would recommend packing a mixture of warm weather and cold weather items. I would also pack rain gear and at least a couple nicer outfits for going out. (I imagine winter is a bit different.)
What are some must-haves for travelling?
A must-have is a plug-converter for Northern Europe. It saved me numerous times when I needed to charge my phone. A portable charger is also good to have. And a sleep mask to block out the midnight sun.
Does my phone work in Sweden?
For shorter trips, let your provider know so that you don’t have to pay roaming charges. There are certain fees associated with international calling. For long-term trips, you would want to set up a phone plan in Sweden.
What is it like to go through customs?
Customs asked me for my passport, my accommodations, how long I was staying, and for what purpose. Keep printed copies of your bookings. For the most part they were very kind which I did not expect!
What did you not expect about Sweden?
I was worried I would miss fika, the Swedish coffee hour. But fika is the surest thing. You won’t miss it.
Resources for booking train tickets:
SJ – Book as far in advance as you can to save money.
