makoho

Back from Sweden

August 27th, 2007

I returned yesterday from what was a wonderful holiday in Sweden! I’ve had so much fun hiking, biking, canooing and camping! I met a group of wonderful people who all got along and we’ve had a lot of fun on our outdoor activities, and around our campfires.

This post would be too long if I wrote down everything we did (from my little notebook). Instead, I’ll write about some of the highlights later this week, but for now, the highlights of this holiday were:

the two-day hike of the first 30km of the Vasalopette route, with an overnight stay in one of the logcabins along the route;
spotting a moose at less than 10 meters crossing my path somewhere in a forest;
crossing a rivier on foot while the water was at chest’s height in some places;
eating smoked moose-heart at a nearby farm;
canooing to a random island with the entire group, setting up a tent there and preparing dinner, and at night falling asleep underneath the stars next to the remains of the campfire;
climbing to the top of the Njupeskär waterfall and then down to the top two terraces;
eating wild blueberries and raspberries wherever I found them

Of course, getting to know people in the group and sitting around a campfire each night, playing games and making friends is always great! Hanging round the stugby or going for a walk by yourself in the surrounding areas are also great amendments to what was already a wonderful holiday.

There was a less pleasant side to it, though. I tried not to think about Marieke, but on a hike or canoo-trip you’re alone with nothing for company but your own thoughts–so I did think about Marieke. I realised I’ve been a jerk and started to think about where my behaviour originated. I don’t have much of an answer yet but I have realised it’s an issue that I need to resolve. It didn’t spoil my holiday, but it did make me more introvert during the second week.

Anyway, I haven’t yet uploaded all of my pictures yet, but most of them are available here: