Thursday, January 13, 2011

So Long Sweden! Time to Leave the Darkness Behind


There is something very special about the nights before a travel, no matter how old you are. It reminds me of the night before Christmas when I was just a kid, when you were so excited that it felt like your chest would burst and spew out butterflies and laughter. It's almost like that now, because the day after tomorrow, I'm leaving.

I'm nervous and happy and it feels like freedom is finally lurking behind the corner. I can almost see her. What was planned to be a month's visit in Sweden turned out to be 10 months of illness, without any money and my baby cousin got cancer. I'm 29 years old and had to stay with mum, when I wasn't in the hospital. That kinda sucked, but I know that I needed the help and at least it wasn't permanent, plus I got the chance to hang out with my darling sister and brothers. In the end, everything turned out alright. The illness mysteriously disappeared, my cousin got well after months of awful treatments and the money landed in my account just in time for Christmas shopping. And now, with a one-way ticket in my hand, I feel that I can leave that chapter of my life behind.

This is the first time I'm travelling somewhere somewhat unprepared. I'm usually very carefully planning everything; know exactily where to stay, where to buy what, what to see and what to expect about the people and culture, what the traffic is like, the climate, taxi costs, everything. But not this time. This time I'm giving in to the excitement of finding it out once I get there, but then of course I already have someone who knows all the things I don't yet know. It feels great to have the freedom and at the same time be able to rely on someone else to take care of all the practicalities.

Most of my friends and family don't even know I'm leaving now. The one-way ticket was booked recently and suddenly the day just arrived. So, for those who want's to say hi before I go, the doors will be open tomorrow afternoon and evening. And if you can't make it tomorrow, then come visit when I live in that paradise town down south! My place will always be open to near and dear ones, wherever I currently am. Hopefully in a month or two, when I've spent some time in the bustling smoggy city, I'll be close to picturesque beaches where I'm sure some of you won't mind come visit!

I'll be back of course. I'll always be back, but this time I'm not sure if it will be in a few months or much longer. I still hope it will be within a year though. Let's see how that goes.

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