Sweden | An inspiring place

After my visit to Asnaes, I moved further to Sweden. I spent a couple of days in a nature reserve near Helsingborg and reserved some time for hiking and enjoying the landscapes in Sweden. I found a really nice parking spot in the middle of the forest, with everything you can imagine: a calm space with a fireplace, a little lake to swim in just a couple of meters away, and a starting point for many hiking trips around the area. What else is needed for a couple of days to shut down? I took the days slow and spent them mostly outside, offline, cooking delicious meals, reading some books, and trying to be present. It was a nice feeling, one I had kind of lost when you are always searching for new adventures. It was a good reminder, and I spent most of the time alone in the forests. Sometimes, I like being alone. It helps me find my center, calms my mind, and helps me realize what really matters to me.

Those days passed by, and I went to my next destination, Kölleröd. There, I met Anders, Magdalena (the hosts), and Eliza (a volunteer). They run a popular organic café and a second-hand/vintage furniture shop from late spring to mid-autumn. I could only stay there for a week since they were closing the café at the end of August, but I was happy to connect with the people and felt really inspired by their lifestyles. Anders and Magdalena used to work as self-employed in the creative business—Magdalena designed clothes, and Anders was an active filmmaker for 25 years but stopped 10 years ago. The family (with two kids) left city life in Malmö behind 14 years ago, bought an old farm, and started over to live an alternative, ecological, and sustainable lifestyle, which they felt obligated to.

They live in an old traditional house from the southern part of Sweden from the end of the 18th century and build or repair everything on the farm with recycled or repurposed wood. Almost everything they use they get from the second-hand market. The items are usually not expensive, sometimes free; the only thing they have to pay is the time to repair them or bring them to the farm. In addition, they try to grow their own food as much as possible for themselves or use it for the café. The food is mostly locally produced and comes fresh, served to the table. The food was, by the way, amazing. Magdalena and Anders are both self-employed, with running the café and second-hand shop as their main income. The café opens mostly on weekends (as they feel like) and only from late spring to mid-autumn. This means they work around 2-3 days on the weekends, around 5-6 hours a day (during the main season), and the rest of the year they take off for their own projects and interests. In addition to that, they rent out Airbnbs (a self-built trailer and an old, refurbished house) as a side income. With this lifestyle, Magdalena and Anders created an environment where they don’t need much money for living. They are fine with simple living but are rewarded as “time millionaires.” Both do what they feel like and just live with the necessary things in life, with more freedom and flexibility. This is the living project that shows that alternative ways of living can work. What they get is priceless: a self-determined way of living, with less work, a good commitment to the planet, and a calm and modest life close to the basics of life. I’m impressed.

During my time, I helped Anders with the electrical installation in their Airbnb house in the area. Also, I helped him refurbish his trailer, which he got for free in the second-hand market. In the end, that should be another Airbnb place for visitors. I really enjoyed the company around me, and we had some nice days at the farm with a lot of interesting conversations and laughter. I learned a lot from Magdalena and Anders, and it was inspiring to see how they live. During my free time, I enjoyed the calm and sunny days at the farm with Eliza (the other volunteer). We went on several walks around the area, enjoyed Magdalena’s lovely sourdough bread and the café leftovers, cooked healthy meals together, played disc golf, and talked about future and plans.

Thanks for having me around, Magdalena, Anders, and Eliza.