Back — and Prepping to Go Again

It’s been about ten days since I landed back in Sweden.
I’ve picked up Bonnie in Värnamo, thanked those who cared for her while I was away, visited a few friends in Stockholm, and made my way north to Piteå

All of this — and everything that comes next — is only possible because I bought a car.
Because let’s be honest, unless you live in Stockholm, Gothenburg, or Malmö, it’s hard to get around without one.
But more than that, I bought it for the next chapter.

While I didn’t quite figure out where I want to live, I did remember why I loved New Zealand so much.
It wasn’t just the dramatic landscapes or the stillness.
It was how close I felt to nature — because I made choices every day to be near it. I stayed in wild places. I slept by lakes. I rose and rested with the sun. The van made that possible.

So now, back here, I’ve bought a caravan.
Because as magical as vanlife is, I also want space.
A table that doesn’t turn into a bed. A door I can close when I head into town for coffee.
A sense of home, even while I move.

Only catch? The car and caravan combo is too heavy for my current license.
Luckily, my dad has probably driven every vehicle known to man — so when I told him I needed to learn caravan driving in five days, he simply said,
“No problem. We’ll get it done.”

So June is for staying still — time with family, quiet mornings in the north, letting Bonnie run free.
Then July will be a test run.
Dance week in Öland. A visit to friends in Gothenburg. Maybe a few more stops?
And then back north again — my brother and his fiancée are expecting a new baby. A little one to welcome, to hold, to help out with. And yes… to finish the last caravan tweaks before things get real.

Because after that?

Europe.
Six, twelve, maybe eighteen months of caravan life.
The vague plan is to visit friends, spark the beginnings of a new business, and see how I can earn a living along the way.
Norway first (Gro, I’m coming!). Then Germany, Poland, Bosnia, Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal… and a few places in between where I don’t yet know anyone — but maybe I will.

Roughly 7000 miles of road ahead.
It might take a year.

Is it easy? Probably not.
There are a thousand things I haven’t thought of.
But I wanted adventure. I wanted freedom. I wanted to explore — and this feels like a beautiful way to do it.

So if you have a place I should visit — either during the Swedish summer or the European fall — let me know.
The journey is only just beginning.