For those without myspace.....

This was my first blog/column for the encounter column on Lonely Planet Europe's myspace page. It's had a bit of a reaction - to which my sisters kindly jumped to my defence at the negative stuff... anyway your welcome to let me know what you think - I would love as much feedback as possible. This is the webaddress if you wish to see what people have had to say... http://profile.myspace.com/lonelyplaneteurope

I would have missed the best part.....

Anyone who has had the fortune of travelling is aware of both the benefits and the personal costs of travelling (i.e. missed births/weddings/funerals), yet even the best of us can be caught up in the process of getting to a destination without remembering to enjoy the experience of how we got there.

It has long been my belief that the people I have met along the way have shaped my life far more that the actual events or destinations I have chosen. I was reminded of this following a run of bad luck including a stolen passport, a brush with the law, a cancelled stop over in Hawaii, and a snow blizzard grounding all flights. All this in the space of a week left me feeling pretty deflated. Stuck in Vancouver airport, I was rushing frantically to notify people of my delay when I was approached by a man. He seemed very modest by appearance, almost out of place within an airport and yet he displayed the utmost exuberance and confidence. I was astounded at what I presumed to be arrogance – could he not see how busy I was.

In between searching for my diary, rushing in circles and unpacking and repacking my handbag 15 times, this man formed a conversation with me, and was not pausing to allow for interruption. The conversation began as he spoke of his inability to understand how a powerful nation which was a part of North America could have an international airport with only three working internet portals.

This man spoke with intelligence, charm and the hindsight of someone who had spent a considerable amount of time delayed in airport terminals. As he continued to speak an unexplained feeling of respect and gratitude came over me, I almost felt relaxed, the words which he spoke were no longer consequential, and I was transfixed by his calming demeanour, which sent me searching for my thoughts. I had spent six months working for this trip and I would have missed the best part had it not been for this man. I would have missed the excitement and anticipation, imagining what will happen on this adventure. His smile seemed to reach in and touch my soul, and as he turned away my thoughts turned to what I hoped would happen to me over the next months or years that would make all the missed birthdays, the lack of hugs from my nephews, the shared meals with my family and all the nights out with my friends, worth missing.

I took my thoughts outside and stood in minus 10c and I felt snow on my skin for the first time in 5 years. I stood in the snow and thought of countless trips I had experienced with my sisters, and my friends and how this time I would be without them. However, it became crystal clear to me on that day that as long as I brought them with me in my head and my heart, and remember to share my adventures with them, then I will never travel alone.

The Universe trying to tell me a thing or two!

Sooo.... monday morning went something like this.
Håkan accidently went to work with my house and bike key... he had to bring them home to me only for me to discover after he left - I had a flat tyre! I took this as the Universe's way of telling me to stay at home and write the bloody article/blog for lonely planet!!! Well after some procastination.

Lib went back to London yesterday - it felt like her visit was just a little blip on the radar, no sooner were we picking her up but we were dropping her back at the trainstation :(
We did manage to find a 'Narnia' like park in Malmö - which i can not wait to see in the Winter when it snows. The colours and the beauty of that park was astounding!!
http://www.anrell.nu/reseguide/orter/malmo/pildammsparken/index.html

We also had a trip to the Choklad Fabrik and had hot chocolate and hazelnut pralines and champagne truffles etc etc We ate plenty of great food of course, Lib made some of her fabulous sausage rolls and we indulged in a little too much alcohol on saturday night! ummmmmm...... i think enough of the procrastination! Wish me luck!

AAGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Ok so I just won a challenge to be a travel columnist for lonely planet online for the next month!! As exciting as that sounds - my first column is due for tuesday!! I dont know what I am going to write about!!!!

Two months down and the third is flying away!

So as the title suggests - I have been here for two months already, I'm into my third month and this is my first post! Things were a bit slow and boring at the begining of my stay, and I really feel that it was simply an adjustment period that I had to have. I came from working what at least 50hr weeks with on call all the time etc and then trying to fit in an active social life to arriving with no job prospects no ability to converse with strangers and none of my normal safety blankets i.e. friends, family, life in brisbane. I have really struggled at times, but since I have started studying at Folk Universitetet (no i didnt mispell that word!) and having someone to speak to other than Håkan (bless his cotton socks has been the most patient person in the world!) I have really started to think, Damn! I have a it pretty good guys.

This last week pretty well rocked, mon tue wed I was at "school" then thursday Håkan and I met a dutch girl from my class and we went to an art gallery, then for lunch, then to Lund Cathedral, then that evening we went to our 2hr Yoga and meditation class - well lets forget what i did friday cause i spent it on the couch (3 beers and what can i say.... hopeless!). Saturday was a lot of different things including a hike in the woods, sunday I spoke to Natty, went to Holviken and had a picnic at the beach, ice cream down by the marina and then another trip to the woods (no hiking this time) where Håkan built a fire and cooked sausages .... somewhere in there I helped Håkan write the lyrics for three songs he hadnt finished!!

And now it's been a brand new week which started with 26degrees, the smell of freshly cut lawn which evoked memories of my childhood so strongly that I dont want to come home to Australia unless it rains for the next 3months! Today has been lovely also 20degrees, I spoke to my Momma and Fona, (Sambo decided to speak to me to keep himself out of bed for that minute longer).

Ok so the purpose of this blog was ment to be to fill you in on my past two months - but it looks like I only managed to fill you in on the last week - and I kinda cut a short story long sooooo hmmmm I'll get better at this! And I'll work on the past two months and get back to you!!

So I guess I'd better include some of my favourite photos over the past few weeks!