Tieske's Adventures

Ever since I’ve left Deurne, when I was 18 years old, I've lived in cities. Some bigger than others. But a common thread has always been: countless people, lots of possibilities, and plenty of things going on. How would I appreciate living somewhere with none of those elements? I booked my AirBnB with that question in mind. After a month, here are some thoughts. With nothing you have to see, and nobody you have to meet, you automatically have a lot of time on your hands. It feels like I’ve never had so much time available to do, what I want to do. With every new place I visit, it is less about the destination, and more about the journey. Who do I meet? What do I experience? What sparks my interest? And what do I learn in the process?  Externally, we may be able to hide behind a career, a house or a family. But internally, we only have ourselves.  “ Everywhere you go, there you are. ”  The lack of connection to one specific location and the absence of a...

I had no plans for today, but waking up to blue skies changes that quickly. The drive to Stockholm is relaxing and takes a little over an hour from Malmköping. I haven’t had coffee for almost a week and my caffeine-craving-body gets all excited when the first thing I see, outside of the parking garage, is a Starbucks. I know.. I should be indulging in local treats and support the local community. And that's what I typically do. But not today. I miss having a coffee with peppermint syrup  and a slice of pumpkin loaf 'to go', from my time in the United States. So I give in to that guilty pleasure, and that’s OK every once in a while.  I stroll around Gamla Stan (the old city), which is noticeably the area that attracts most visitors. Asian tour groups with cameras also found their way here, but fortunately it is not super crowded this early in the day.  Today I don't fancy diving deep into Stockholm's history. I just want to walk around a little; to get a feelin...

My life is simple in Malmköping. Simple, but enjoyable. Every day I wake up around 7.30AM, complete my 15 minute work-out, have breakfast and feed the cats. I greet the chickens, while providing their breakfast and collecting fresh eggs. Guess what’s for lunch? I read in the hammock on the porch or in front of the fire place inside. Then I walk through the forrest and do a short meditation near the lake. Just before 2PM I get back and start working at the kitchen table, until I go to bed around 11PM. The next day is pretty much the same.  There is an incredible sense of quiet and piece in this area. The friendly neighbours are always waiving (“Hey hey!”), when I’m walking by. It's the kind of place where nobody locks their doors and the closest grocery store is a two-hour walk or a thirty minute drive (one way) away. There seem to be more hours in the day and I’m picking up things I’ve been putting off last month, because of a lack of time (read: a l...

Fact 1: Whenever I spend time in cities, I find myself drawn to green spaces. Whether it’s a park, a forrest, or some other kind of nature. That’s where I like to be.  Fact 2: I’ve hardly been to any of the Scandinavian countries (except that one time when Lars and I decided to hit the bars for a night in Sønderborg, Denmark).  When Arne sparked my interest in Stockholm a few months ago, and I found a place in the middle of nowhere, one hour south of the city, it felt good. "Nature home, human welcome."  And so I drive north this time. After 9.5 hours of cruising through the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark I cross the border with Sweden and meet up with my college friend Kjell in Malm ö . Kjell and Maria do a great job of making me feel welcome and Kjell shows me around their city  and introduces me to some of his friends. A great start to my Swedish adventure. The next day the journey continues to Malmköping. It is rain...