Author Archives: Brittany

• End Streak

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on January 10, 2023

  My run streak officially came to an end on the first of January, and for that I am thankful. I ran everyday for 39 days, and while my OCD brain wanted to push it to 40, my body said nahhh. I stopped at 39, took a day off, and resumed running the next day. I had wanted to try a run streak for some time, but I now know I am much more of a “listen to your body” kinda gal. I never want to feel like I have to do something, because that takes all the joy out of life. I’m glad I tried it, and I might even do it again next year, who knows.

  What I do know is that I learned some things, and I am going to share those things right now.

  

  1. Running everyday kept me disciplined. Overall I looked forward to not waking up and wondering if I wanted to run, but knowing I was going to run. Taking the thought work out of this was great for someone like me who struggles with decision fatigue and overthinking. I even ran one day on a treadmill with socks because I forgot my shoes. Would not recommend.

  2. Running everyday helped my Christmas cookie addiction. I say this half joking, but in all reality I ate more treats last month than I can even remember. While my skin, and my brain didn’t love this, some of the sugary goodness was helpful the following morning giving me a surge of energy. I will also admit I didn’t think twice about anything I ate while doing the streak.

  

  3. Running everyday reminded me that listening to music during a sport is a luxury. I spent the first 22 days of this streak running outside, which meant no music. I no longer run with music when I am alone outside because I need to be aware of my surroundings. I ran the last 12 days of this streak inside on a treadmill, and this meant all the music. I found myself falling down a rabbit hole of rap music I used to listen to when I was in high school.

  It’s bad. It’s so, so bad.

  The lyrics sound like they are written by a child half the time, and a corrupt human the other half. I cannot believe I used to listen to it, and yet…some of it was so nostalgic. A few songs made my running playlist, where they will stay and never see the light of day. Apologies to my mom for giving her a hard time when she wanted me to shut the trash off.

  These two paragraphs belong on an Early Morning Confessions post, because this is indeed a confession.

  4. Running everyday reminded me how much I love walking. Since ending the streak I have enjoyed a few runs, and a few walks. Duncan and I went to a nearby neighborhood with a network of trails leading us to a beautiful pond. We sat and savored the silence for a bit, something I need to do more of right now. My brain has been a fiasco of chaos and while running is helpful, I need to find more time to be still. I had a nice holiday season, but per usual I am thankful the holidays are over.

  

  5. Running everyday showed me how strong my body is. Long time readers will know I used to be an avid runner in my early to mid twenties. I stopped because of some health issues for many years and believed running would be out of the cards for me. This streak showed me not only is running very much IN the cards, but that I can push a little harder than I thought I could.

  6. Running everyday gave me an amazing outlet during a stressful season. With the holidays, trip planning, and me just being me, I often looked forward to running each day as a way to melt my mind into mush. It’s hard to stress about life when trying to focus on putting one foot in front of the other. I like to believe running is the reason I was so calm when my Houdini of a cat escaped out of my front door on Christmas night.

  

  7. Running everyday sparked the old me and gave me the itch to run a race. I would love to run a half marathon again in my time, and while I sometimes worry the distance might be too much, the idea of having a bigger goal again excites me. My last half marathon was in 2014, and by this time running felt like a chore. I will never allow myself to get to that point again, and if I don’t want to run on any given day, I won’t. However, short term goals like a run streak or a half marathon make pushing myself temporarily far more rewarding.

  8. Running everyday showed me that a mile, is a mile, is a mile. There were 2-3 days during this streak I truly did not want to run. I work a physical job and there were a few mornings I missed my run, meaning I had to run after I got home from work. These days I told myself “just one mile.” I always felt better after my mile (aside from one day I ate too many Christmas treats – the cramps were very real), and I knew running for ten minutes wasn’t going to kill me.

  This is my favorite lesson of the entire streak, and something I have come to adopt over the past year. It doesn’t matter how long I go out for, or how fast I run for, I am moving my body and that is all that matters. On the flip side, I learned I much prefer running less days of the week, with longer mileage on the days I do run. 3-4 milers are my happy place, but when running everyday I was typically running 1-2 miles.

  Either way, getting outside with some air on my face, regardless of how long is a treat I cherish.

  

  I’m not one for big “new year” goals or changes. I’m more of the mindset that small, manageable changes can and should be made at all times of our life rather than one time at the beginning of a year. I do however want to use this time of my life to really focus on my mental health and finding more ways to destress and calm down. I continue to get worked up over things that perhaps don’t need extra anxiety energy, and it’s strongly affecting my life.

  Running will continue to be one of these main outlets for me.

  I enjoy the ongoing journey of listening to my body and trusting what it tells me. For example, there are certain times in my cycle that running is not the best option for me, and that’s perfectly OK. I am thankful I have the ability to choose to run (and walk, and bike, and hike) when I know many people do not. I can safely say I will never take these abilities for granted. Thanks for following along, and I look forward to more movements and more adventures as this year unfolds.

  Q: Did you have a good New Years Eve? I was in bed by 10.

  

  | 36 Comments Tagged Run Streak, Running

• Happy Christmas

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on December 29, 2022

  I am going to sound like a broken record by saying this, but I cannot believe Christmas has come and gone. Every year it seems to get a little worse, where I struggle to get fully into the spirit of the holiday. I know Christmas is meant to be more than what we have commercialized it to be, and as someone who dreads the whole gift giving aspect of things I try to find my joy in other ways.

  I love the colors, the lights, the food, the treats, the time off, and the time with family. My family is small, and most holidays have been spent with my mom and my older sister. The three of us have found a good rhythm in life, but I often daydream of celebrating holidays with a large group of humans. The older I get the more I crave a solid community to lean on.

  The last time I truly felt the spirit of the season was when I worked for Starbucks, there is just something about those holiday cups.

  

  I indulged in one black coffee out of the above holiday cup this year, and it most certainly tasted better than drinking out of a traditional white cup. I often miss being a barista, but it’s around the holidays when I reaalllyyy miss it. Alas, I do not miss large corporations moving away from human connection and moving closer to people in people out. I must be destined for a small mom and pop coffee shop, or my own coffee shop…

  I digress.

  My Christmas was lovely, a low key day with family. Duncan and I enjoyed a mimosa with his mom and grandma before going to my moms for dinner. A salmon feast with plenty of Lindt truffles fueled the night, and for good reason. My small black cat escaped just as Duncan and I were leaving for the evening, leading to a good cop, bad cop like chase through the woods. I realize chasing is never the answer, and ultimately we had to wait for him to come back.

  And come back he did, sauntering in like a drowned rat as if nothing happened. Little shit.

  

  My run streak is still going, although as I get closer to the restart of my monthly cycle I want to run less. So most days during the week leading up to my cycle I will likely be running one mile. Anything to get the body moving? These days I appreciate the movement because I have been eating as if all hell broke loose. I try to give myself more grace this time of year to be a bit flexible with my diet, but as someone who is genuinely affected by the foods I consume I need to reel it in.

  My anxiety has been off the charts this month and it’s no doubt because of what I have been eating. I have everyday background noise anxiety, but throw in some gluten, sugar, and dairy and it’s like opening a flood gate. Indulging here and there is one thing, but those holiday treats have kicked me down the rabbit hole. If you are someone who struggles with anxiety like me I highly recommend paying attention to what you eat.

  I don’t have any regrets, I enjoyed the hell out of this holiday season with the good foods, but I am ready to feel more centered.

  

  I briefly mentioned earlier I struggle with the gift giving aspect of Christmas. I have a strong aversion to clutter, and there is very rarely anything that I “need” these days. I am much more of an experiences as gifts type of person, as well as gift cards. You can never go wrong with a gift card. The irony is that I do enjoy GIVING gifts, but I like to think I am good at getting people things they need and perhaps would not buy for themselves. Like an electric toothbrush (one of the gifts I gave Duncan last year.)

  This year Duncan and I agreed on skipping the gift giving, but then about a week before Christmas he let slip that he got me something small.

  

  Last month when Duncan and I were driving to his parents house for Thanksgiving dinner, we began talking about my trip to Ireland in 2017. I mentioned to him how I visited The House of Waterford Crystal, and was able to go on a tour to learn more about the crystal making process. As I was leaving the tour through the gift shop, I noticed a pair of crystal stud earrings I fell in love with.

  At the time I could not justify buying them, I already had a few souvenires, but it was something I had regretted to this day.

  I told Duncan I wished I had bought the earrings because they would have been a great souvenir (something small) to remember my trip, and then we moved on to talk about other things. Lo and behold he took that conversation, and hunted down a pair of beautiful Waterford Crystal stud earrings. The package was literally from Ireland. These are the moments and gifts I will cherish forever.

  

  I often feel that people don’t truly listen when I speak. I feel alone more times than not even when in a room full of people. I don’t typically feel understood and more times than not I feel like an outsider looking in. For someone to not only hear what I said in passing, but to act on what I said – I can’t put into words what this meant to me. It’s not the jewelry, or the shiny crystals, it’s the thoughtfulness.

  Thoughtfulness far surpasses anything else in my book. Thank you Duncan, you really made my heart smile. And on that sappy note I bid you all adieu, until the next post. I wish everyone a happy and healthy transition into the new year.

  Q: How was your holiday? If you don’t celebrate Christmas, did you get the day off?

  

  | 34 Comments Tagged Christmas, Duncan, Running

• Run Streak

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on December 20, 2022

  In my last post I mentioned my blog space was nearing its max, and I decided a week or so ago to bite the bullet and upgrade to the next level. The irony is that I have hit a bit of the December slump, and while I have things in my brain I would love to write about, few of them are happy go lucky. The nature of this blog however is that I share the good, the not so good, and the sweaty. On Thanksgiving day I decided to start a run streak, where I run everyday until the first of the year.

  The idea was not mine, I saw it in a Runners World article, but I had always wanted to do a run streak so I figured why not.

  

  I am 27 days into the streak, and there have only been one or two days where I really struggled to get out the door. My basement is in the process of a looonnggg renovation, which means my treadmill was shunned to the garage. I spent 21 of these days running outside, until Duncan helped me maneuver the treadmill in the garage so I could use it. What a luxury that machine is.

  I did enjoy running outside most days, but the snow days were a bit rough.

  The goal is to run at least a mile, and I would say the majority of these days I have done just that – one mile. Workdays I don’t usually enjoy doing too much of a workout because my job is very physical, but one mile is always manageable. I find that I enjoy that quick ten minutes (and some change) of movement before the day starts. The day I struggled the most with the streak was a day I also went for a 5.5 mile hike.

  I ended up running down the mountain some, likely not a full mile, but it still counts towards the streak in my book.

  

  The intention of the streak is to keep your body moving during the winter months when temptation to be sedentary is high, however the streak is really whatever you make of it. For me, this streak is to keep my mental health on track. Running has become such a blessing of an outlet for me this last year to keep my anxiety at bay. The darker months I am visited by anxieties step sister depression if I am not keeping busy enough (or sometimes just because), and running has been very helpful there too.

  I stopped running for a few years when I was first diagnosed with my autoimmune disease because I noticed running would cause my symptoms to flare up. This year I have managed to find a good balance with the sport, ensuring I can continue to run more frequently. My biggest concern this last year however was my chronic sciatica pain. For a full year I woke up every single day in pain or discomfort from a slipped disc issue. I truly thought the pain would never subside.

  Thankfully I have been pain free since July/August. I still feel the nerve, as if it has been scarred by the pinching, but the pain is no longer. I sat in my favorite chair recently, one I could not sit in for a year, and realized the joy I felt sitting with no pain.

  

  Side note: when running outside I am never without my GoGuarded handheld. This is not sponsored, this is just me sharing my must have while running. Highly recommend for all women. Go buy one. Or gift one. It’s a must. Sadly.

  Running also helped me during the time our water heater was out of commission, as I briefly mentioned in my last post. I went 35 or so days without hot water, meaning quicker showers than you can say the word shower. Going for a run before showering helped me get in the cold water because my body was hot and craved cooling. Now that I have access to warm showers again, dare I say I miss the cold? What I don’t miss is strategizing taking a shower.

  My mind appreciates the lack of thought going into showering. Another luxury I didn’t realize I had until I didn’t have it.

  Going forward I don’t see myself continuing a run streak after the 39 days are up, but I do see myself chasing bigger goals. I would love to run another half marathon someday, and I think with realistic pacing goals and proper rest this could be a reality. The last 27 days have made me physically and mentally stronger. It’s been a special treat I have given to myself as a reminder that I am capable of difficult things, and difficult things have indeed arose.

  

  The changing of the season moving into winter is a time for us to look inward. Finding outlets and tools to continue moving forward is essential for me. I recently turned down a great job opportunity because it didn’t feel like the right fit. After I made this choice I fell down the spiral of worrying how this choice would appear to societal standards – something I have continuously moved away from for nearly a decade. I choose a nontraditional lifestyle and nontraditional jobs because life is about so much more than money to me.

  I felt momentarily weak after this decision, but running pulled me out of that pity party real quick.

  All of this babbling is to say life is hard. Being a human is hard. There is no easy button, but there are ways to make the journey more tolerable. For me those things are typically physical (running, biking, hiking, traveling), and for you those things might look different. We are all on the same floating ball just trying to get by. I do my best to find small joys in my day to day life, and a dopamine hit in the morning sure makes that easier.

  Q: What is your outlet of choice?

  

  | 34 Comments Tagged Running

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on November 7, 2022

  1. I have been home from Sweden for about a month now, and readjusting to regular life was hard at first, but I finally feel settled. Work has been slow, so hours have been cut, but I am not complaining. It gives me time to do more important things, like help my mom clean her house and look for other jobs. LOL.

  2. I took my cat to the vet recently and it was the most horrific experience. He never does well at the vet, and I have to drug him before I go (which is very stressful for us both), but this most recent time was the worst. He could not calm down even with the drugs, and while they were trying to get his blood pressure I could hear him SCREAMING in the other room. I had a hard time keeping it together. The good news is that he seems to be “anti-aging” and all prior concerns are under control.

  

  3. I have been enjoying too many late night fika’s since I returned from Sweden. Before I left I bought the gluten free pumpkin loaf from Trader Joe’s, and I am onto my fourth loaf of the season. It is SO GOOD. Even better with coffee…my anxiety doesn’t thank me for the excess caffeine at times though. Reel it in Brittany…

  4. It felt like summer lasted forever here, and it was still smoky into mid October. I was ready and longing for fall, yet it seems we have skipped straight to winter overnight. It has been SO cold. I was lusting for fall, but now I would give anything to go back to my last hike to Mount Rainier with Duncan in the September sun.

  

  

  

  5. Few things make me more uncomfortable than an overly stuffed fridge. I would not survive long in a food shortage because I hate having excess food. Food waste is one of my biggest pet peeves, and when I see a fridge stuffed to the brim I need to organize it. I like to eat what I have, and then buy more as I need. Pantry items I give a bit more leeway to, but I do not like having excess there either.

  6. Back in 2015 I bought my second pair of Vibram Five Finger Bikila’s. I had a few other Five Finger models prior to the Bikila, but once I slipped my foot into the Bikila it was like Cinderella’s slipper. Naturally this shoe was discontinued relatively quick, and when I found that second pair I was elated. Fast forward to 2022 and that pair has been run into the ground. I have worn them despite the holes in the left shoe, but I recently found a pair on eBay for $35. Unheard of.

  They fit like a glove. Literally.

  

  

  7. My blog storage is nearing full capacity. I can either pay more money to have more space, or I can stop blogging. Orrrr I can start a new blog. New blog new me kind of thing. I have always sort of disliked my blog URL, it’s so corny. Someone once told me that it even sounded like a porn website. Yikes. However, blissfulbritt has been with me through aaalllll the up’s and down’s of growing up. Ohhh life dilemma’s.

  8. The weekend before Halloween Duncan and I went to a murder mystery game night with some friends. I happened to choose the character that died first, but I soon discovered that there was little to no organization with the game. I ended up spending most of the evening alone. I was a bit salty, but I’m over it now. Mostly. I still had fun, and the next morning I went to a lovely coffee shop where I met my new family.

  

  9. Last Tuesday our water heater shit the bed. Not only did the behemoth have to be removed ASAP, the entirety of the flooring surrounding it needs to be replaced (it was dripping for who knows how long.) We cannot get a new water heater until the flooring and dry wall is replaced, which is proving to take some time. I have been taking cold showers ever since, and I am officially a member of the Navy Shower gang. While this new method of cleaning myself has been an adventure, and I exit the bathroom feeling refreshed, I cannot wait for warm water again.

  You have not felt discomfort until you have felt frigid water on your skin in the middle of late fall/early winter. I like to call this character building.

  10. Duncan and I went to a new to us pumpkin patch this year before Halloween hit, and it was ridiculously expensive. Each day that passes I feel more and more like a crotchety old woman. We spent $50 for two people to walk through the corn maze and find a pumpkin (which was a separate fee.) Call me crazy, but that’s just too much. Thankfully, we found two small and fun pumpkins that did not break the bank.

  We even wore matching forehead pimples, how sweet.

  

  

  

  Can you guess who carved which pumpkin?

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 40 Comments Tagged Corn Maze, Duncan, Early Morning Confessions, Hiking, Pumpkin

• Small Town Sweden

  Posted at 10:30 AM by Brittany, on October 28, 2022

  This is my final post covering my recent travels to Sweden. For those of you who have made it thought them all, thank you. This trip helped bring me back to life, and reminded me why I love to travel. We have all been in a weird place the last couple years, and it was so wonderful to take a step to the side and just live a little.

  For our last two days in Sweden Derek and I spent time with his aunt and uncle, exploring locally and getting prepared to travel back home.

  Anne, Dereks aunt, wanted to take us to a town called Vaxholm for a jaunt while we still had our rental car, but we made a quick pitstop at his uncles workplace to see what he does. In Sweden the drivers have to have regular checks on their vehicles to ensure the cars are safe to drive, and Ollie, Dereks uncle, gave us a rundown of what needs to be checked. He even let Derek and I into one of the cars to see how he checks the breaks.

  I could tell Ollie was so excited to show us what he does, and that made this moment extra special for me. After this, we headed to Vaxholm.

  

  The streets were quiet, but we wandered for a bit imagining how busy it gets in the summer months. Vaxholm is an archipelago island popular for fishing and littered with traditional red and white buildings. This quickly became a symbol of Sweden for me, as these beautiful buildings were everywhere. With this theme you can imagine my surprise seeing a pink house amongst the red and white, and while it definitely didn’t fit with the rest, it was beautiful in its own way.

  

  

  We popped into a bakery to grab some kardemummabulle before we left, and on our way back home we stopped by Bogesund Castle which was a short drive from the city center. We could not go inside the castle, but this felt like a good spot to eat my kardemummabulle while walking around the crunchy leaves and staring at the beautiful building.

  

  

  We kept it simple for the day, as we were scheduled to have dinner with Dereks aunt and uncle at 1800. I wanted to do something nice for them because they were such kind hosts, so Derek and I took them out to a restaurant of their choice. They chose a place called Melanders which is a restaurant, cafe, and also a storefront. They sell fish and other seafood at their storefront, while also making this fish for their menus.

  Talk about delicious, my mom said this looked gross, but I had seconds of the creamy dill potatoes.

  

  We came back after dinner and enjoyed an evening fika, where I decided to partake in coffee after dark. Not only did it not affect my sleep, but it allowed me to relax with the family while learning more about how Ollie and Anne met. Fika is a strong part of Swedish culture, consisting of coffee and usually some kind of treat so I had some oat milk ice cream with bananas to accompany my coffee.

  What a magical evening.

  The following morning we were scheduled to go to a nearby lake where we walked to a farm to have Swedish waffles. This area was adorable, a large lake that people were walking or running around, and the farm in the middle was like a cherry on top. If I lived here I would come run around the lake all the time, ending with an afternoon fika. WITH WAFFLES.

  

  

  This waffle, just like the cardamom bread, is a prime example of how less is more. You don’t need much to make a dish taste good. I chose strawberry as my topping, as did Derek and his aunt, while his uncle chose blueberry. Paired with a dollop of whipped cream, I could have easily eaten two. Or three.

  We spent a couple hours here walking around, playing with the cows, and enjoying the sunny fall day. The yellow trees in Sweden stole my heart, and I couldn’t not stop taking photos of them. These small towns are just as magical as the larger ones.

  

  

  I have realized that there is a difference between the words travel and vacation. It’s not often that I take a true vacation, but rather I prefer to travel. At the end of traveling I think feeling tired is normal and expected. Seeing as much as possible while traveling is something I have grown to crave, whereas a vacation is somewhere you go to rest.

  Vacation in my mind is visiting a resort, a beach, or a tiny island where you don’t do much movement.

  This trip to Sweden was certainly to travel. I love the non stop movements seeing new things, and Derek and I certainly packed a lot into our stay. I suppose you could say these last two days were the vacation portion of this travel escapade. I was thankful to have a day to recoup before going back to work which is a must for me, and I am still trying to settle back into real life. Big thanks to Anne and Ollie for being the most wonderful, gracious, welcoming hosts. Anne went out of her way to buy food I could eat (I still splurged sometimes), and Ollie was always willing to drive us when we didn’t have a rental car.

  We started as strangers and left as friends. I hope I see them both again someday.

  Q: Do you prefer travel or vacation?

  

  | 29 Comments Tagged Sweden, Travel, Vaxholm, Waffles

• Nimis of Ladonia

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on October 25, 2022

  I don’t even know where to start with this post. This area of Sweden was unlike anything I have ever seen, and I likely will not see anything like it again. A few days before we were to depart for our mini adventure south, Derek had dinner with his cousins. One of them told him about a “local known” spot within the Kullaberg Reserve that had caused a lot of controversy over the years.

  Naturally this was intriguing, and this was the main motivator behind Derek suggesting we abort our plan to go all the way south on one of our days and instead go visit the Kullaberg Reserve. I just wanted to see the coastal waters, so anything else for me was a bonus. I saw a photo of Nimis, where we planned to go after the lighthouse, but I didn’t quite grasp the magnitude of this place until I was standing in front of it.

  

  

  Nimis, which is fittingly Latin for “too much“, is a maze like structure of driftwood built by a Swedish artist named Lars Vilks, and it is not easily reached. I had assumed this was something right off the trail, and while half of our mile long walk to Nimis from the car was on a man made trail, the other half split off the path and we had to follow yellow “N’s” painted onto trees.

  This was not a dainty walk, it was a relatively steep drop down off the path.

  I started off in good spirits. Google Maps told us it was a short walk and after the previous days of non stop activity my body was hopeful for a quick jaunt. My brain thought this was going to be one tower of driftwood, which would be cool to see, but nothing to bat my eyes at. Boy was I wrong. The trail starts off passing beautiful red and white buildings, and heads into the forest where the wind in the trees brought life to my soul.

  

  

  The uncertainty of where we were going took the wind out of my sails pretty quickly. As I mentioned, this is not a well known area and it certainly is not advertised within the reserve. In fact, the construction of this maze structure began in 1980, was discovered by authorities in 1982, and was in a legal battle until 2004. The authorities wanted to tear down the structure (understandably so, it is within a nature reserve after all), but somehow Lars won the legal battle.

  I don’t quite understand how this is possible, but there was a loophole of sorts where Lars was able to turn this plot of land into an independent nation named “Ladonia.” Today the structure is somewhat of a historic piece, and it seems to be one of those places people aren’t quite sure what to do with. The structure is made with 70 tons of driftwood, and while it was incredibly sturdy, there are certainly areas I can see to be unsafe.

  Of course that did not stop us from walking inside.

  

  

  

  Vilks is no longer alive, he was in a car accident in 2021 (the backstory on this is also controversial, and I fell down a Google rabbit hole), making Nimis all the more sought after by those who know of its existence. I’m glad I continued on the trail after loosing interest, because this was one of, if not the most unique things I have ever seen. This guy has a cool four minute video walking through the structure, with a little more history.

  This day with the lighthouse (my previous post) and Nimis ended up being a wonderful introduction to the Kullaberg Reserve.

  

  

  After gallivanting through Ladonia we made our way north a bit to Jönköping (another word that took me a bit to master, but I am now proficient), a city on the shores of Lake Vättern. This was our “halfway point” for our drive back to Dereks aunt and uncle’s place in Täby. For dinner I had salmon and potatoes (again), but I purchased sushi grade salmon from Norway and it was the best salmon I have ever had in my life.

  I will forever dream about that salmon.

  I had the most magical nights sleep in the Jönköping tiny house, and the following morning we walked along the lake for a while to shake out the legs before our drive back “home.” Our three day adventure south came and went quickly, as most adventures do, and I am thankful everything went smoothly.

  

  

  

  Our Swedish escapade had a few days left, and our last few days were spent relaxing with family, walking around locally, and eating delectable Swedish waffles within the presence of beautiful cows. Next Up: Small Town Sweden.

  Q: Would you walk through Nimis?

  

  | 12 Comments Tagged Hiking, Kullaberg Reserve, Nimis, Sweden

• Kullaberg Nature Reserve

  Posted at 9:30 AM by Brittany, on October 21, 2022

  When Derek and I were planning our Sweden trip, we only spent one afternoon together looking at a few ideas. I did some research on my own, but we mostly just wanted to get out of the country. We were also visiting his family, and I didn’t want to get too wild by throwing too many ideas at him. While we were planning the trip I suggested we drive to the southernmost tip to see some popular stone formations, and I also suggested in that same day we drive slightly north east to see the Kullaberg Reserve.

  I mostly wanted to see Kullaberg, but I had already suggested the stones and I thought Derek was interested in them, so I said perhaps Kullaberg could be a bonus if we were feeling the extra drive. Fast forward to the night before we left for our three day adventure south, and per the input of Dereks aunt and cousin he suggests we skip the stones and go straight for Kullaberg.

  I am so thankful we chose to change the plan, because this was my favorite spot of the entire trip.

  

  

  

  I was enamored by these jagged rocks and the crashing waves from the sea. I could have sat here all day. We didn’t have a solid plan, but we knew there was a lighthouse at the very tip of the nature reserve, so this was our first destination. We ended up walking around the rocks for a while because I wanted to get closer and closer to the water. We walked down to a tiny lighthouse of sorts which provided a better view of the large lighthouse on the hill.

  According to the Google, this is the largest, and brightest lighthouse in all of Scandinavia.

  

  

  

  After wandering the rocks for a short while, I noticed far off in front of us it looked like an arrow was painted onto the rocks. I then saw what looked like a cave, and sure enough there were arrows guiding a rocky trail to a cliffside cave fully equipped with drippy walls and critters. We walked over to the cave just as a tour was arriving, so we sat and savored the view until they left.

  This was a wonderful wrench in the moment because I loved having to sit and wait.

  

  

  After our cave diving (rather my cave diving, Derek wouldn’t go inside), we made our way back up the rocky precipice and back to the car. This area reminded me of the Isle of Skye in Scotland, and perhaps that is why I loved it so much. I thoroughly enjoyed the hike we had done the day prior, but the Kullaberg Reserve felt so wild to me. It was quiet, there were little to no people around (other than the tour), and the waves showed no mercy to the rocks they crashed upon.

  

  

  A beautiful adventure I shan’t soon forget. The second half of this day was spent exploring another area on the Kullaberg Reserve, unlike anything I have ever seen in my entire life. Next up: Nimis.

  Q: Would you go into the cave? Full disclosure, I only went in enough to see the opening from the other side. Nothing gives me the willies more than a tight, dark space.

  

  | 9 Comments Tagged Brittanys Life Abroad, Kullaberg Reserve, Sweden

• Söderåsen National Park

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on October 18, 2022

  Whenever I travel to a new country I try my best to visit a National Park. Sweden has A LOT of national parks, which made it difficult to choose which one I wanted to see. I knew going north would not be an option on this trip, the weather would be too finicky and the drive would have been too far, so I focused my sights on the southern region of Sweden.

  After scouring over the internet a few times, I finally chose to visit Söderåsen National Park, located in the southern most county of Skåne (it took me days to pronounce this correctly.)

  Derek and I planned our Air B&B stays around this adventure, and everything else we did was extra. Our first Air B&B was in the municipality of Höör, a tiny little countryside filling all my European farmland dreams. We stayed in a tiny house on the property of a sweet Swedish woman and her husband, and while I adored the little space, I lost my marbles for the onsite green house.

  

  

  The drive south from Täby where we were staying with Dereks aunt and uncle was about 6.5 hours. It was a surprisingly smooth drive (I drove), but by the time we arrived at our Air B&B we were ready to stretch our legs. We chose a spot that had two bikes we could borrow, and neither of us had to think twice about taking them out for a spin.

  The bikes were rusted, too small, and looked over a decade old, but they were the most magical steeds to ride 10 miles of countryside on.

  

  

  We stayed at this place for two nights, and I spent both mornings sipping my coffee inside the green house with one of the cozy red blankets draped across my lap. On our first morning the host offered breakfast, but I wanted to ensure I was in top shape for a day of hiking and couldn’t risk feeling like shit. Derek partook and our host brought him a basket of perfectly wrapped bread, vegetables, an egg, a cookie, fresh yogurt, cheese and salami, and fruit. It was adorable.

  Meanwhile in the greenhouse…

  

  After finishing our morning routines, it was time to head to the park. Our Air B&B was a short 25 min drive from the park, meaning we didn’t have to leave at dawn. Upon arrival we were one of four other cars in the lot. This National Park has a few different locations to start hiking from, and it was very low key. No passes, no crazy parking, no park rangers, just a beautiful piece of land for everyone to enjoy.

  

  

  Our original plan was to hike through the center of the park, and turn around halfway giving us a 10 mile introduction to the area. We ended up going to a different location first per the suggestion of our Air B&B host, and we ended up staying in this area the entire day. There were so many options to explore.

  My favorite thing about this hike was that the trail markers were painted onto trees.

  Often times more than one trail would intersect, and then a tree would have multiple colored circles. We followed three separate colors at separate times until we clocked 10-11 miles (our Garmin watches had slightly different readings.) The area felt like something out of Jurassic Park, and we had long stretches where we saw no other humans.

  

  

  The highlight of this adventure for me was overhearing a German family as they walked past us. One of the women greeted us in German, so I said goodbye to them in German. The man at the end of their train turned around as we passed and asked me if I spoke German. I said to him (in German) that I try, but not much. He then asked if we spoke Swedish and I said we spoke English.

  We then (in English) talked about where they lived in Germany, where I used to live in Germany, and how we were all enjoying our trip to Sweden. The entire interaction left a warm feeling in my heart.

  After our hike we went into the tiny “visitor center” at the start of the trail and had a lovely chat with the woman working in the center. I wanted to buy a pin to add to my national park pin collection, and I was in luck. We then returned to the tiny house with souls full of joy and adventure where I made salmon and potatoes for dinner. Contentment at its finest.

  

  

  The following morning we had a leisure start before checking out and heading towards our next destination. Just enough time for me to spend one more morning in the adorable green house of my dreams. Next up: Kullaberg Nature Reserve.

  Q: What was your most magical Air B&B (or hotel) stay?

  

  | 16 Comments Tagged Brittany's Life Abroad, Hiking, National Park, Sweden

• Stockholm, Sweden – Pt. 2

  Posted at 7:35 AM by Brittany, on October 14, 2022

  The public transportation we used while traveling in and out of Stockholm could not have been more straightforward. Similar to the London Underground for those who have experienced it, I bought a card to preload “trips” onto, and each trip lasted for 74 minutes. What this meant was that once I scanned the card I could use any compatible travel system (train, bus, subway) within 74 minutes.

  No separate tickets necessary.

  Day two in Stockholm Derek and I already had our trip for the day loaded onto our cards, and we headed to the train around 0945. On day one we took the train to the east of the city, and immediately went down to the subway to spit us right into Gamla Stan – the old town. Day two we decided to get off at the train, skip the subway, and walk towards the old town to see new things.

  Derek bought a 10GB cell plan for map access, but I was living the carefree life of zero service.

  

  

  

  After wandering a bit we mapped our way towards the water where a lot of the tourist activities started. Our one tourist activity we partook in was a boat tour around the closest canal. This was a 50 minute tour for a whopping $21, and was worth the price. Headphones were provided for a very basic knowable of what we drove past, but I was more interested in seeing the city from the water.

  

  

  One of the most notable thing about Sweden is all the different trees. October is one of my favorite months to travel because it’s not a popular month for tourists, and because I love seeing fall come to life in a new country. Sweden did not disappoint with their fall colors and temperatures. We had great weather the entire trip, it only rained once for about 30 minutes before the boat ride and we were able to stand under a cover.

  After our boat excursion it was time to do some shopping. I am not one to buy people souvenirs, but I love buying people food items from the places I travel. My mom had her heart set on a Dala horse, a popular Swedish symbol that originated as a toy for children. I wasn’t stoked on buying a material item, but I ended up buying a medium one for her and a smaller one for me.

  I also succumbed to a handmade house that resembled one of the popular buildings in the old town, plus some local made fudge and candy for my mom and Duncan.

  

  

  I do enjoy finding something small when I travel, but often times I will find post cards or paintings that I can frame and put onto a wall. After shopping and walking, it was time to try the infamous kardemummabulle, or cardamom buns. Dereks mom is from Sweden, and he had visited a handful of times before this trip, so he forewarned me of the deliciousness that is the Swedish cardamom bun.

  The cardamom buns were at every single bakery or coffee shop we walked by, but I wanted to find somewhere that was not a chain, and that looked extra cozy to buy my bun from. This was my splurge of the day and I wanted to make it as close to “from scratch” as possible. I found an adorable shop in the old town that I regrettably did not pay attention to the name of, but their kardemummabulle was fan-freaking-tastic.

  

  Somehow this small, simple, bun of gluten and explosions of cardamom is one of the best things I have ever eaten. Similar to a croissant in France, sometimes less is truly more. The flavor was wonderful, and the chewy dough had my brain swimming in dopamine. Worth the splurge and then some. Day two we ended up walking just under ten miles, making our total mileage in Stockholm between the two days 18 miles.

  

  Days one and two in Stockholm were fun, but day three was by far my favorite. Derek had plans to meet with more extended family for the day, and I had plans to go into the city alone to meet with a friend. I reached out to Cornelia, a Swedish girl I had met while traveling in Slovenia a few years ago. Slovenia is a trip I will never forget specifically because of the two girls I met.

  Cornelia was free for the day and we met in the old town, because I was most comfortable navigating to a place I had already been.

  She ended up taking me to Södermalm, an area of the city I had not been yet. I would have never found where she took me, I saw beautiful views, her favorite bakery, and an intercity “mountain” of rocks where people go to unwind. These tips from a local were a highlight for me. After a long walk we had dinner together at a vegan cafe (best smoothie bowl I have had in years) and chatted like old friends.

  After dinner I had planned to head back to Derek and his family, but Cornelia invited me to church with her.

  

  

  

  I’d be lying if I said I didn’t panic after agreeing to go with Cornelia to church. Every part of me wanted to go, but I originally planned to stick near public transportation I was familiar with because I did not have cell service. Without easy access to data for map usage I became anxious of getting lost. I would also be navigating back in the dark, something I try to avoid as a woman alone.

  Cornelia was incredibly patient with my mini panic and she helped me with the subway map which was actually very easy to navigate. When my anxiety goes into overdrive it can be hard for me to see how simple something is, because all I can see is the worst. I wasn’t able to fully enjoy the church service because of my anxiety, but I’m glad I challenged myself to go. Cornelia reminded me of all the solo travels I had done and that everything “always works out.”

  

  I needed that moment. I have been living in a bubble of fear for the last two years, and I needed to put myself into the exact type of situation that causes me this kind of fear to remind myself I am capable of so much more than I give myself credit for. I have became so fearful of other people, of danger in the world, that I haven’t experienced life in the same way that I used to. I am immensely grateful for this day, allowing my independence to come back to life.

  I ate a cinnamon bun from Cornelias favorite bakery on the train ride home, and relished in the small victory that was navigating my way home at night in a foreign country exclusively by relying on old school maps and verbal directions.

  

  Stockholm is a beautiful city with the right balance of old and new. The people are friendly, the drivers are safe, and the architecture is stunning. Three days was the perfect amount of time to get a good lay of the land, and this was a great way to start the trip. I’m so thankful I was able to reconnect with Cornelia, and although this was only our second time meeting I still felt the soul connection we had when we met in Slovenia.

  Day three wrapped up with 10.5 miles (including a 2 mile run before going to the city), giving me a total of 26 walked miles around Stockholm. I’d say I covered a good amount of the city for three days. Next up: Söderåsen National Park.

  Q: Do you feel comfortable navigating a big city alone where you don’t speak the language? I’ve done this many times, but I usually prepare myself more by ensuring I understand my routes. The shift of plans when I chose to go to church in a new area was a challenge, but I have better navigational skills than I realize. If I had cell service it would have been a different situation, but this lack of a safety net caused me to panic. Alas, as Cornelia said – it always works out.

  

  | 13 Comments Tagged Brittanys Life Abroad, stockholm, Sweden

• Stockholm, Sweden – Pt. 1

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on October 11, 2022

  I have officially survived my first trip back on European soil since coming home from Germany at the end of 2020. This trip was a long time coming for me. I had no idea I would be going to Sweden for my first trip back to Europe, but I knew I needed to get myself back to that side of the world. The entire trip was a very fast, whirlwind of decisions, and overall I would say it was a success.

  I have a coworker/friend named Derek who I know is up for most any adventure. These days it can be difficult to find someone who is: a.) up for the adventure, and b.) can afford the adventure, so I knew I couldn’t be picky if I wanted to travel with another human. I walked into our break room at work one day in late July and said to him: “do you want to go to Ireland?” He said yes, and we mulled over that for a bit before he said to me later: “what about Sweden, I have family we could stay with?”

  Slap my knee and call me Sally, a brand new country to conquer and a free place to stay?! Sign me up.

  

  

  I’d be lying if I said this was an easy decision. I wondered if Derek and I would be compatible travel partners, and I wondered if staying with his family would hinder my experience without having the freedom to come and go as I please, but I went into this trip with the mindset that it was strictly to rip off the bandaid of traveling so that I could potentially feel comfortable going alone again.

  By the first week of August we booked our flights (which were only $650, unheard of), and by the end of August we had booked two Air B&B’s for some extra exploring down south as well as a rental car. I spent nearly an entire month wondering if I should go, and Duncan continually pushed me out the door knowing how much I needed to get out of America.

  He and Derek are also friends, as well as roommates, so there was no weirdness about me traveling with another guy.

  

  

  

  Dereks family turned out to be the most wonderful, welcoming, kind people who I hope to stay in touch with for life. More on that in later posts.

  Our first three days in Sweden were dedicated to visiting Stockholm. Dereks aunt and uncle live just on the outskirts of the city, making it easy to take a train into the heart of Stockholm. I had forgotten how much I adore public transportation in Europe, the efficiency of the trains and subway systems are something I will forever long for where I live. We spent a “quick” five hours exploring our first day, just to get a lay of the land, as well as to honor the jet lag and get home before dark.

  We wandered the streets of Gamla Stan (shown throughout this post), which is the overly touristy, but wildly beautiful old town. The cobblestone streets and tiny alleyways filled my soul more than I can describe. And the bikes, ohhh the bikes. Everywhere I looked I saw bikes and bikers and bike lanes. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss biking in Europe.

  Just in time for lunch we managed to find one of the destinations I wanted to see called Östermalms Saluhall – an old market hall built in 1888.

  

  

  Food sensitivities do not exist while traveling, so I made sure to try a few of the items that screamed “this is Swedish“, but I made sure to keep it to just one or two a day so that I didn’t completely crash. The splurge of this day was a piece of brown bread with shrimp on an egg, smoked salmon, and shrimp mixed into a sauce.

  I have no idea what all was on this sauce wise, but it was delicious.

  We spent the remainder of the day wandering and seeing as much of the old town as possible, with a bit of the larger area of the city as well. The following day we would arrive earlier and stay later to explore more of the bigger parts of the city. Day one highlights were seeing a black cat, seeing the colorful buildings in Gamla Stan, walking by the waters, and seeing an Ikea. When in Rome…

  

  

  

  

  Jet lag hit me hard that night, yet I still managed to walk 8.5 miles around the city. We had a lovely wind down with Dereks family, and prepared ourselves for the following morning. There are few things I enjoy more than getting “lost” wandering a new city. Up next: Stockholm days two and three.

  Q: Have you traveled internationally since COVID restrictions have lifted? The entire travel process, albeit long, was a breeze. I did not want to travel via airplane until ALL the restrictions were lifted.

  

  | 16 Comments Tagged Brittanys Life Abroad, Europe, stockholm, Sweden, Travel

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