Author Archives: Brittany

• 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?

  

  | 14 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?

  

  | 18 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

• Let’s Go to Oregon – Hiking Trail of Ten Falls

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on September 30, 2022

  My previous post highlighted Duncan and I embarking on a mini getaway to Oregon for Labor Day weekend, and after our first hike we crashed hard at our Air B&B. We both slept well, but I had some horrendous neck pains that had been lingering for about a week keeping me awake. When I woke up in the morning, I was in so much pain I was unsure if I would be able to go on our second hike.

  This second hike was another one I had discovered, saved, and wanted to complete for a handful of months, and while the drive was only 4 hours from my house, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity when we were close. Anyone who knows me knows I am wildly stubborn, and I refused to lay in the tiny house all day. Duncan was amazingly supportive and helpful, he usually comes on these adventures with me because he knows how much they mean to me, and he did whatever I needed that morning to help me feel better.

  I started with resting and stretching, and ended with some cat therapy.

  

  

  This tiny grey kitten appeared out of no where, and was so incredibly friendly. I stepped outside hoping the fresh air would make me feel better (I was not doing well in my mental space), and like a gift from God there this tiny being was. I gave her a pspspspspsp and she came RUNNING to me. We cuddled for a while before I lured her into the tiny house (oops) to show Duncan.

  I slowly started feeling like I could move a bit more (I also succumbed to taking an NSAID, which I never do), so we finished cuddle time and set out for our adventure.

  Our second adventure was a visit to Silver Falls State Park to hike the very popular Trail of Ten Falls. I’m not normally drawn to waterfalls, but this trail name lured me in with the promise of ten. It’s like eating stale crackers – when you have just one they are lack luster, but the more you eat the better they become? The drive to the park was a little over an hour, and we passed through some amazing Oregon farmlands.

  One day, my goal is to live in an area with miles and miles of farmland.

  

  Once we arrived at the park, we made our way towards the trail. It felt a bit like a mini national park with how many humans were there, as well as the layout of the park. I knew going on a holiday weekend mid day would be bad, but my goodness there were a lot of people. Once we made it past the first waterfall the crowds thinned out. We started off with a bang, the first waterfall was one of four falls we were able to walk behind.

  Those four were my favorite of all the falls we saw.

  

  The above two photos are the first fall we saw from different angles. After this we were able to settle in a bit and I was able to relax. Duncan was a saint and carried the only backpack we brought because there was no way I would be able to sit a pack on my shoulders with my pain. We put both of our water bladders in his pack and his tube sat on one side, and mine on the other. Water breaks were so romantic, like one soda with two straws.

  The pain was still there, but during the first three miles I was able to manage it. We quickly found the second fall and it was another one we could walk behind.

  

  Each fall we could walk behind I wanted to stop at for a moment, but there were so many people we just kept walking. The trail was quiet in most spots until you found yourself at one of the falls you could walk behind. Like a Walmart on Black Friday. Around mile four I started to find myself in a lot of discomfort, but I did my best to put one foot in front of the other and continue on. We saw some waterfalls throughout that were just ok, and then found ourselves at another walk behind fall.

  

  By the time we left the above fall, I was over the hike. Which honestly was more of a nature walk that went on for seven miles. We found ourselves at a fork in the road which would have cut off some of the hike, but I didn’t dare quit on the loop – even if I could barely move my upper torso. By the time we made it to the very last fall, I was done – I just wanted to teleport back to the car.

  Despite being in pain and exhausted, the last fall was the best of them all. Well worth continuing on.

  

  

  I think had I been less uncomfortable I would have enjoyed this more, and should I return in the future I would like to see this place in the fall. Everything looks better with colorful leaves. I’m glad we went, and overall it was worthwhile. I ended my day the same way that I started it – kitty snuggles. This time one of the other cats on the tiny house property came to say hello. The house had three cats on site, and sadly the one cat that was too scared to say hello was the black cat.

  My heart has a special place for black cats.

  

  The following morning my neck pain was less intense (of course) and we spent the morning lounging before making the drive back to Washington. The tiny house was home to a handful of very friendly chickens, who provided me some of their bounty for my breakfast. My farm to table heart was bursting at the seams for those eggs. After breakfast we cleaned up and packed the car for the drive home.

  

  

  If you’ve made it this far, good on ya. This was a long one. A most wonderful weekend getaway with my best guy. If you need a place to stay for some Oregon adventures I highly recommend the Tiny House Farm Stay – even if just for that tiny gray cat (but really it was all great.)

  Q: Have you ever had to power through discomfort while traveling? Silly question – this should apply to everyone. I want to hear your best stories. One time I was riding a stifling hot bus in Slovenia going back to my hostel after a long day at the lake, and I had to fight with ever fiber in my body not to vomit on the person next to me.

  

  | 23 Comments Tagged Airbnb, Cats, Hiking, Oregon, Tiny House

• Let’s Go to Oregon – Hiking God’s Thumb

  Posted at 8:30 AM by Brittany, on September 26, 2022

  One of my favorite things to do is discover a hike (online), save a hike (to my AllTrails app), and complete a hike (with my feet.) Something about the progression, the build up of excitement, and the accomplishment of this process brings me so much joy. Bonus points happen when these hikes are international, but that doesn’t mean my home country hikes are any less stellar.

  One of my latest discover it, save it, complete it adventures took me to my neighbor state of Oregon. I hadn’t been to Oregon in years, so Duncan and I took a mini getaway for the Labor Day weekend. I had wanted to hike God’s Thumb for a handful of months, and while trying to decide where we should go for his three day weekend (I take full advantage of these) he suggested Oregon.

  Badda Boom Badda Bing, Oregon hear me sing.

  

  In my 33 years of life I have never been to the Oregon coast. I didn’t realize this was a fact until after our trip, but my goodness is it beautiful. It felt so much different than the Washington cost. Each are beautiful, but Oregon felt to me like I was stepping onto the coast of Ireland. Maybe I just have Europe on my mind…

  We spent two nights in the small town of Falls City at an adorable tiny house surrounded by cats and chickens and rabbits and a dog. Give me an Air B&B with cats and I am a happy human. The tiny house was adorable, and perfectly situated between God’s Thumb and another hike we wanted to do, but first up was God’s Thumb.

  

  This hike is a goldilocks hike – not too hard and not too easy. It was steeper in sections than I expected, but we managed fine and the first chunk of the trail is in the forested canopy area. Perfect for a warm summer day. Eventually the trail opens to a giant field before coming over a hill to see the first sight of the “thumb.”

  

  I think this was my favorite hike of the summer. The crashing waves, the blue water, the unique shape of the point we were walking towards made me feel incredibly warm inside. As did the sun, it was a mistake to wear a black shirt on this hike. We spent a decent amount of time on the thumb with a plethora of other humans, but I managed to sit in different spots for different views trying to soak it all up.

  I could have sat there for hours.

  

  

  We chose to do the loop part of the hike, opposed to the out and back. There are multiple places to park for this hike, but the main parking area on AllTrails worked out perfectly. The lot closest to the trail fills quickly, but we started later in the day and got a front row spot. Plus, there is plenty of parking lining the road further down. Overall we hiked around 5 miles and certainly worked up an appetite.

  

  We made it to our Air B&B around 1830, and spent the evening relaxing before our next adventure. These weekend getaways are just the right amount of adventure to fill my meter back up after feeling like I have been in one place for too long. I don’t know what it is, but something about sleeping in someone else’s house in an area I would otherwise never see brings me so much joy.

  It’s the little things.

  

  Next up: second day in Oregon – trip to Silver Falls State Park.

  Q: Have you been to the Oregon coast? Apparently the Oregon coast is called the “peoples coast”, because the entirety of it is public land.

  

  | 24 Comments Tagged Hiking, Oregon, Tiny House

• Early Morning Confessions

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

  1. My cat and I have started a new evening routine. I have started taking him outside (he has been strictly indoors aside from a handful of Houdini escapes for probably ten of his fourteen years of life), and it has been quite the sight to see. We are working on manners, because when we first started going out he would hiss at me if he was not ready to go inside.

  The hissing has since stopped, and he runs up to me more, but I still have to watch him.

  His behavior is respectful for the first ten minutes, and then he gets a bit shady. Going too close to gaps in the fence, or getting into the position like he wants to try to jump it – he knows what he is doing. Some days however, he is an angel the entire time and we go out for 15-20 minutes, and then I pick him up and we go inside. He even walks himself in the door after we’ve been out a bit.

  All creatures deserve to enjoy nature, even when they sass their mom.

  

  2. My anxiety has been off the charts lately. I have had a lot of things on my plate the last few months and my body has felt like a balloon about to burst. I took a weekend getaway a couple weeks ago and I was so riddled with stress my shoulders seized up. It took three weeks for my neck and shoulders to relax.

  3. Duncan had the most wonderful day date idea recently. He said to me: “Let’s go to the nursery and each pick out a plant.” Be still my beating heart. We wandered the entire nursery (I chose the biggest one near us) and we both ended up choosing the same plant. I wanted one that would clean the air, and he agreed.

  We then chose our own pottery to plant them in. I wasn’t sure if my pottery of choice had enough drainage capabilities, so I put some rocks from a nearby park on the bottom of the pot.

  

  

  4. Drinking my morning coffee is like a spiritual practice for me. I have had such a long road with coffee, and I am thankful I have found a way to make this black beauty work for me in my life. Something about that first sip…I am so excited for the changing seasons, drinking coffee on a crisp fall morning is unlike anything else. Anytime the seasons change I feely myself shift and change too.

  5. When I was living in Deutschland I would often bike through a town that had a Birkenstock outlet. I am not one to buy things that I don’t need, but I stopped in a few times to see what they had to offer. The prices were unbelievable, and I spent months trying to find a reason to justify buying another pair (I already had two.) Eventually I needed a new pair of work shoes, so I thought I would give the clogs that all the cooks were wearing a try.

  I did not care for them. They looked like clown shoes and I had to go a size bigger than my sandals because I felt my toes hitting the inside.

  I thought about returning them, but at the end of the day I figured I could just resell them in the states. Fast forward to working a job in a warehouse where my back is compromised. I have to wear closed toed shoes to work, so my sandals were out, but I thought I would try the clogs at work because the sandals always made my body feel good on the concrete. Low and behold the clogs have had their glory moment. They are the only shoes I have worn to work for the last year now.

  

  These shoes are over $120 in the states, but I paid maybe 45-50 euros for them. Plus, I can’t live in Germany and NOT buy a pair of locally grown Birkenstocks, that would just be wrong.

  6. My iPhone 8 is a piece of garbage. The battery sucks, and the charging port has started to give me problems. And yet, I cannot justify buying another one yet. I used the phone prior to this for a full year with an entirely cracked front screen because the phone still worked. The screen was annoying, but the phone worked. I will likely wait until I cannot charge this phone at all before I buy another one.

  7. I have not been hiking nearly as much as I would have liked this summer. I feel like my time has been stretched thin, and when the weekend comes I either can’t find anyone to go with (I have adapted the whole “don’t hike alone” mindset in my old age), or I am just too tired from my week. I think fall will be my time to shine, it’s just too hot in the summer most days for me.

  

  8. I have been trying to reprioritize my life again. I have been getting far too bent out of shape over things that happen at my workplace, despite the fact that I learned early on in my working “career” that I never wanted to spend more time working for someone than I did actually living my life. I am thankful I was given the tools on how to properly and effectively save money for my future, which has left me feeling like I can continue to work a job on “my terms.”

  I no longer care how others perceive my way of life.

  It helps that I don’t have a high rent to pay, and I have a very minimalistic lifestyle, but I truly believe anyone can make a life of simplicity work. It starts with a shift of priorities – life can be as simple as you want it. For me – I prefer simple. So on I float, wherever the wind takes me. I have shifted my perspective at work and have been working on letting things affect me less. The entire reason I choose to work the jobs I do are because I want a low stress environment.

  9. I also choose the jobs I do because a requirement for my life is flexibility. I have been feeling unfulfilled in my daily life lately with thoughts of future challenges and daily stressors at home. Without a proper balance of what makes me feel alive I start feeling bluer than a fresh batch of gorgonzola. I haven’t been riding my bike much lately, but this past weekend I took her out for a 20 mile spin on a beautiful farm road.

  It took me a while, but the gravel bike I bought back in March finally feels like a glove. I feel peace and joy when I sit on the bike, just like I did with my mountain bike from Germany.

  

  10. I am going to Sweden next week. One of my friends has family in Sweden, and he is just as impulsive as I am. It was a whirlwind of a decision, ticket purchase, and itinerary planning process, but I am taking the entire trip with a grain of salt. I will only be gone for twelve days, but I already miss Duncan. And my cat.

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 33 Comments Tagged Biking, Early Morning Confessions, Life

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