Abbekas - Aabenraa

Goodbye Scandanavia, you've been fantastiskt.

Every time we leave a place a door closes, every time we arrive somewhere new another one opens. Fortunately it is the same door and it travels with us wherever we go. The sound of our sliding rollers have come to signify change, they usher in new experiences just as they draw lines under the ones we leave behind.

After 4 weeks of Swedish adventure it felt fitting that we left in a thunderstorm - confirmation that we were making the right decision to move on. Our first stop was Copenhagen where we swapped pine forest for suburban driveway, yet another gift of hospitality extended from relatives in Denmark.

In Louisiana’s Museum of Modern Art we delved into the desperation of immigration then the futility of wealth, two shows side-by-side that told us we are blessed. For a time afterwards our every move felt trivial. We scrutinised our decisions and actions against what we had seen not wanting to shake a feeling of gratitude for all that we have.

The former freetown of Christiania provided a contrasting distraction, notably the self built homes that had us dreaming of building a place of our own. Converting a van has given us a taste for the craft and instilled a confidence that we might one day be capable. We continue to ponder our future and here we made some progress. We acknowledged that we our restless souls at our happiest when pursing projects of craft, this is what we must do when this trip is complete.

Our last night was spent eating and drinking with new found friends, fresh companions providing a welcome addition to our cohort of two. For a month we have had only each other as company, our lives intertwined like never before. It felt good to share this closeness with people, swapping tales and cultures, reflecting on things in a way we cannot do with each other.

We spent 3 treaty days in Copenhagen blessed by sunshine, amazing food and even better company. The indulgence of the city simultaneously served as a joyful break from and a pleasant reminder of what we love about our van. We were happy to return to it, our excitement only tempered by the discovery of wet bedding - hung out to air and instead drenched in yet another storm.

Before crossing the border back into Germany we revisited an old camp spot, our last night in Scandinavia spent at the same place as our first. 6 weeks had passed and with it the summer too. It felt strange to be back at the same site, 6 weeks later, 6 weeks wiser. What a time it had been, so full of unknowing then, and now full of memories to take away.

Leaving Scandinavia signifies the start of a new phase to this trip, a shift of pace too. Soon we will be surfing off the south-west coast of France but we have some miles to cover first. We depart with mixed emotions, reluctance marginally outweighed by giddy excitement. The promise of surf is on our minds, the waves soon awake from their summer slumber and we must get there to greet them.