The Bug

I received a “hi, how are you email” from a friend in Stockholm the other day.

Co-incidentally, I’ve been thinking about Stockholm a little bit lately. In fact, I’ve also been having a few dreams about Stockholm lately. In the latest, I was in Stockholm in the middle of summer and checking into an hotel. Almost as soon as I’d checked into the hotel, I received a phone call from someone back in Sydney telling me my apartment was on fire.

“I could read a lot into that dream”, my friend told me in a later email. She’s right, you know.

Every time I visit Stockholm another friend asks me the question, “Have you got it out of your system?”. My reply is usually, “No, not at all. In fact I think it’s getting worse”.

This “journey” of mine goes back many years, but only really solidified when I went travelling for several months in 2008. The combination of a healthy tax return and a feeling of being burnt-out resulted in a sudden and deliberate decision (perhaps) to run away from my life here and to discover some new adventures. It was one of those life-changing experiences. Since then, travel has become a much more important part of my life, I feel I have a better balance between life and work, and I’ve found myself on a life journey which has taken me back to Sweden a further three times (2010, 2011 and 2013).

I’m not sure if it’s Sweden or Stockholm in particular, though. I think Sweden’s great, but when I’m in Stockholm I feel really, really happy.

No doubt part of it has to do with being on holiday, and all of the joy that usually brings. On a deeper level, I suspect there’s also an underlying feeling that I’m not entirely happy with everything in my life.

Or maybe it’s just that Stockholm is a great place?