Goodbye Stockholm

Sometimes the things we want most in life come along when we aren't ready to embrace them.  As was the case for Stockholm and me.

I wanted to move here ever since I started working in the region a few years ago, so when the opportunity arose I seized it.

The time spent here has been turbulent and testing, as is always the case when one moves to a new country. This difficulty finding one self in a new place is one of the reasons I like to move from place to place so much. It causes you to reflect on where you have been and you are, to take stock of the place you have reached and where you want to be. While I wanted to be where I was, I realised with certainty that I did not want to be doing what I was doing.

Thus it is with incomplete experience that I leave this beautiful city just as it rises out of its winter slumber. I leave to continue to navigate down a path others have traveled in order to discover their place in this world. Though I am a firm believer of not having a reason for being and prefer to just be, so I won't be seeking a definitive place or purpose. Thank you Stockholm for your part in my journey so far and to all those inhabitants who made the experiences all that more special. It was a time filled with glitter and openness, you helped me find my inner child once more and I needed that.

When I first wanted to move here I could not see how I was going to make that happen. Now, having done it, I can see that that there are always ways to make what want happen, if nothing else, just ask. I have an inkling that I will be back someday, perhaps to stay a little longer.

Until then farewell Stockholm.

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Packing

With less than a week to go until I start living out of a bag on a permanent basis, I decided it was time to see exactly what my worldly possessions would be reduced to.   Those who have been following my blog will recall that I was having a bit of a dilemma as to what bag to get, well I decided on the Caribee Grand Air 80 Travel Pack and for now I am glad I did.

Main bag.

 The bag has an 80l capacity with an additional 30l day pack that zips to the front (image below).  The picture above shows what I have managed to squeeze into the main bag. I have no doubt that I shall drop items along the way, but for now this is what I have:

• 4 pairs shoes (Boots, formal, trainers and sandals) 
• 4  pairs trousers (2 jeans, 2 cargo)
• 1 warm jacket - my snowboarding jacket so can double as rain mac.
• 1 spring jacket
• 5 Long sleeve tops (2 hoodies, 2 jumpers and 1 light weight)
• 7 t-shirts (5 causal, 2 sports wear)
• 3 shirts
• 2 under armor tops.
• 5 pairs shorts (2 heavy, 3 boardshorts) 
• 9 pairs underwear
• 18 socks - I don't pair them, that way if I loose them or one gets holes it is not a problem. 
• 1 blazer - sometimes you need to put in some effort
• 1 waist coat - every man should have one. 
• 1 travel towel
• 1 first aid kit
• 1 toiletries bag
• diary

Day pack

 In the detachable day pack I have:

• 1 pair climbing shoes
• 1 chalk bag
• 1 sleeping bag

Camera bag

My camera bag will hold everything else which includes:

• 1 Canon 50D body
• 3 lenses (10-20mm, 24-60mm, 150-500mm)
• A bunch of filters
• 1 external flash and remote triggers
• 1 Tripod
• 1 Gorilla pod
• Canon camcorder 
• Reflectors
• 2 external drives
• 1 Asus Zenbook 
• Travel adapters
• Travel documents including passports. 
• 1 hip flask. 

Reading these lists it does seem like I have a lot of stuff.  Then when I consider that I have no idea where I shall be in 2 months time and that this is everything I own from here on out it doesn't seem too excessive, especially when I look at what I am leaving behind 

The left overs.

What shocks me is that when I moved to Sweden I made at least 4 trips to the charity shop dumping unwanted goods, yet I still have so much that I don't really need. I guess this is what living in a consumerist society does to you. 

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I hope it catches on

I recently shared a post about babies on planes, today I read an article that made me even happier.  Samoa Air airlines has implemented a pay-as-you-weigh policy, boldly tackling an issue other have found too delicate to talk about.

Before you shout and say that is so wrong and unfair, think of this:

"It works both ways. People who pay more deserve more. ... So, it is in our interests that we take care of the people that who've chalked in at 150, 180 kilograms (330, 396 pounds). They've paid their fare and the we try to give them what they should have, which is a comfortable seat. We try to make sure they have space around them, that taller people have got more leg room -- within the confines of the airplane these days we try to do it."

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Just Ask

With the entries for mydestination now closed, I doubt my 84 votes will get me anywhere when the finalists are announced on the 15th April.  Regardless of the outcome though, I know at least some good came of this experience.

Shortly before submitting my entry, I stumbled upon the following video:



Now being someone who has never liked asking for things, probably due to the fact that I don't want to feel in debt to anyone, this video really made me think.

So during the competition, I decided to try something different, I decided to "Just ask" and sent messages to a bunch of the windsurfing pages I subscribe to on Facebook.  The result was having my entry posted on Windsurfing Magazine, SoloSport, Queen Mary Windsurfing Club and Contentseven.

I guess the real reason we don't ask for things is the fear of rejection. When ultimately we should be thinking, the worst case is that the answer is no, and if the answer is no? You are no worse off than if you had not asked in the first place.  It is an everything to gain, nothing to lose situation. 

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