In Balance / I Balans

07/09/2026

"Life is full of both joys and sorrows but your heart is pure as long as you fill it with peace."

And so more than a month has passed since my last blog post… not because I haven't had enough adventures (quite the opposite, in fact), but perhaps because I needed to experience and process them within myself rather than share them with others. And now the tide is turning again.

Returning to the farm brought many visible and hidden changes. Two summer weeks in the Czech Republic cannot be compared to two weeks in Sweden. The grass has turned yellow, the days here have become noticeably shorter than in the north, and the vegetables have grown by 'half a metre'. The wind had ripped off the cover of the polytunnel that we'd worked so hard to put up. Summer really does fly by here, and even in the last few days of July it was clear that autumn wouldn't be long in coming, despite the fact that a few warm summer days still lay ahead.

And so I gradually settled in and grounded myself in tune with the full moon, which always brings me at least one sleepless night – not just here (though here it feels somehow stronger). The first Monday after returning from the road trip brought the idea of taking a daily dip in the lake from now until my departure, because 'why not?'. It can only do my immune system good, and it's become a lovely ritual – not just in the form of swimming, but mainly in terms of breathing and simply being at ease with myself. Something we all do far too little of, given how calming and mindful it makes us feel. However, once I'd made swimming a habit (which, scientifically speaking, takes 21 days for our brains to recognise as such) and realised that I simply can't manage to do absolutely everything at 150% (see below), I had a rethink and now I only go to the lake three or four times a week. But things are starting to get tougher – if it's just the water that's cold, it's manageable, but when the air is chilly too and there's a massive wind blowing, which happens quite often, it's a bit of a challenge. But life has taught

A walk through the peat bog forest, which I'd never been to before, was an experience in itself – they no longer extract peat here, but you can still find remnants such as the narrow tracks along which the peat used to be transported. What you won't find here, though, are people. I certainly wouldn't have gone there without a 'guide'. You don't want to get lost in the wetlands. We didn't see any moose, even from a distance, but we did see their droppings. 😁 So, they're there somewhere… 🫎

As I've met so many people from all over the world whilst travelling, I've decided to take the time to translate the whole blog into English, so that all my new friends and acquaintances can also be part of this journey of mine… which is one big rollercoaster ride full of unexpected twists and turns. It was really interesting, whilst translating the individual posts, to observe how my perceptions and feelings evolved as I gradually discovered the beauty of Sweden and its whole way of life. It was as if I'd opened myself up to everything (and everyone) I was meant to encounter here, and my mindset shifted from week to week, day to day, hour to hour… ✌️🇸🇪 🫶

What never ceases to amaze me are the new opportunities that seem to present themselves almost every day, mainly thanks to the attitude of the local people. I still feel a bit like Alice in Wonderland, given how everyone here is connected and helps one another. One minute I'm offered a place to stay for the winter, the next I'm the 'chicken queen', looking after calves, trying to keep almost the whole farm under control (because Emil's gone on a well-deserved holiday to the mountains), I'm driving a tractor, getting some brilliant farm clothes (thanks, Matti!), riding a retro bike – which is quite a workout for my legs; maybe I should do it more often (especially when you've been used to a geared bike since childhood – but what a joy! 🤩), getting to know a Swedish car mechanic because my car's making strange noises again* and I don't know what else… actually, I do know – I'm tucking into (yes, I really must use that expression) loooads of chocolate, drinking loooads of coffee, but I'm also working loooads of physical work, so I can certainly afford it (or at least that's what I tell myself)! 🍫☕💪😆

*For some reason, Mazda fits a metal tab to the brake pads which starts rattling before the pads are even half worn down – so loudly that everyone turns to look at you as you drive past. It's fine as a warning, but driving around with that noise for another six months… no thanks, I'd rather not. 🤣 So the solution to this problem was simple – "I can snap that metal tab off for you and the noises will stop." Right then, bring it on (thanks, Ola!). 😁

But in order to appreciate all the good things in life, we sometimes have to go through difficult times. I had one such week in the first half of August. Being in charge of everything described above would probably have taken its toll anyway, even though I sometimes feel, at least in my head, like Wonder Woman 🦸‍♀️, but that wasn't all. The tractor's battery decided to give up the service, and it took three days to sort the problem out (thanks, Bram!); a massive police search was underway in the village and the surrounding woods, involving a helicopter, horses and dogs, which unfortunately didn't have a happy ending. 👮‍♂️🚁 In the midst of it all, you sometimes forget to do something… and then you have to crawl under the chicken coop – a space where probably no one but me could fit – and collect 60 eggs, for which you get a 'reward' in the form of being covered in chicken poo from head to toe. 🥚🐔Unfortunately, looking after animals in general sometimes brings its share of unpleasantries in the form of injury, illness or death. And sometimes, sadly, you have to step in yourself to ensure no one suffers needlessly… fortunately for me, I also manage to save some animals. There has to be a balance. Actually, though, all of this has taught me more and strengthened my character more than I'd expected, and for that I'm truly grateful. 🙏 You really can achieve anything when you decide to act according to your own conscience, moral judgement and heart… 🫶

Everything fell back into place after my body gave up on me, bringing fever to the party to help it out against my stubborn head, and I was forced to stop and rest. I'm just a bit of a nutter who doesn't know when to stop, well… 🤕😆

But as is my way, I was back on my feet in two days, refreshed by sleep and a renewed sense of purpose, and life went on as normal. Everyone had returned from their holidays, which relieved me of my responsibilities, and I was able to slowly settle back into a 'normal' routine.

The interesting thing is that I feel I've formed far more meaningful friendships here in the space of just one summer than I did in my entire previous life in the Czech Republic. Whether it's down to the local mindset, where my own life experiences have taken me, or simply the fact that I can be 100% myself here, it's hard to say… in any case, it's something that warms my heart every day. ❤️‍🔥

And so I'm getting back in tune with myself and my soul and dancing (pole dancing lessons are a new experience for me – it's hard work, but really fun!), I've taken on a project from the Czech Republic, which I can do remotely, I'm enjoying a small village festival where I'm dancing my ass off into the night, finally sorting out my winter stay and helping with the sled dogs in northern Sweden, planning my return here to the farm next April, getting soaked in the woods whilst picking blackberries to the point where water is literally running down me (I don't know why, but every time I go into this particular wood, something happens to me 🤣), I'm having a logo designed for my blog (thanks, Ivet!), I'm building a fence for the goats,… 😆

And at the end of August, I'm looking forward to a visit from the Czech Republic from one of the closest people to me. And Petra and I really made the most of it. Trips to the lake, to the seaside, to see the calves (which Petra loves) and to Copenhagen.

And then it's just peace and quiet, both outside and inside… and autumn is slowly drawing in. My favourite time of year, which I get to enjoy here even before I do back in the Czech Republic… 🍂🌫️

All this culminates in a visit to the nearby castle and the surrounding woods, which harbour not only the ruins of an old library – from where I will probably one day travel to another dimension… but that will be when the time comes. For now, I still have plenty to experience and live through here. Something big is waiting for me just round the corner very soon… I can feel it in every cell of my body.