There and Back Again | Bort och Hem Igen

02/08/2026

'Try not to find out who you are, but strive to become who you want to be.'
– Neale Donald Walsch

Right, it's Sunday, I've got my coffee and chocolate to hand, so let's get writing. ☕🍫

But how can I actually describe the experiences of the last 12 days, which are so hard to put into words? I've never experienced anything like it. My inner world is quite colourful and intense in its own, but this exceeded everything I'd known so far – physically, mentally, and emotionally. And I definitely recommend experiencing it for yourself. It's just clear that no one would perceive it quite in the same way as I did, because we all perceive things in our own way…

So please don't judge me, as this article is definitely going to be written in a slightly more, how shall I put it, 'off-the-cuff' style… In the words of a sensitive girl who experiences everything a bit 'differently'. Perhaps you'll find the photos more meaningful, or perhaps you'll recognise yourselves, partly or completely, in my words. Who knows. After all, it's my diary, so what the heck. 🙃

(Just a heads-up: this article is going to be reeeally long, so you might want to split it into several parts to help you take it all in. And I'd recommend putting on some music by Judah Earl or Wardruna whilst you read.❤️‍🔥)

UP TO SOLLEFTEÅ

I'm not setting off until half past seven in the evening, because it was boiling hot during the day. What else would you expect, right? Markétka's heading north (!) and will be roasting in the car again like that little 🐷. No way on earth (at least not today)! Plus, I needed to finish writing my previous blog post… thank goodness I did, because I haven't found the time – or, to be honest, the inclination – to write anything at all since then. On the other hand, social media has been full of my photos, videos, and perhaps even some silly ramblings. 😅

So off we go. The car's crammed full of stuff again. I do need to be prepared for all sorts of situations, don't I? – and in my defense, I actually used almost everything. Even those winter boots – which, in the current weather, is quite unimaginable! Along the way, it's peaceful everywhere, with forests and lakes (as it was for the whole 12 days, and even more so further north). Three and a half hours later, we're at our first overnight spot. We've driven about 50 km along the shore of Lake Vättern and we're still only about halfway round it. I'm pitching my tent at 11 pm whilst it's still light! I'm sitting on a bench on a rock, gazing at the water, and the colours of the sky are wrapping me up.

This morning, the lake tempted me to go for a walk and have a quick dip. In other words, the water was as cold as ice, but given the circumstances (the heatwave is still going strong), one couldn't ask for more. I'm packing up and we're moving on. I love those Swedish highway rest areas amongst the trees, or by a lake. However, Aronek had to come with me into the toilet cabin, which of course isn't a problem at all in Sweden, because he'd have melted in the car or outside at the petrol station otherwise.

The next stop is Kulturhuset (The Cultural Centre) in Ytterjärn. Although it's really more about what's outside than inside any building, that doesn't take away from the fact that it's a beautiful place. It's an eco-friendly cultural centre offering accommodation and refreshments, and I think there's even a school there. But what caught my eye was the gorgeous rose garden, hidden from the view of passers-by. This place was like something out of a fairy tale – it even smelled wonderful. At that moment, I thought to myself that I could happily die right here and still be grateful for it. 🌹 (And it almost happened, thanks to the lovely temperatures of over 30°C. 🥵😆) Perhaps someone would have woken me up, just like the Sleeping Beauty...

The next stop was at Gammla Uppsala (Old Uppsala), where some of the most famous Viking burial mounds are located. As a 'fan' of the Viking era and everything to do with it, I obviously couldn't miss this. The experience of the place would probably have been even more powerful in slightly more melancholic weather (a blue sky just doesn't have the same impact in a place like this), but even so, you can't help but feel a sense of reverence there. After all, it is a burial site dating back some 1,500 years.

And off we go. A perfect spot to spend the night near a small village on the Baltic Sea coast. An evening swim in the sea wasn't quite as pleasant, given that I was nearly drowned by seaweed – either washed up by the tide or dragged in by motorboats (hard to say which 🤔). The water lived up to expectations, at least in that it refreshed me wonderfully after a whole day in an overheated car. And no, the air conditioning really doesn't help much.

In the morning, Aron and I go for a walk through the forest, which smells of the sea (which is really strange for someone who, ever since childhood, has had a fixed idea of the sea being somewhere down south, with 'bare' beaches and hot weather). Here, you can pick blueberries along the way, and if you like, you can emerge from the beautiful coniferous forest onto the rocky seashore, sit on a rock, and contemplate the view. I laughed at Aron, who was thirsty and took a sip from the sea, thinking the water was 'normal'. Lo and behold, as soon as he dipped his tongue into the salty water, he flinched and backed away in disgust ("Who on earth puts salt in the water?").

A couple more stops by the lakes – one for a coffee and one to go for a wee. And suddenly, the realisation that my first main destination (the little town of Sollefteå) is within reach. The last 46 km (after we'd already covered some 1,000 km). To some, my nervousness might seem strange, but half an hour later I'm pulling up outside Jonna Jinton's shop, an artist and vlogger who's been my inspiration for over 10 years, and there she is, in the flesh, standing outside chatting to the first visitors who'd arrived – just like me – for the event taking place over the next two days to mark the first anniversary of the shop's opening. And so there I am, sitting in my car in that blind alley, watching her from a distance, with tears of happiness and emotion rolling down my cheeks at the realisation that I'm actually there. Even now, as I write this, I can transport myself back to that place in my mind and feel that same emotion. 🥹🙏💙

And then you park up, pick up your dog, walk right up to the shop and stand there shyly watching and listening to Jonna chatting with two fans from Germany. After a while, they leave, and it's my turn. And suddenly I realise that the person I've been following so faithfully for so long is even kinder and friendlier in real life than in her videos. The first hug, the first few sentences, and suddenly she's no longer that 'unapproachable' person followed by over 5 millions of people from all over the world, but someone I'd always love to have a chat with about anything and everything, perhaps over a coffee. What's more, Aronek always breaks the ice, because he's just so 'cute' and catches everyone's attention. 😆🐶 After I'd answered the question of where I'm from, someone at a nearby table stood up and said, 'Me too', and so a new friendship was instantly formed with Veronika, a girl from the Czech Republic who's been living in Dublin for a long time. After a brief chat, I find out she's staying at a hotel five minutes from the shop, and I think to myself that it might be worth trying to get a room there too, after that gruelling journey in a rolling oven on four wheels. Not so much for my sake as for Aron's. I'm expecting to spend at least a couple of hours in my sleeping bag outside the shop anyway…

Before heading to the hotel, I pop into the little shop for the first time and am surrounded by that lovely atmosphere I've only ever seen in videos. I have a look around every corner and buy a few 'souvenirs'. At the hotel reception (which is on the 4th floor of the building 🤯😆), an elderly gentleman – the hotel owner – is sitting and asking me questions with great interest. Meanwhile, he's checking to see if there are any rooms left. After a moment, he tells me I'm in luck and that the last room – although more expensive – is available. And because 'he's the owner', he allows my dog to stay, even though dogs aren't normally allowed in the hotel. 🤣

Our plan to meet Veronika outside the shop at 4 am falls through when we realise that other enthusiasts are already starting to gather outside the shop, having come to collect one of the 150 goodie bags that Jonna will be handing out over the next two days (to the first 75 people on Friday and the first 75 on Saturday). Our main aim is to get one piece of the 'Alchemy' painting, which Jonna has created for this occasion as a single work divided into 150 small paintings. So Veronika and I agree that we'll join the queue straight away and take turns throughout the night. And so I grab my sleeping bag, sleeping mat, and guitar and set off. I leave Aron at the hotel (I never would have thought I'd ever pay for a hotel room for my dog whilst I went to sleep on the street myself 🤔🤣).

As well as meeting loads of brilliant, like-minded people, I'm stepping out of my long-standing comfort zone and, at midnight on the street – in broad daylight, no less – I'm singing and playing the guitar, with about 35 people gathered around me at that very moment. Some are singing along with me, others are listening and want me to play one more. Well, I certainly didn't expect that… 🙏☺️🎸

SOLLEFTEÅ

Two hours of sleep on the street, the buzzing of thousands of bumblebees at 3 am, and an hour of sleep in the hotel. Then breakfast, a walk with my furry mate – who's enjoying a sleep in the room even whilst I'm away – and we carry on waiting for the opening. An emotional speech by Jonna, followed by a gradual moving forward in the queue until it's our turn and we receive our 'goodie bag', which contains far more than I could ever have hoped for.

The shop was crowded this time, but I spent about an hour there before deciding which piece of jewellery from Jonna would become part of my life. I went for the necklace I'd wanted from the very moment I saw it in one of Jonna's videos. And so, from now on, I'll be protected by the Viking-themed 'Shield', with a beautiful message engraved on the reverse…

At midday, a band started playing for us; Jonna's family and team are popping in and out of the shop, and we're enjoying every moment. We're unwrapping our gift packages and finding out which part of the painting we (Veronika, Martina and Jürgen from Germany, and I) have received. Taking it all in is quite a whirlwind, but in the best possible way. New friendships are forming in the most wonderful atmosphere. Something I'd clearly travelled nearly 2,500 km from the Czech Republic for, without even realising it!

Veronika and I have pizza for dinner, then off to our room. This time, I'm going to get some sleep here too. 😆 But first, I'm planning my next journey through Sweden's natural beauty. And at that moment, I have no idea what else is going to create the most wonderful memories of this almost 3,000 km long road trip…

To be honest, I don't envy the people who spent another night outside, because it poured with rain all night. But everyone managed somehow with their huge umbrellas, and someone even pitched a big tent right there on the street. 😅 At 10 o'clock, we popped in to catch Jonna's second speech, and afterwards I started packing up to leave the hotel – which I didn't manage to do in time anyway – and at 12:05 I realised the code to get into my room is no longer functional, whilst Aronek was still inside. 😂 The hotel owner, of course, couldn't resist making loads of jokes at my expense…

Veronika and I had also agreed that we'd pop round to the shop one last time, have a chat with Jonna, and then set off on a trip up the hill, where people even go skiing in winter. Just before we left the shop, we were suddenly approached by Katka, who is also originally from the Czech Republic but has been living in Sweden with her partner for over 20 years; they run a 'farm' with sled dogs – Siberian Huskies, of course. So we exchanged contact details straight away and she invited me to visit them, as I'd be 'passing by' in the next few days.

Then, just before we went into the shop, we managed to have a chat with Veronika and Martina about our shared dreams. It's not that it's unrealistic, but it's definitely a bit of hardcore to meet new people and start planning all sorts of things with them straight away. Jonna just brings like-minded people together. 🤘🪶

The walk in the woods on the hill was really lovely. Afterwards, Veronika and I had a pizza in the park, where we were approached by a local family, some of whom had been queuing with us from Thursday into Friday. The young boy didn't forget to mention how 'beautifully' I play the guitar. Well, I don't know about that – as a self-taught player, I can't do much. 😆 But of course, it made me really happy all the same. After that, it was inevitably the time to say goodbye to Veronika, and I set off for Grundtjärn, a little village with about 10 permanent residents, where Jonna and her parents live. I'm no stalker, but at times I felt a bit like one there, as you can see below… 😅

But before that, I must share my experience of the journey between Sollefteå and Grundtjärn, because my navigation system told me it would take me 1 hour and 40 minutes to cover those roughly 60 km. Apart from the fact that in these northern parts there are often gravel roads, and so the nav assumes you'll be driving at 35 km/h instead of the permitted 70 km/h (which isn't really necessary anyway), there's also a high chance you'll want to stop somewhere every five minutes to admire a lake, a forest, or both. That's when the estimated time spent on the road really starts to make sense… 🫣😇

When I finally arrived at my destination, I drove through the village about four times before I found a place to park and pitch my tent. I thought it was quiet there on the farm in the south, but what you can 'hear' here – it's indescribable! The next day, I realised I'd parked right opposite Jonna's house. Hence, reason number one why I ended up feeling like a stalker. Reason number two was caused that very evening by Aron (I've got to blame someone). So there I was, pitching my tent with the mosquito net over my head, and when I went back to the car to fetch something, Jonna's dad walked past with his dog. He couldn't have recognised me (hardly likely with that net over my head), but he immediately started speaking to me in English about the huge number of mosquitoes and then asked if I'd been in town (Sollefteå) that day, as he recognised my dog. Well, thank you very much – yes, I had been there, but I hadn't come here to bother anyone, just to see the beautiful lake that I've known for 10 years from videos. Of course, I didn't tell him that, because it would probably have made things sound even worse… 🫣

In the morning, I pack up, finally treat myself to a hot breakfast after several months, go for a walk, and unexpectedly set off a little earlier than planned. You see, that little corner of the world in the forest belongs to someone else in terms of energy, whilst I'm still searching for my own little corner. And where will that be? We'll have to wait and see… 🫶 We set off towards the husky farm. On the way, I simply have to stop to take a photo of the beautiful wild river, then pop into a petrol station for a coffee and take another 'toilet break'.

Katka and Jáchym live in a beautiful, isolated place near a lake with their 40-plus dogs. What started out as 'I'll just pitch a tent in the garden' has turned into a private room and bathroom, dinner, and wonderful chats about all sorts of things with people who share our love of nature and Sweden. In the morning, after breakfast, we finally go to see those lovely dogs! There were about twenty of them running free, and it's a real rodeo. But I love them – they're absolute darlings!

After a farewell that kept getting postponed, I'm setting off for the northernmost point of my road trip – the rest stop by Ringsjön lake.

From there, it's just south (with repeated turns west towards Norway). As I approach Åre, the view of the mountains takes my breath away. 'Unfortunately' for me, it's a tourist center in winter (skiing) and summer (cycling and hiking). In practice, this means that there are hotels and cabins everywhere and nowhere to pitch a tent. So after staring at the map on my phone for a long time, I estimate a place where it would probably work. Upon arrival, I find out that it wouldn't work at all except for one beautifully flat spot on someone's property. An older man is burning something by the road, and so I don't hesitate and ask if he would mind if I slept there. He looks at me a little suspiciously, and asks a few questions in not so good English, and then agrees. Finally, he also offers me a guest house, which I only accept to use the bathroom for. There are carpets inside that are not compatible with Aron's fur. Even though he obviously has to try really hard to speak English with me, he invites me for tea. Besides appreciating my courage to ask for a place to stay (obviously this is not very common here 😇, in Sweden you can pitch a tent on someone's property, but it has to be in a way that the owner can't see you and you don't disturb him, ideally 150 m from the house), I feel like we already know each other "from somewhere". And my view of the mountains opposite is absolutely unique. I am very grateful for this meeting and reception. 🙏

In the morning, I slowly pack again with the prospect of a proper hike up Åreskutan, the highest mountain in the area. Before that, the gentleman "forces" me to wash my car, which after driving on gravel roads really doesn't look like something out of a magazine. 😂

The climb itself is probably the most beautiful experience of my life. It's hard to describe in words, so just enjoy the views like I did and I'll keep my feelings to myself. At the top, we'll be rewarded with coffee (for me) and waffles (for me and Aronek, because he's a VIP everywhere, of course, even though they don't do that as a standard 🩵). But he definitely deserved it, because a third of the way was about climbing rocks and stones, where I had to hold him most of the time and show him where to go. When I left the cafe, I realized that the weather had deteriorated quite rapidly, so we started descending at 5°C in the rain ('great' fun on those slippery stones) and in total fog, so that you can't even see the signs showing you where to go. Fortunately, the situation improves after a few dozen meters of altitude and we have beautiful views again, which I could only dream of earlier in my life.

With a heavy heart, I say goodbye to this place and we continue on. To get my energy back, I have coffee at the gas station, which unfortunately comes from Starbucks, and is totally disgusting, just like in the Czech Republic (if you like Starbucks, then no hard feelings... but I just can't). 😅 Finally, we stop at one of the millions of parking lots along the way and this time we sleep in the car, because it's been pouring all evening and night. But I have a new skill unlocked – I can rearrange all the things in the car without having to go out into the rain. It's good that I have such a flexible body. 😆💃

The next morning is very slow, and Aron refuses to move after the previous day. Well, I'm not surprised. But the next stop makes up for it, because they have great coffee, langos and I also find out that in Sweden they have something called "Påtår" = if you buy a coffee somewhere, you can refill it for free. All the more reason to love it here (especially since I'm a coffee drinker now)! 😁☕❤️‍🔥 In our destination today - Grövelsjön - I end up paying for a cabin for one night (a perfect place by a babbling brook) and at 6 pm we set off for the border with Norway. Emil mentioned that when you climb to a place where you can see both countries at the same time, it's like you're looking into two different worlds. But what no one prepared me for is the energies that blend together there. Especially in the weather I had the chance to be there. Not only was there rain pouring down on me from Norway, but also a really strong wind, and I stood there, on the Swedish-Norwegian border, just soaking up the power coming from the west. An incredible experience that I will never forget.

Åreskutan and Grövelsjön are definitely the places I will visit again. 🐦‍🔥

When I got back, I naively thought that I'd actually manage to write at least part of another blog post here, but that's simply not possible when you're in such an experience-filled state… so I just cooked myself some dinner in the cabin, had a shower, and went to bed, with my head full of impressions.

On Thursday (is it already Thursday??? 🙉), I clean the cabin, buy some goodies for the trip at the local bakery, and head to Fulufjället National Park. On the way, we pass that place with the great coffee again, so it's obvious that I can't miss it even this time. This time, instead of a langos, I'm ordering a really good sandwich.

Fulufjället National Park is just a short distance away, but it is a place that looks different from all the previous natural beauties I have visited here. I really don't understand, but Sweden has everything. 🙏🇸🇪 A forest full of blueberries and other berries (unfortunately, cloudberries are not ready yet), heather, and footbridges over wetlands. My dad asked me how I knew where to go there when he saw the photos. The answer is simple - there is only one path, and you simply cannot/don't want to go anywhere else. 😁 Here we just reached the mountains, enjoyed ourselves, and went back the same way. Fortunately, we didn't meet a bear (and yeah, they are here). 🐻

After the hike, I'm driving to the last place in the mountains near Sälen, where we spend the night in the car in a parking lot near Närsjön lake, right next to the stream, where I wash dishes and collect water in the morning. Because here you simply don't worry about whether the water is clean enough, you just know (and see). 💧

The next morning, the climb to Stor-Närfjället unexpectedly becomes the longest hike of the whole roadtrip. The lichen forest gradually turns into a plain with only heather, on which we walk for a really long time straight and uphill, but the view all around!!! This place reminded me of my beloved Brdy the most. 🩵

After returning to the car, I finally decide that I am returning "home" to the farm, even though it is still 740 km away. In the end, before midnight, I stop at the only reasonable parking lot near Gothenburg, where camping and standing for more than 3 hours are not allowed. So I take my sleeping bag, sit back in the driver's seat, put my feet up on the passenger seat, and take a 2-hour nap before continuing on. And since I deliberately chose the route along the west coast, i.e. the Kattegat and the Atlantic Ocean, I stop at 4:30 in the town of Båstad and go for a walk on the beach with Aron. I love the rustling sound of the waves breaking on the shore. I could hardly wish for a better end to the trip. 🌊

After the last hour and a half in the car, which was really critical in terms of fatigue, I arrive back at the farm and go straight to bed in the caravan. I have already experienced the most important thing and everything else will wait with gratitude and humility...

I wake up at noon and realize that I arrived (2 days early) a bit unannounced because Emil didn't read my message, and during the long drive, it didn't occur to me that I could possibly check. Whoops. 😬😅 Emil is just leaving with Kerstin and the kids to visit her family, so I have the farm to myself again to unpack, do laundry, and settle into the caravan for the next 3 months...on Sunday I start writing this blog post, which I hope I'll successfully finish today, five days after my return to the "south"...

And what does all of that mean?

'You can be, do, or have anything that you can imagine.'
– Neale Donald Walsch

Thank you! 🙏🥹✌️
still a bit floating Markét