What would happen if I were alone for three weeks? How would I feel with myself without seeing or speaking to anyone? This question in mind brought me to a little town, 200km north of Stockholm from where I walked out into the woods. A lake that appeared to be uninhabited from satellite, was the planned destination, on my back: fishing gear, books and things I thought I’d need to live off grid.
After a two day walk through almost untouched forest, over moss covered rocks, swamp, always followed by a cloud of mosquitos and with some times of desperation, I reached the water. But to my disappointment, there were some little summerhouses and no place to really feel alone, so I asked for a boat lift to the other, emptier looking side.
It was the evening of Midsommar on which the Swedish celebrate the longest day of the year, when the sky never gets black. So I didn’t get a lift but an invitation to eat, drink and stay in a little room, next to the house. I went looking for silence and life brought me to a bunch of happy people where I stayed for another two weeks with company and in silence.
2010 in Sweden