10 Years On the Road

I sold my condo in Stockholm on June  15, 1999, packed my bags and took a limo to the airport. Oh yeah, it was good times for real estate investors. But since I’d been up all night fixing up the kitchen I fell asleep and might as well just have grabbed the airport bus. The champagne bottle I brought stayed untouched… until I landed in Spain…

That day I emigrated from Sweden for good. I’d been on my way several times before but wanted to keep a possible return as a backup plan. And we all know that security nets makes us risk averse and fearful.

This time it was different: I was done and ready for new adventures. Let’s just say that life is too short…

So last Monday I celebrated 10 years as an exile Swede (and now also American). It’s quite an accomplishment if I’m allowed to say so myself: surviving in an other than your native country, speaking foreign languages, adapting to new cultures, starting from *scratch* et cetera.

But most importantly: it’s been a damned interesting and rewarding journey. It’s been giving me perspectives, a sense of belonging anywhere in the world and a fantastic comfort in knowing that whatever happens I’ll survive and thrive.

The past 10 years have taught me that home is within and not without. It’s not a house (ouch!), a physical location or stuff but an understanding of your purpose in the universe. Life is too short to chase anything else.