Day 22 (8/29/22)

I woke up in my cozy shelter in the wilderness of Norway. I had to leave early to catch my train to Kristinehamn, Sweden on schedule. By the time the first rays of sunshine tickled my skin through the treetops, I had already packed everything. I turned on some music and happily walked back to the small town. The journey took me a full hour, but I had allowed for two extra hours. I bought some bread rolls at the supermarket and ate them with some unusual hummus. The train arrived as planned at 8:30 a.m. and took me swiftly to the neighboring country.

In Kristinehamn, I was supposed to have an hour of connection time. But when I couldn't find a platform for the train on the display board in the station hall, I became suspicious. I started deciphering the Swedish words until I found out that the train was supposed to be canceled. Annoyed, I called the train company hotline and booked the next train to Stockholm. Five. Hours. Later.

The good weather fortunately saved my mood, and I decided to make the best of the situation. Full of enthusiasm, I walked to the center of the cozy little town and smiled at the many strangers I encountered. They mostly responded with the classic Scandinavian greeting (Hi hi) and so did my facial expression. I stumbled into the small tourist center and consulted the lady at the counter regarding possible activities. She told me a bit about the city, which apparently used to be important a few hundred years ago, and where I could find interesting buildings and statues. I stepped outside and wandered through the old town for a while. After an hour, I wanted to take a short break in a park and set up my hammock. I fell asleep while reading my book and only woke up when it was time to return to the train station.

At the train station, another backpacker and I smiled at each other until we started a conversation. She had spent two weeks in a small forest community and told me about life in the wilderness, while I shared my story with her. Time flew by, which was good because the train was about forty-five minutes late. We finally boarded the train, and it zoomed off towards Stockholm.

In the largest metropolis of Northern Europe, it was already evening when we arrived. Lena and I walked a bit in the same direction before saying goodbye and both heading towards our sleeping places. She went to a hostel, and I went to the nearest park by the water. The streets of Stockholm felt majestic, and the European historical buildings gave the city a southern touch. I reached the park at a marina and searched for a while until I found two suitable trees by the water, where I set up my hammock tent. I cooked myself dinner and then went to sleep.