Friday evening
I’m on the train, on my way to Norrköping to visit Jenny. I haven’t been on a long distance train since I came home from Tarfala last August. I like traveling by train. I haven’t gone anywhere since last August, so I haven’t had the chance to choose the train over any other means of transportation, but I definitely would have, had I gone anywhere. I chose it now, even if it was more expensive than the bus. There’s just so much more room to think in a train.
I’ve been doing my traineeship for a week now. Nine days ago, spring term came to an end. I’m finding it a bit hard to let go, though, it’s like I’m still carrying around on this heavy thing that is making my shoulders ache and sometimes me feel like I want to cry for no reason.
This past year has been so demanding. In so many different ways. On all levels. You must be sick of reading about that by now, and people have been asking me why I do it, when it’s making me feel so bad. I don’t know. I guess there must be something wrong with my survival instinct, constantly failing to avoid all the most complicated circumstances.
If I’m being honest, this past spring has just been a long struggle to survive. This week, I’ve been feeling the aftermath of all that fighting. I’m drained and exhaused and have no confidence in anything I’m doing. The only time I haven’t felt broken and half was when I’ve been searching for spatial data on the Arctic and making some simple maps for my traineeship. Because geography, that is still something I can do.
I’m sure I only need some rest. Some time to let all of my parts find their way back to my body. I need to be nice to myself. Crochet pillow cases and swim in lakes. Start biking to work. Hang out with old, unproblematic friends. Like Jenny. Eat ice cream. Sleep. Eventually, I will be able to believe that I’m not a terrible, insufferable and completely self-possessed person. I just need a little bit of time.
Later: Jenny came and met me at the train station. Small towns and their train stations. So sweet. And being able to walk home to Jenny’s apartment. You just can’t get that kind of freedom in a city.
Saturday
It was a sunny, but incredibly windy day. We spent it walking around in Norrköping, looking at the sights and eating froyo.
Due to construction work, the Motala river was almost emptied. You can find many interesting things at the bottom of a river.
There was a traveling Harry Potter exhibition in town, and the real flying Ford Anglia from Harry Potter was on show in one of the malls. Imagine my excitement!
Once we felt done with the sight seeing, we went to the Vasa park and ate strawberries. It’s a really cute little industry town, Norrköping.
Lovely Jenny.
Norrköping might not be that original as a whole, but the most interesting building in town was definitely the library. I seriously can’t decide if it was cool or just incredibly ugly. But you should know about my passion for libraries. I love them all. And especially of the design is interesting. This definitely goes up there, with the public city library in Seattle, Stockholm and Amsterdam.
Sunday
Norrköping’s working class past is evident in the street art. Karl Marx, if I’m not mistaken (which I very well might be).
We took a walk by the river, and then had some incredible ice cream, before it was time for me to go back to Stockholm.
All in all, a very nice weekend.
Katja Malmborg 