In for a soft landing

I have now gone in for a soft landing and even touched ground. Coming home with beautiful meetings with family and friends, somewhat more hectic than my days in Portugal. First landing in Halmstad and now on the island of Öland.

I am lucky enough to be able to land on Öland and in the house called Ljungstugan. A place that has always ment extremely much through life, from myc earliest years of childhood until now and beyond. To have a place that feels like home no matter what is incredible and I am so grateful. Grateful that my grandparents built this house in the late 1920:s, grateful that my mother Karin was given the house when she was only 3 years old, grateful that my sister and brotherinlaw gave me the opportunity to take over the house many years ago.

Ljungstugan has a unique atmosphere and energy. Many happenings and experiences can be felt when you enter this house and every guest, both guests to the family and renting guests during the summer, bare witness of this in the guest books that reach as far back as over 25 years.

Memories

The memories of childhood and running barefoot in the woods, playing with the next door children and going to swim school regardless of weather conditions. From the teenage years when the house was rented all summer and I and my boyfriend went camping in the outskirts of Borgholm, just to be able to experience Ölande this summer as well.

The years following 25 which were a bit more "messy" and Ljungstugan was an Open House for several weeks. Best friends, friends and friends to be came and went, slept over and partying all night long. The neighbors being not so happy... Late night swimming, singing and dancing.

After 30 when I met my husband to be, Sven, in northern Sweden, Umeå. He did not only fall in love with me, but also came to love Öland and Ljungstugan. This is the place where we got married, in the garden with the priest standing on the porch and our daughter Vendela at our feet. The warmest August day in 1997 with the Wedding March by Mendelssohn, played only on electric guitar recorded by Svens cousin Kee Marcello, blasting out of the speakers. Bus trip to Halltorps Gästgiveri for dinner and my brother in law Lars turning out to be the best toast master ever, then back to Ljungstugan for the party, sitting outside in the warm summer night .

The summers of the children, the summers of the family. Here on the Island in Glömminge Sven now rests in his grave. He left us far to soon, almost 15 years ago, and he is now "somewhere over the rainbow" but also here with us in Ljungstugan.

The years that followed this place came to matter even more as a safe, warm and calm place to be. With the children and their swim school experiences, them running barefoot. Friends visiting, it is so easy and uncomplicated to spend time together here. To get that extra time, the place in between, where the important talks can take place. The ones that do not fit in over dinner or that need a certain kind of energy to emerge.

Ljungstugan

This place, Ljungstugan, is now the place where I live. That will be refurbished to make it possible to live here all year around and that will now be home for real. During the years the children have also come to love Ljungstugan and connected to the "Ölandfeeling" with its calmness and feeling of safety. At this moment I am enjoying the company of my daughter Vendela!

To be able to host the Sensing Yoga retreats here feels like a blessing. To share this energy and atmosphere with other people is so inspiring. New memories in the making.

To land in a place is one thing, to land in yourself another

My six months spent in Portugal has filled my treasure chest with even more tools for living. By looking at all things happening, ups and downs, happiness and grief, as an additional thing to put in your chest it makes it easier to bring them to surface and have a look at them. 

The travel to find the inner strength, calmness and to rest in the present is ongoing. I feel like I am on my way there and that we all are, more or less. We know that tomorrow will not be like yesterday and that everything is constantly moving and changing. It is just so much easier to appreciate it all if you also bring your inner self.

What does your treasure chest look like? If there is room for another tool for life you know where to find me!

A big YOGAHUG from Petra

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