ON THE ROAD AGAIN - GOTLAND, SWEDEN - DAY 18

I wake up last but even so it’s only 9:30 am. Dad and I go over the plans that Mom and I conducted for coming home. I know it seems strange to plan coming home already when I’ve just arrived but I’ve been feeling the stresses and pressures at home for being away from our anthology project, delaying editing my film, postponing two job offers, and another side project aiming to be shot this Fall. I’ve already been away for two weeks so an extra week feels plenty.

I greet the family and scarf down a traditional Swedish “maka” (sandwich) breakfast. Mona and Åke have asked me to drive them to a party and to pick them up late at night. I only have a US drivers license, but it’s Gotland, and the car is an automatic- Piece of cake. If this is all they ask of me in return for hosting an entire mini family reunion, then I of course will.

Dad and Faster Gebba come with anyway for added guidance and direction, even though I’m using Åke’s phone for Google Maps.

We drive over to the house and old church where their friend is having his 75th birthday and drop them off.

Dad, Gebba and I pick up lunch and dinner for today before going home- Me driving the whole way. I love having a car in Gotland. I wouldn’t mind coming back and doing another road trip with Andrea, or a friend to explore the island fully. I feel like I have full range access now.

I pay for the groceries, and we get home to grill the chicken, and have pasta.

We stuff ourselves fat and top it off with ice cream (soy for me), and fresh jordgubbar (strawberries). It’s Sweden's National day today, so some people are out in their cars and motorcycles with Swedish flags raised high in the wind. We enjoy the day from home.

The rest of the day is spent reading, sun bathing, napping (Dad), and eating some more. Dad said it first, but it couldn’t be more true- “Quite a different life from the big city in California, huh”? Indeed it is.

The only noise you hear are birds chirping, maybe the wind as well, instead of the nearest homeless guy shouting obscenities outside your window and pissing on your patch of grass considered a lawn. Their views are farmland as far as the eye can see rather than freeways and houses nearly stacked on top of each other. The smells are of fresh grass instead of pollution. Not to mention, the only traffic jam here is getting stuck behind a tractor every so often. The only thing similar is the weather and heat. It’s quite blissful- You’re not constantly being assaulted on all of your senses. Time slows to nearly a full stop, and it feels wonderful. What’s more is that there is no internet here on the farm. I’m itching to stay connected, but it’s for the best to go off grid for a bit to remedy and break the addiction. The only exercise I’m getting is playing tug of war with the dog, Alfons. He’s actually growing on me, and is much smarter and much better behaved than Palle ever was.

I plan or hope to at least wake up extremely early tomorrow for some excellent photography. I haven’t practiced yet and Dad has oddly given up on driving at 3am to Visby for his photography project. I’m a little relieved at this so I don’t need to get up at 3am anymore with him to fly the drone, but I’m disappointed that he won’t have any photos to show for it. I hope I get something good before the Norwegians come so I can dedicate my time to them properly.

Before picking up Mona and Åke, the National Day concerts and ceremony take place in Skansan and we watch from the Television, a familiar and welcomed ritual. Before heading out, we finish off with the British comedian Al Pitcher and his set on the delightful Swedish curse word, "FI FAAAAN!"- Absolutely hilarious!

On my way to pick up the family, I pass four deer. This surprises me quite a lot because Gotland doesn’t appear to be the kind of place where they would exist. On our way back, with Mona and Åke in the back seat, I find this assumption to be correct. Mona explains that it was a few people who introduced the deer to Gotland for hunting, but they’re not native here. That’s why we get ticks on the island. Damn wealthy people. Can’t you get bored with other stuff and leave nature alone?? Dad can’t even see the deer, and I joke saying, “That’s why I’m driving”. We come swiftly home, and I watch the Graham Norton show before going to bed.