Stockholm

Reading through my journal entries of being in Stockholm reminded me how much fun I had in this city. Being my first stop on the trip, I was anxious to explore, meet new friends, and get used to being on the road for several months.

While walking my bike the serval blocks from the metro station to my hostel, I remember feeling so excited to be in a foreign country. It was really happening! The trip that for so long had felt like an idea or a story I was telling myself to provide a light at the end of the metaphorical tunnel of academia I had been walking in the last few years. Though I had many great experiences in college and am grateful for having had the opportunity to attend a renowned university in a beautiful part of California, I still felt trapped, and by the end of my degree, I desperately needed a change of pace.

I checked into my first hostel around mid afternoon on July 23rd, 2024. It was a quaint hostel, and it had a steep stairwell that led down to a sub-street level room that served as the lobby. From there several pathways took it’s guests to the kitchen, lounge, and rooms. The receptionist in the lobby was very nice, and gave me suggestions for things to do around the city. I decided on the Vasa museum, which my dad and sister had gone to the summer prior, and the royal palace. Of course, I would be touring the city by bike.

Before I could do so, I had to assemble the rest of my bike. The peddles were still unattached, and my front tire was flat. In Stockholm, you are never too far from a bike store, and indeed I was able to find one right around the corner from my hostel. It took a few tries, but I finally found one dedicated to fixing bicycles. I asked the workers if I could borrow some tools, but they did not speak English well and this too took some effort. Finally, I was able to secure a bike pump that adapted to my front tire and tools to get the pedals back on. And then, I was free!

Well, not quite. I still had to shake off the jet lag, and was happy to invite some well-deserved rest at 9:00p.m. in a soft bed. Waking refreshed 10 hours later, I began seeing the sights. I first aimed my handlebars at the Vasa museum, but became distracted along the way from the beautiful scenery. Being situated on an archipelago, Stockholm has many islands to explore, most of which have some type of historical structure or other to contrast with the many hyper-modern skyscrapers that pepper the city. After a delicious meal of fish with dill and lemon, I toured the renowned Vasa museum, which houses a spectacularly large imperial ship from the 17th century Swedish monarchy. Much to the monarchy’s chagrin, the ship sank during it’s maiden voyage because it was poorly engineered and top-heavy.

I spent two more days in Stockholm. During this time, I saw the old town, or “Galma stan” in Swedish, the royal palace, and met amazing fellow travelers from around the world at my hostel and in the street. I also took some time to visit a camping store to pick up some cooking fuel and an ultralight towel that hardly dried anything off before becoming completely saturated. Still, it was better than nothing. My last day in Stockholm was dedicated to planning my route, downloading maps on my phone and on Garmin, which is the name I creatively gave to my Garmin cycling computer. There was much trepidation during this planning phase, which was across the width of Sweden, crossing from the Eastern shore in Stockholm to the West coast in Gothenburg, a distance spanning more than the length between my home in Santa Barbara to San Francisco. I’d have to camp on the side of the road, coexist with the Swedish wildlife, and be strategic with when and where I bought my food. Fortunately, my trepidation was met equally by enthusiasm for exploring the unknown, and embarking on a true adventure.