Two years ago

I spent Christmas in INDIA!

It was my first Christmas away from family - and at the time I didn't think much about it. India was an adventure. I flew to Deli, traveld up the Himalayas and then down again to Mumbai and Pune, a long bus ride down to Goa and meet up beautiful, funny friends in the south of Kerala.
We spent Christmas Eve on a house boat cruising the backwaters of GOD's Country. Passed by Amma's place where my friends had enough and fled the Mambojambo! I meet them again a couple of days later in Varkala where we spent New Years Eve at a Ayurvedic Resort with international yogis from around the globe. Dancing with elephants, talking parrots and the first song played in the year of 2008 on the beach of Varkala was DANCING QUEEN by ABBA! Guess if the 3 Swedes jumped around...




I will never forget INDIA and the effect she had and in a way still has on me!

And I will never forget the CARVING for Christmas that I had during 2008!!! As I returned to Sweden in the middle of January I forced my mother to make Christmas dinner (have in mind that she already dislikes it, and here I am asking her to cook it once again in JANUARY!!! Mom's gotta LOVE their children :)



All 2008 I longed for Christmas. I felt that I missed out, that I jumped a part of the year and hence I couldn't feel complete.

I thought I was a SUPAWOMAN (my idea of her at the time was a bit ... inspired by oh well, let me get to that in another post...) who was FREE of traditions, not fostered by culture or "Svensson - this is how we do it" attitude. (Plz understand me right here!)

Growing up I wanted to do EVERYTHING differently, not following traditions, alone is strong, a warrior on her path with a very distinct goal.

But what I am slowly realizing is the fact that I LOVE tradition, I LOVE the "Svensson" way of doing things. I want to have FREDAGSMYS, the traditional dishes on the Christmas dining table, and if anyone would ever consider NOT watching KALLE ANKA they would have to pass by ME first...

The conclusion of all this jibberish is that I am also realiing that being FREE and loving Tradition aren't opposing forces. As long as you are standing strong in your feeling - trusting and actually FEELING - what is important to ME?! What do I value in life? That is a true WARRIOR to me!

Have a Bombastic Fantastic Happy Holiday

LOVE Jo