Nomad in Sweden: 2 creative weeks volunteering at a festival-party in Sweden. 2013.

September 26, 2014

Nomad in Sweden: 2 creative weeks volunteering at a festival-party in Sweden. 2013.

Two creative weeks building up a party in

the forest by the lake.

Sjönevadfesten 2013.

Honestly, I had no idea to where am I exactly going to. I had no expectations, but just following the flow... The hitchhike from Järna to Sjönevad was amazing! I am so happy for the people I met. One got me a fika and a nice nature spot while eating it, the other was a funky family from Linköping dressed in Swedish football outfit driving to Gothenburg for a match and gave to me their son's made CD for them to listen (it was cheesy music, I kept it). And the third was two young guys on their way to a camping trip with their friends, we shared a beer.

Now, looking in my diary and hitchhiking journal, I have not written much about these 2 weeks at the Sjönevad, mainly just how freaking amazing it is and I am amazed and happy! Also because it was such a good time to be with people, doing the chores and just living life, it felt really no time to sit down and reflect feelings in the words. I painted and took lots of photos. Here the photos have no any exact timeline, but just everything from 24th July 2013 until the 31st July 2013, as the party begun on 1st August (pre-party).

This everything is "the creative camp". Us cleaning, sorting, fixing, building, creating and all of that nutshell. I had no significant chores, I was just happy to take the errands nobody else would or which were leftover due to other's having their projects to build. Also, I did not want to do any building as I could not take a responsibility how good and safe I could drill a stage together, ha. But the biggest and most important part was that I completely cleaned up the "Welcome in" area from weed and made a path, a walking through a path which was not there before but just a huge overgrown "meadow". Not even a meadow, just plants which like to take over.

Along the photos I have added some notes from my hitchhiking journal I did manage to write, sorry, if they sound super cheesy and overly exciting, but, oh, I was really happy and young, and lived in a happy pink bubble. :)

Let's walk through the memory lane...

ARRIVAL.

Hard to explain in words what an amazing place is this. It's just everything opposite to the world how it runs now. You say "I can't" (because of your upbringing where you are taught to not believe in yourself because you only can do what you know how), but they say "yes, you can". If you have an idea - go for it, do it, try!

When I arrived it was in the evening. As usual, I was high on emotions, as every damn hitchhiking trip makes me feel high. Energies. But as I was sick days before coming down to Sjönevad, I crushed badly the next day, and so for 3 days I had not eaten nor I wanted to eat. At the working camp, I created my morning ritual - I woke up early within sunrise, run to the lake and had a swim, came back before breakfast as sometimes needed to help out with all. And then the day began with working.

From my notes.

24/7/2013.

Can't explain how beautiful was the hitchhike! Just people, energy, vibes, smiles...everything! I am SO HAPPY that I had many drives, not just one. So, here is the list:

A lady from Hölö. Strong, powerful woman!
Amazing, kind man. He was around 88. Estonian. II War veteran. Barely could understand him, but we managed to talk in English. I got his email! Albert Kronberg.
Charity man. He had 2 months old baby and a super happy girlfriend!
The daughter, 14 yo, said to father to pick me up!
Super patriotic couple. The lady had hitchhiked. Gave a cd, on their way to a football match.
Two guys, beer, lots of laughing!
LOCAL! He had an angry girlfriend for being late because he wanted to help me! He was so warm and kind, super helpful, helped me to find the place as if never been there, not that easy

25/7/2013

Uhh... So many amazing, great, beautiful, real and funny, good-hearted, creative, full-go curious, adventurers, seekers, honest....people, personalities. All one together.

I feel at home here. Atmosphere is... No, I can't explain in words, I hope my photos will speak better than this random scribbling on the paper... Let's just say "beautiful day" (and I have calligraphed it beautifully).

I worked so hard, maybe even too much for the first day of being back on health, that in the afternoon I felt so sick again and sleepy. My stomach flue might be back. I guess that I probably too quickly jumped into "I feel good". Oh, well, have to learn to rest too. But I am glad about my done work, I am doing a lot more practical work than what I do usually at the events/festivals.

24th July is my brother's birthday, so, I made a greeting card for him.

My home for the next 2 weeks.

The first days. Creative working.

From my notes.

27/7/2013

All day I continued cleaning up and painting during the short breaks. I spent most of my time at the "entrance zone". I went swimming a few times during the day, as it's really warm now. And late in the evening, we all had sauna night, I have been awake until 3am. Another day at the working camp, something like this. But now I am tired, too tired today.

28/7/2013

Another day, just a calm Sunday. We all did not work much but had a bit of a rest day. Earned! New people arrived. I met two girls with who I got a connection straight away, they both are best friends. Rebecca and Sofia. We started talking because of noticing that we have blue colour love. Then there in the forest were weird noises... Nobody could guess what's happening, but later we found out it was Oliver.

The most important moment was to know to have a rest too.

The best about this festiv....party is that this team knows how and when to rest. I have been previously at this kind of festival creation camps when it becomes just no fun anymore... But here we knew when we need a break. Some read books, played music, sang or like me painted, or took the small errands to the resting area, or we went swimming. Everyone found their ways to relax and continue working. We spent a lot of time together during the breaks as when everyone was working, everybody was at their own "creative station" for the most of the day, so, the time together was cherished. I loved these people, I thought, hey, the stereotypical stuff about Swedish is completely wrong, these people are nothing that in travel and culture world Swedish are described as. They were all friendly, open and talkative, actually interested to talk than be distant and isolated in their own introvert zone. Not a moment I felt unwelcome, instead I felt like knowing them for a very long time.

During the rest moments, I get to know more of them, and it was interesting to hear how they started this party 10 years ago with just a few of them, the friends from childhood and school, coming together and sitting around a campfire when this idea came to them! The core is friends from childhood or school time, and families/relatives and the group grow bigger as they found their lovers, partners and wives and husbands. Now friends of them are involved too, and the team is great! Comparing to my experience at another festival last year, we had a bad teamwork, here I could see the difference when you trust each other fully.

30/7/2013.

Funny moment. When at night I was gazing into the stars, I heard a strange noise in the campsite area. It was a cat, a neighbours cat jumping on the tents!

The details.

Just the atmosphere creates this party as the best.

Okay, back to the work. Let's finish this and create the most amazing party in the forest!

The last days approached faster than we expected. We have had a really good time and since I have been there from the early beginning, I could notice how the air changed when more and more people started to arrive to help out. A lot of sprinkles in the air, chaotic feeling and also more stress. The little family atmosphere had a bit disappeared. But the work had to be done and everyone did their full on the best they could give! When it was all finished, the pre-party on 1st August... Was like a dessert to an eye after the long days of hard work. Worth it!

As you can see - the best part about this creative camp was that everyone did their work with a smile on a face! That much everyone LOVED WHAT THEY ARE DOING! And believed in this project with all their heart and soul.

This was one of my last duties to create. I was pretty proud of myself with the outcome! Even though as no Swedish speaker I managed to make some mistakes. Sorry!