Gabi Froden: A view from the sky

It is really hard to return to the UK after a summer in Scandinavia. Sure, from above Britain looks very pretty. Flying in over the Scottish mountains is not too bad, I suppose, BUT…once you land all you see is run-down buildings, potholes in every road and rubbish on the streets. It is difficult when you have spent your summer in an insanely clean space like Sweden where a hole in the street is considered an emergency and littering is a serious crime.

It always takes me about a week to get back into UK mode. I walk around growling and moaning about the state of our home. I shout at the kids. I feel overwhelmed by the endless rain. I complain about the unhealthy snacks. Everything feels very, very difficult and nobody suffers like I do.

But then suddenly, as I sulkingly wander the streets, avoiding the potholes, someone says hi to me. Someone stops to chat. Someone helps me out with the kids. Someone makes a joke and I laugh. And oh, that’s right. This is why I live here. People talk to you. People offer to help you. People make fun of you, but in a nice way.

So perhaps it is not the state of the place that bothers me really. Perhaps it is the transition. And everyone struggles with transitions. Not just me. And I know that next time I go to Sweden, I will be like: Oh I don’t like returning to Sweden. Nobody talks to you, or offers to help you, or makes a joke.

Basically, I am never happy and living between two places is difficult. Perhaps when I feel overwhelmed, instead of visiting different places I should take my holiday up in the sky. You can’t get annoyed by a view.