Stockholm…

This week I’ve reflecting on my adventure to Stockholm during the summer of 2017 while attending a writers workshop.

I’ve always felt that summers are for exploring, especially when I lived in Toronto.  If I wasn’t exploring the various neighbourhoods in the downtown core, then I was in my car or on a plane depending on where Zach and Sam were.

For the majority of their teenage summers they attended a summer camp in Algonquin Provincial park (4 hours’ drive north of Toronto) situated in an idyllic wilderness setting on a lake.  Each year they would be away for anywhere up to eight weeks enjoying the outdoor activities that that camp had on offer including canoeing, hiking, sailing, swimming and tripping into the wilderness for up to ten days at a time.

2017 was no different in that they were both ensconced at camp and so had decided to expand my writing capabilities and experience by enrolling in a week-long writers’ conference in Stockholm.

It came out of the blue to be honest but given that I love writing and had some free time over the summer the stars aligned for me to attend the workshop.  I really didn’t know what to expect given that I was still somewhat of a novice writer.  What I found was it was the vehicle to get feedback on your writing.

Clearly, this can be fraught with all sorts of challenges in that many of us, and although we say we want feedback don’t really want it.  I personally found it useful to get feedback and absorb others work was to allow me to gain perspective, both on my style of writing and that of others.  As a writer, we tend to be rather insular and thus form strong bonds to the way we write without garnering feedback.

Looking at our writing from different perspectives and how others may approach a storyline was extremely useful, as clearly there is no perfect and accepted manner.  Sometimes quite the opposite is true when writers approach it from a very different style or manner than you, as it opens up your mind to new possibilities and approaches.  I was one of the few that did not have a background or formal education aligned with writing but went with the flow all the same.

Initially, I was a little intimidated, but what I discovered is that we all have a different style and whether some may find my style simplistic was irrelevant.

The beauty of this workshop was that there were writers from all over Europe, and a couple (like me) from North America.  The experience definitely opened my mind to a vast array of different perspectives.  The writers’ workshop was set amongst a couple of week trip.

I had decided to explore Denmark and Sweden as part of my adventure.

From Toronto I flew into Copenhagen (Denmark) where I spent a long weekend reacquainting myself with this beautiful city, which meant me taking literally thousands of photos along the way.  My plan was to then take the train and ferry to Helsingborg (Sweden) then up the west coast to the city of Gothenborg.  I’ve always had extremely fond memories of the warmth and hospitality of the Scandinavian countries since my backpacking days and this adventure was no exception.

Gothenborg is Sweden’s second largest city, and a strategic port located between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea,  It’s approximately 400 kms from Stockholm and so a relatively easy train trip across the country. Gothenborg is also known for its Dutch style canals and home of Volvo since 1927.

Many would likely not visit Gothenborg as it’s somewhat industrial but has a significant history since its founding in 1621 by the Dutch traders.  One of my favourite neighbourhoods to explore is the Haga district with its wooden houses and historic architecture.

The train journey to Stockholm is only four-hours from Gothenborg and given that I love a good train trip was lulled into almost a Zen like state as we flew fly non-stop forests, lakes and rolling farm land.  A great opportunity for some meditation and self-reflection.

I enjoyed networking with other writers and learning more about their current endeavours.  Actually, it was quite eye opening in the significant variety of genres and storylines.   I was wowed by the creativeness of some of the projects, which are now in print but were at the embryotic state at the time.  So wonderful to see a great story come to life.

On this trip I was mixing my love of writing and my sense of adventure and travel.  Most important to me, other than the networking and workshops I attended was getting on an island ferry and exploring the outer islands from Stockholm.  Many of the islands I visited had little more than a ferry terminus, a small village and an inordinate amount of natural beauty.

It was also incredible to visit the site of the 1912 Olympic Games, where I just walked into a very small and unassuming stadium in the leafy suburbs of Stockholm.

All in all, a very cool adventure…

Until next week.

Ciao!