2026 | COASTAL LIFE | SWEDEN

MEMORIES OF MAY

Friday 29th May

After living here for two years, May has become one of my favorite months. Summer arrives before the tourists do, and everything is in full bloom. It’s a peaceful time. The days feel bright and full of anticipation for the warmer months ahead. Soon the coast will be full of life again, with people arriving from all around the world to visit this beautiful place.

Since we are in the last week of May, I’ve been looking through photos from the past two Mays and wanted to share a few moments here before June starts.

Last spring was my puppy Ylva’s first spring by the sea. We spent long days exploring the nature around our old coastal home.

My cat has slowly accepted her as part of the family, though she still prefers a little distance. Maybe one day, when Ylva is older and calmer, they’ll curl up together in the sun. For now, she is still very much a puppy.

Now it’s the last week of May, and I’m slowly getting everything ready for the season ahead. The grass was cut, and today I’ll bring out the outdoor furniture. I’m looking forward to quiet mornings outside again, with coffee in the sun and the smell of salty sea air nearby.

Living in Sweden, I’ve experienced strong contrasts between the seasons, watching the landscape change so quickly throughout the year. The light shifts, nature evolves, and suddenly another summer is beginning. It makes each season feel special in its own way. And just like nature, I feel different this summer too.

I wish you a beautiful day!

With Love,

Annika

2026 COASTAL ART | POETRY | NATURE

THE QUIET IN BETWEEN

A POEM FROM MY HEART

The ground shakes beneath my feet,

Choppy waters pull me down,

My first step into the fog,

was how I would not drown.

I set on a journey to touch the stars,

But only found storms and howls.

I found the fear that wore my face,

And in the pause, I found my grace.

I hear the wind call my name,

The sea invite me home,

And in the quiet inbetween,

I found the place I’d always known.
2026 | COASTAL LIFE | FJORD & SEA

SUMMER MEMORIES BY THE FJORD

Wednesday 20th May

This time of year always feels special to me. The nights are growing brighter, and in the evenings you can hear the sheep calling out.

I often walk my dog along the trail near the fjord, especially on warm summer evenings when the air smells faintly of seaweed and the salty sea breeze plays with my hair.

Summer is slowly arriving now. The tourists will soon return, and after a rainy week, the garden is finally dry enough to cut the grass, though I still have a few weeds to battle along the way.

Everything suddenly feels alive again.

I’m sitting here now by the fire wondering how many more evenings I’ll be able to light it before it gets to warm outside to use it. Last summer I nearly melted in the living room when I had it in. I love the sound of the fire crackling in the evening. Things to look forward to during the cold winter months.

Here are a few photos I took by the fjord last year. A place very close to my home that has now become one of my favourite places to walk, explore, and capture with my camera.

I hope you’re having a calm evening, and hopefully see you again tomorrow for another little update from the coast.

Take care of yourself in the meantime.

With love,

Annika & Ylva
2026 | COASTAL LIFE | SWEDEN

BACK TO PRESENCE

Tuesday 26th May

This past weekend started with no running water and food slowly thawing in the freezer. I drove into town only to find the supermarket was closed, and at the local harbour restaurant people sat eating their lunch in the dark. After learning the power outage was also in Hunnebostrand, I drove one hour south for supplies.

Instead of driving the usual route, I spontaneously turned onto a coastal country road, driving through open fields along the sea. The early afternoon sun stretched across the landscape, warming the grass where horses stood grazing quietly beside their newborn foals.

I pulled over and sat watching them for a while. The babies’ coats looked soft and fuzzy, their tiny manes blowing gently in the early summer breeze.

One of the foals stumbled awkwardly toward me with a playful curiosity. It called out in a high pitched voice and ran excitedly in a circle. I smiled immediately. It couldn’t have been more than a week old.

In that moment, all worries melted away and I simply enjoyed the moment.

I continued my journey south, rolling down my car window, welcoming the warm May air. Daisies swayed along the side of the road. As I was driving, breathing in the fresh air, I felt my whole body soften. Just enough to remember what it feels like to fully relax.

By the time the electricity finally returned later that evening, I felt myself letting go a little more of the constant pressure to always be productive.

Suddenly, not having electricity helped break me away from the usual rhythms of my daily routines and expectations I had been putting on myself. And with that, I felt unexpectedly free. A gentle reminder of simpler times.

Sometimes life interrupts the routines we build for ourselves. And sometimes, the unexpected detour becomes the most beautiful part of the day.

Sending you lots of love from the coast,

Annika & Ylva
2026 | COASTAL LIFE | SWEDEN

AN UNEXPECTED SUMMER

Thursday 21st May

Last summer I injured my knee after my very excited husky puppy ran into me with full speed.

The injury slowed me down for a while, but looking back now, I’m reminded of the quiet power of presence and the importance of caring for my body as part of my creative artist process.

Even though I couldn’t do what I had planned for the summer, I chose to see this time of pause as a gentle reminder to accept the waves of life as they come. And to take every opportunity to enjoy life’s little bursts of freedom.

And nothing brings me more into the present moment than capturing the beauty here with my camera.

Running along the coast, feeling the wind on my face, and being fully present in the simple joys of life by the sea is why summers here have always felt so special to me since I was a young girl.

Now, with summer around the corner and my knee fully healed, it feels like I’ve been given a second chance to run along the rocks, swim in the sea, to be a kid again, and continue pursuing a childhood dream to create art inspired by life on the coast.

Here’s to an unforgettable summer.

I hope you’re having a beautiful morning, afternoon, or evening wherever you are in the world.

With love,

Annika
2026 | COASTAL LIFE | SWEDEN

A NEW CHAPTER

Tuesday 19th May

What a beautiful morning.

It’s still spring, though today feels like summer. June is just around the corner, and it feels as though everything has bloomed overnight. The garden is alive. Bees buzz in the warmth, birds sing from every direction, and somewhere in the distance I can hear sheep in the distant field.

This morning I spotted a hawk circling overhead while my puppy, Ylva searched for shade in the warm sun. My cat, Leiana wandered quietly around the barn during one of her little morning explorations.

The sea breeze drifting in from the coast brushes gently against my skin as I sit here with my coffee, listening to the sounds of the coastal countryside waking up around me. My body aches a little today, craving a cold dip in the sea.

After days of rain, the grass needs cutting, the cottage still needs spring cleaning, and there’s plenty of work waiting for me today. But all I really want to do is go outside in the sunlight with Ylva and my camera.

Let’s see where the day takes me.

Speak soon!

Annika