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