25 May

Today was a strangely heavy day for me. That just sometimes happens for no particular reason. Then your mind feels heavy and your legs and your bag. And you feel like you’re not getting anywhere no matter how many steps you take. Luckily, I didn’t have to walk that far today. Of course, I can always stop anywhere. I have my tent. But I really like the shelters. Especially when rain is forecast.

When I got to my designated shelter there were a lot of people. It was Sunday, I realised. I sat down on one of the benches and then suddenly a boy came and gave me an incredibly delicious sandwich that his mum had just made for me. I was completely overwhelmed. It tasted heavenly.

After I had eaten it, it started to rain a little so I asked a group of women sitting inside the shelter if I could sit there too. It turned out to be a family of four generations. They were all mums and were here for Mother’s Day. Three generations were having a good time chatting, while the youngest generation, four boys, were playing by the loch. We got talking and they gave me all their leftover juice and sweets. How kind is that?

When everyone had left, I set up in the shelter and then a young French couple arrived with a little boy of almost two years old, who were on holiday in Sweden. They were having a barbecue and beer and they shared it all with me. We talked about life, about children, about different cultures and different outdoor education until it started to get dark. It was a wonderful evening for me and the heaviness disappeared like dew before the sun.

People are just amazing, generous and always willing to help. I am so incredibly grateful that I get to experience so much of the goodness of humanity on my hike.