I am sitting on the train to Gothenburg, and in just a few hours, something that for so long has only been an idea, a dream, and a plan will finally begin. At ten o’clock this morning, I will take my first steps on what will become eighteen days and around 730 kilometres along the Göta Canal, all the way to Stockholm.
It still feels unreal.
I look out of the train window and try to grasp what I am actually about to undertake. I have never run such a long distance over so many consecutive days. I have never before embarked on an outdoor adventure of this length. In my backpack is everything I will need for the coming weeks: a tent, clothes, and equipment. Ahead of me lie heat, rain, hunger, dehydration, dirt, cold, sleepless nights, and thousands of decisions that do not yet need to be made.
And yet, I feel a strange sense of calm.
Everything will work out. Not in advance, but along the way.
It was only when Craft decided to support me with clothing and shoes that I truly realised that this was actually going to happen. Until then, it was still just a dream. But with that sponsorship, the project became real. And now, here I am.
I do not know exactly what awaits me. I only know that I have a goal for each day. I know how far I need to go. It does not matter whether it takes five hours or twelve—I will keep moving forward. One step at a time.
Of course, this adventure is about raising money for the Swedish Brain Foundation, but it is also about something much more personal. I hope to experience the Swedish landscape, meet people along the way, and discover new sides of myself. Because this is not only an external adventure, but also a journey deep into my inner world.
I am curious about how the brain reacts when the body is pushed for so many days. What happens to my thoughts when my energy runs low? How will I be affected by the heat, the rain, the loneliness, and the uncertainty? I do not know what answers I will find, but I know that the questions themselves are an important part of the journey.
Loneliness attracts me, but it also scares me a little. I look forward to spending hours alone with my own thoughts, while at the same time knowing that there will be moments when I feel tired, vulnerable, and alone. At the same time, I believe in the people I will meet along the way. I believe in all the small encounters that can happen when you need to refill your water bottles, ask for directions, or simply stop for a cup of coffee.
This morning, my emotions have finally caught up with me. Sitting here on the train, I have been close to tears. Perhaps because everything has suddenly become real. Perhaps because I realise that I am carrying so much more than just the weight of my backpack.
When I finally arrive in Stockholm, I hope I will be able to look back on this morning and say:
“You fucking did it. You had a dream, broke it down into smaller pieces, planned it, and carried it through. And you learned an incredible amount along the way.”
But for now, I am still here. On the train to Gothenburg. Just a few hours away from the start.
And perhaps this is the feeling I want to remember most of all: that I dared to take the first step.
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