travel

Finally, after almost five months, our son could meet his Japanese grandparents. We thought it would be a very stressful experience to travel from Tokyo to Kyushu with a small baby during a pandemic, but when we arrived in Fukuoka we felt like it had been smoother and safer than going to the supermarket in Tokyo. Our son was happily sleeping during the flight, the airport was very empty, and before we know it we could see green mountains and breath fresh sea air.

It was something very special to come to the countryside again, and a sense of relaxation that we had not felt in a very long time descended upon us. Our son was so happy to see and play with his grandparents and he has been sleeping more soundly than ever before in his short life. We were very excited to show him the sea and he seemed mesmerized by the waves hitting the shore. It is easy to imagine living here, close to the mountains, close to the sea, feeling nature breath through our family.

Even though Fukuoka is a big city, it somehow feels like a countryside area compared to Tokyo. When my wife told me about where she had grown up, saying that she was growing up in a very very local area, I could not comprehend what she meant with my eyes calibrated to the Swedish countryside and cityscapes, but after having been living in Tokyo for a few years I have a newfound understanding for my wife’s point of view, and maybe that is what travel is all about – acquiring new perspectives and gaining a deeper understanding for the people we share this world with. Thinking of our son’s delight when discovering his hands, when seeing his parents’ faces when he wakes up, when meeting his grandparents and seeing the waves rolling in, his life is all about gaining new perspectives and learning to communicate with the world. It is quite beautiful to experience and I so look forward to discovering Sweden with our son and for him to meet his Swedish family as well.