Going to Sweden again
This morning, I went to Sweden to give a lecture at Lund university's campus in Helsingborg. It's a 1.5 or so hour direct train journey from Copenhagen. Today's lecture is about degrowth, food and mobility. When I began to give lectures about degrowth, I was always emphasising what degrowth was, why it was needed, how it can come about. These days, especially due to writing this autoethnography and trying (and failing) to practise many of the things that would be part of degrowth society, I emphasise nuance, loose ends, difficult topics and issues so much more. Autoethnography has taught me to be attentive to smaller unfoldings in life, to be constantly present. As I was on my way to Helsingborg, I was contemplating mobility and my lecture. The journey costs SEK 249 one way. It's incredibly expensive, and for this reason I was not going to Lund university, where I am a visiting researcher, much. I like the atmosphere at the department of service studies, and being present in the office inspires very different thoughts to what comes to my mind when I'm at home in Copenhagen or at the university in Denmark. I try to come to Sweden every now and then to write my book too, as the book is about Swedish and Danish small businesses.
Many fellow humans who research degrowth avoid flying and driving/private car ownership. So do I. But public transport is very expensive here in Sweden and in Denmark where I live. There are of course ways to pay less for tickets, but I still believe that even then they are unaffordable to many. Public transport and travelling need to be subsidised.
Oftentimes, when my fellow humans ask me about travelling by train, I say that it is a wonderful part of my slow living practice. I take this time to contemplate, write, and rest. It's my time of self-care and meditation. Often I forget to highlight the less pleasant aspects of it. Train journeys can be very long and stressful due to overcrowded stations and sudden cancellations. This time is not included in working hours. To reach Helsingborg just after 9 am, I had to get up very early to walk to the central station in Copenhagen. I don't live too far away from it, but also not too close. In summer when days are long and it's warmer, this walk is very pleasant. It's not unpleasant in the rain or when it snows (as it does these days), but some days it feels less comfortable.
