Notes from Bornholm
These days, I try to spend as much time with nature as possible. I've been sketching some notes in my mind and after a long walk I decided to write them down here as well.
I've been thinking about privilege. The summer house where my partner and I are staying has belonged to his family for generations. It's by the sea. We fall asleep and wake up to the sound of the waves. We spend hours walking along the shore. Genuine love for nature is so much easier to develop when you interact with Her.
Waste is not sorted in this municipality, and food waste cannot be composted in the garden (due to rats) so we are collecting waste to take it to the ferry with us.
The nearest supermarket is an hour away. We walk there. In the supermarket they sell some products made here on the island. Local honey, local pasta. Initially I feel drawn to them, as a researcher who looks into small and independent businesses. But those products are luxury goods. They are incredibly expensive and are not something that we would buy every day.
There are some wild cherries growing in the garden, gooseberries, and a fig tree, but the owner (my partner's mother) doesn't grow food here.
Because this space feels secluded, I try to wear nothing most of the time. Many people swim naked, and so do I. It feels wonderful. There is nothing that signals status. No clothes, no jewellery. I don't even bring a towel with me when I go swimming. I'm looking at the scars and stretch marks on my skin, and I'm feeling joy and acceptance.
We went to collect some stones on the beach, to use them as decorations in the bedroom where we are staying. We will return most of them to nature, but some we will bring home to Copenhagen to connect with Bornholm and to feel grounded.
On one of the walks, by partner gave me a stone and said that it was a gift. He was looking for a stone that made him think about me and that he thought I would like. He's given me stones from the beach as gifts before, and I appreciate it so much more than if he just bought something for me.
I've brought only one pair of sandals here. I was wearing them on my journey as well. Most of the time, I walk barefoot. There are ticks in Bornholm, and my partner's mother mentioned (jokingly) that I would get them as I'm exactly the person who gets them. I'm not worried or afraid. I used to get them often when I was a child.
These days, I'm not reading or writing, but I feel like I'm learning constantly. I saw swallows' homes as we were walking by the shore. Every time I observe non-humans, it's such a humbling experience. I think about my genuine needs. Food, home.