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Life in Sweden, Snippets of life

Around the Neighborhood

It’s funny how I never thought of going around for a walk around the neighborhood before this (i.e. COVID-19, quarantine etc.). But then again, why would I? There are plenty of parks, lakes, forests, and even islands around Gothenburg to explore, only 20 to 40 minutes away from where I live. The neighborhood seemed pale in comparison for exploration, so I never even considered it.

Up until now, Sweden hasn’t imposed lockdown, a fact so notorious that it’s been the topic of debates all over the world. That’s not to say that it’s business as usual here. There are restrictions, albeit a lot laxer than in other countries. But I’ve been really reluctant to go out or even use public transport, so the last 2 months have seen me being home almost all the time. The one time I tried going to the park on a sunny day, it was so full of people that I went home straight away. It gave me so much anxiety.

Being stuck at home with no car and a temporary aversion to public transport, there are only limited options when you need to go out for fresh air. My neighborhood is the only option, so that’s what I did. And I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised to see what’s around me. Where have I been?

I live in a relatively quiet neighborhood, not too far from downtown Gothenburg. On the main road, you can hear buses and cars passing by, and spot people running or whizzing by with an electric scooter regularly. But walk a few meters onto any of the narrower streets, and the vibe is totally transformed. It’s like there’s a secret tranquil town tucked away behind all the hubbub. Gone are the roar of the buses and cars, replaced by the sound of the birds chirping merrily (yes, you can hear them so clearly here).

It was during my walks in the last few weeks that I rediscovered my love for photography. For a while, I didn’t have the urge to snap pictures. In the words of Marie Kondo, ‘it doesn’t spark joy’. I honestly thought I’d lost the passion, but apparently it just lied dormant when I had my focus somewhere else. Here, with the beautiful houses and the late spring blooms, I suddenly found that again. I squat, contort my body in weird angles, and even roll around on the ground just to get the perfect shots. Just like the old days.

It was also during this self-imposed quarantine that I found a nature reserve very close to our place. It’s not the greatest nature reserve ever, but it’s great to have a piece of nature just 15 minutes walk away.

To be honest, I really don’t see myself going out and hanging out anywhere near the city center for the next few weeks, so it’s just as well that there’s this view, just a few steps away from my door.

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13 Comments

  • Reply Anna Jo

    Your neighborhood has such beautiful blooms all around! I love how you were able to rekindle your love for photography through your walks. It’s great as well that you discovered that there is a nature reserve near you; it’s beautiful, and nature truly helps soothe and refresh our minds.

    Anna Jo | http://helloannajo.blogspot.com

    May 25, 2020 at 10:01 am
    • Reply Dixiezetha

      Yes, having the nature reserve so close has been a great help during this quarantine. A quick walk there really does wonders to my mood 😀

      May 28, 2020 at 7:22 am
  • Reply ohdearria

    Kadang yg deket di mata malah terlewati ya. Same like me here. I have the foreshore only 2 blocks from our house. It’s always full of people on sunny days and weekends, picnic, walking, exercising, running, biking, etc. But I always wanted to go to other park in another suburb which I think it’s better than the foreshore😜😜

    Love all the pics, Dixie. All the flowers look so beautiful!

    May 26, 2020 at 12:51 am
    • Reply Dixiezetha

      Iya bener Mbak, kayaknya karena mikir, ‘ah bisa kapan aja ke sana karena deket’ tapi ujung2nya malah ga pernah.

      Thank you Mbak Ria!

      May 28, 2020 at 7:24 am
  • Reply Justin Larissa

    Saya waktu itu pernah ngerasain malessss banget pegang kamera, di saat semua pada kreatif banget foto makanan, foto di rumah, virtual dll. Terus suatu pagi hari Minggu, saya keluar saja keliling bawa kamera, dan fotoin kucing-kucing liar. Ternyata mayan spark joy lagi hihi. Cantik sekali Dixie foto-fotonya 🙂

    May 28, 2020 at 5:43 am
    • Reply Dixiezetha

      Makasih Justin. Memang mungkin kita juga butuh istirahat dari hobi ya kadang2 😀

      May 28, 2020 at 7:25 am
  • Reply adynura

    what-a-beautiful-neighborhood you have there…
    kalo aku lagi ga mood motret, biasanya motret hal diluar kebiasaan, haha…tetep motret sih jadinya. tapi pernah sih samasekali ga mood motret, biasanya dihabisin buat nonton, baik itu nonton film atau nonton vlog youtube.

    June 3, 2020 at 11:51 am
    • Reply Dixiezetha

      Motret hal di luar kebiasaan gimana maksudnya? Tapi kalo lagi ga mood motret emang ga bisa dipaksa ya 😀

      June 4, 2020 at 10:09 am
      • Reply adynura

        hehe…maksudnya, kalo biasanya hunting street photography, coba hal baru dgn hiking dan foto landscape, atau foto night sky pas kemping, ga, gitu lho teh…

        June 4, 2020 at 11:02 am
  • Reply Bama

    Bener banget sih, selama pandemi ini saya juga jadi lebih sering merhatiin hal-hal di sekitar apartemen saya. There are so many beauties around me that were often overlooked in normal time (or should we call it the old normal?). Baru beberapa bulan yang lalu saya ngeh ternyata di pohon-pohon dekat tempat saya tinggal ada beberapa yang ditempeli anggrek bulan. So pretty! I can see why your neighborhood reignited your passion in photography. With those colorful blooms, I would’ve been inspired as well!

    June 8, 2020 at 8:30 am
    • Reply Dixiezetha

      Iyaa, emang gajah yang di depan mata suka ga keliatan ya. Selama ini sibuk nyari pemandangan bagus di tempat2 yang jauh, yang deket2 sampe kelewatan. Beberapa bulan terakhir emang banyak waktu buat slow down dan lebih merhatiin sekitar, salah satu hal yang positif dari kejadian ini.

      July 4, 2020 at 7:55 pm
  • Reply Mira Afianti

    Such a beautiful neighborhood!! Aku juga pernah banget males foto-foto.. dan kayaknya obatnya memang harus rehat dulu dan bertemu hal-hal yang indah :))

    June 15, 2020 at 1:04 pm
    • Reply Dixiezetha

      Thank you Mira! Ketemu hal-hal indah sih faktor utamanya buat aku, selalu gatel pengen foto soalnya 😀

      July 4, 2020 at 7:56 pm

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