Guest of the Week: Linda Hammarberg, round-the-world sailor

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In 2010, Linda and Ludvig Hammarberg embarked on a four-year voyage around the world with their children Lovis and Otto, then aged 4 and 2. With the 40-foot-long sailing boat S/Y Mary, they sailed across the world's oceans and visited lots of exotic places in Africa, Southeast Asia, Polynesia and the Caribbean.

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Many took part in the exciting adventure when it was broadcast in the programme "Familjer på äventyr" on SVT1 in spring 2015. Others followed the journey on the blog Mary of Rövarhamnwhere Linda still blogs about the family's adventures. The family came home to Sweden in August 2014 and we are very curious about what it is like to come back after such a long time travelling.

How did it feel when you sailed into Malmö harbour after 4 years of sailing around the world?

We were away for 4 years and a month, and we were not home once during this time. I cried a lot at the end of the trip, because of course it was sad that the trip was over. But when we sailed into the harbour, and saw all the people on the quay - family and friends - well, it just felt great!

How do you live today? Has the experience of the long journey influenced the way you have chosen to live?

We live in a small house in Bohuslän, and have the boat in Marstrand - in the centre of the archipelago. The children take the ferry to school every day and Ludvig works in a small company developing boat accessories. I'm a freelancer myself. I write web texts and articles, sell some pictures and give talks about our journey.

How have the children adapted to life on land and what do they think of everyday life in Sweden?

Now they have been living on land for a few months for the first time in their lives. And they seem to enjoy both land life and school. But if we said we were going to sail away again, they wouldn't hesitate for a second!

Do you use your knowledge and experience from the trip, and if so, how?

When you're sailing, you have a lot of time to think about how you want to live your life and what makes you feel good. Our new goal is to create a good everyday life, instead of constantly striving for something else. We prioritise a simple life with low expenses and lots of time together over a career and fancy gadgets.

What do you do today if it "sucks in the gut"? Do you still have your boat or do you have access to another boat?

Lovis was afraid that a house on land would mean selling the boat. "I refuse to become a landlubber," she said until we decided to keep it. We mostly sail in the archipelago now. But the advantage of not living on the boat is that you don't have to sail it home after your holiday. In a couple of years we hope to sail up to northern Norway one summer and continue to Svalbard the following year.

What is your favourite travel memory from the circumnavigation of the world that you dream about?

That question is impossible to answer. My happiest day on the trip was probably when we were surrounded by hundreds of humpback whales. But Ludvig and I feel most at home in the wilderness and in less accessible places like Tasmania. New Zealand, Newfoundland and Greenland.

Lovis likes warm places best. She probably experienced her happiest days on the uninhabited Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean. There they swim and snorkel all day, have crab races and eat coconuts. Otto, on the other hand, is crazy about wild animals and dreams of returning to the African savannah.

Do you have any trips planned for 2016 and if so, where are you going?

We don't have any long journeys planned, but we are thinking about a trip to the warmth this winter. Perhaps to Essaouira in Morocco and Dahab in Egypt - close but still so different. In January I'm going on a blogging trip to Hamburg, hopefully with my family. And during the sports holidays I'll be skiing - probably in Dalarna.

Sometime in the spring we would like to go to Greece for a while, some friends have a house on Naxos, and this summer we will probably do some sailing in Bohuslän. We also hope to do some hiking in the Swedish mountains - maybe we'll try the Kungsleden or Kebnekaise. We would also like to visit the children's cousins in Berlin, but nothing has been decided. We'll just have to see. We are not people who book things in advance unnecessarily. The more spontaneous, the better!

Finally, a question we ask everyone we interview: What is your dream destination, Linda Hammarberg?

Oh, difficult question. I want to go to so many places. But Antarctica is probably the answer, if I have to choose one. But Patagonia, South Georgia, Alaska and Mongolia also appeal to me. And I want to go back to Greenland. I like wilderness. So beautiful!

Thank you Linda Hammarberg for sharing your experiences and thoughts!

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