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.
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.
Table of contents
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!
Ama de casa says:
I saw the programmes on TV and was completely fascinated by this family's courage to live the dream to the fullest! Nice to hear a little about how it is now 🙂 .
09 January 2016 - 10:24
Åsa says:
I have read about the whole adventure on Linda's blog and am thinking of reading it again. What an amazing trip!
09 January 2016 - 10:31
nils-åke hansson says:
Saw the programmes on TV really interesting. Have many times thought why I never went travelling in my youth. Only screwed on cars.
09 January 2016 - 11:00
Krisztina says:
I have seen the programme on TV and what an adventure! Very interesting, now I'm looking forward to the new programme "Families on an adventure".
09 January 2016 - 12:04
Lennart says:
It was really interesting to follow them on the blog!
09 January 2016 - 13:18
Ditte says:
Thank you also for this interview! I followed the TV programme and read the blog for the last year and benefited greatly from it.
That it is then unfamiliar to land at home is fully understandable and it is really noticeable that the family has decided how to live here at home in everyday life with more time together and less career in professional life. And I really believe in being able to organise your time without being ruled by too much work.
09 January 2016 - 13:40
Travel Friday says:
Linda and her family are a great source of inspiration for me, I followed the adventure on TV and still follow the blog with great interest. They are so cool!
09 January 2016 - 13:45
anita wag agrimanaki says:
Wow, how exciting! And thanks for the tip about their blog. I will immediately start reading it. (and I'll probably be a little jealous..I want to do something like that too but, but...)
09 January 2016 - 13:45
Ruth in Virginia says:
Agree with Steve ".... instead of constantly striving for something else"
I think it's called 'living in the moment'.
Had a short visit to Patagonia - incredibly beautiful place.
Lived in Anchorage, Alaska, for a little over a year. The state is so big and powerful,
that it would take a long time to explore. Moreover, there are not many
motorways in the state. So-called bush pilots fly small aeroplanes to the remote areas.
Eskimo villages. A different life.
The last picture is simply -- I can't find the words to describe the feeling.
09 January 2016 - 13:50
admin says:
Ama de casa, how fascinating! Inspiring when someone dares to make their dream come true! 🙂
Åsa, can only agree...!
Nils-Åke, singing is easy to wonder in retrospect. But maybe it was cars that attracted most then?
Krisztina, it would be great to see the new programme! I'm bad at keeping track of TV times, but this sounds exciting!
Steve, please take a look at the blog! Then the programme series is actually coming back, but with new participants.
Lennart, agree. Special trip!
Travelmania, I'm glad you like the Guest of the Week initiative! We have a lot of interesting names coming up 🙂
Ditte, you might get some different perspectives and values during such a trip.
Travel Friday, can only agree. Truly a source of inspiration!
Anita, it is a great blog indeed! Even if you do not carry out the same journey, you can be inspired 🙂.
Ruth in Virginia, living in the moment is an art. How cool and different Alaska sounds!
BP, truly an incredible experience for the children!
09 January 2016 - 13:52
Mr Steve says:
What an amazing adventure. How did I miss that series of programmes on SVT?
I'll have to check out her blog.
They have obviously gathered a lot of wisdom during that journey. I like this, for example: "Our new goal is to create a good everyday life, instead of constantly striving for something else."
What a start in life for Lovis and Otto.
09 January 2016 - 13:08
Travelmania says:
What an amazing journey they made!!!
I've been following the blog, but I'm just as fascinated every time.
What a fun initiative with the guest of the week!
09 January 2016 - 13:22
BP says:
What an adventure! Here you can say that you have realised your dreams. Oh what an experience for the children. It's marvellous!
09 January 2016 - 13:50
ActiveDays-Camilla says:
Wonderful and interesting. Especially the inner journey, reflecting on how you want to live your life...
09 January 2016 - 17:32
Susjos says:
Wow, what adventures they have had! I think I've seen a bit on TV about their journey. Nice to hear what their everyday life looks like today.
09 January 2016 - 20:55
admin says:
Active Days-Camilla, the inner journey is often just as important as the outer one!
Susjos, it must be an adjustment to come home after such an adventurous trip!
10 January 2016 - 1:49
Veiken says:
Incredibly interesting! I tip my hat to everyone who can, wants and dares to live their dreams! 🙂
10 January 2016 - 5:33
Veiken says:
Answer: Sure it's farang, but the R isn't always easy 😉.
10 January 2016 - 5:51
admin says:
Veiken, I feel the same way! Dreaming is step one, but to really implement something usually requires stubbornness, hard work and courage. And haha yes, the L and R thing is usually tricky in Asia 😉.
10 January 2016 - 10:32
Maria says:
It was really a slightly different round-the-world trip, incredibly cool! 🙂
10 January 2016 - 11:27
Anna in Dubai says:
wow such a cool adventure! Must check if I can find this on youtube...? Love the installation to life... (says I sitting in the middle of Dubai with my new computer, new mobile phone, surrounded by luxury luxury flight snakes)
10 January 2016 - 12:58
admin says:
Maria, that's fascinating!
Anna in Dubai, check Linda's blog, I think it's there if you know the programmes somewhere.
10 January 2016 - 13:48
Linda Hammarberg says:
Hello, everyone. Thank you for your kind words. We have collected all the episodes on our site in case anyone has missed or wants to re-watch the TV series: http://symary.com/tv-serien/ /Linda
10 January 2016 - 19:27
Elisabeth says:
Wonderful meeting with people who dare to live differently!!!
11 January 2016 - 0:06
admin says:
Linda, so good with the link!
Elisabeth, it's really inspiring when people do things that others only dream of!
11 January 2016 - 8:36
Annika says:
WHAT I liked about that programme when it was on TV. AND especially Linda's family.
What an adventure, and what a lovely family they are.
I understand that it was a difficult adjustment to come home, but I'm glad everyone is enjoying themselves.
GLAD also that the boat is still in the family!
13 January 2016 - 14:41
Solan says:
Only now I read about the amazing sailing family. Missed the TV programmes. What a great picture of the kids, would be something for a Swedish security council 🙂 to think about....
19 January 2016 - 7:41
admin says:
Annika, glad you liked the programme! We unfortunately missed it when we were travelling, but have been following Linda's fantastic blog. We also met the family and celebrated New Year with them in Malaysia a few years ago, when we happened to be there at the same time. Very fun and soooo fascinating to hear about their journey!
Solan, haha, that's an interesting point about security, and it can be discussed from lots of angles. But no matter how you turn it around, life contains some risks, and learning to deal with them is also an invaluable knowledge!
19 January 2016 - 8:47