Since this was my (Janelle’s) first time ever in Sweden and also the first time I even heard of Skärgården, I’m going to continue from my big-eyed, LA-girl perspective–or rather, from everyone else’s perspective, because there are few things left in this world that remain untouched by mainstream tourism. There are no hotels here, just dozens of single-family houses (likely built by their bare hands, adding to the quaintness). So we were lucky enough to have extended family in Hasselkobben.

Enter Sanna, Rasmus’s second mother, whose house is just a short skip and stone’s throw away from the shoreline. To start the fairy tale weekend, we were greeted with sun and flowers, butterflies and treats, lots of treats. And Sanna, the fairy godmother, whose cooking was enough to make you want to give it all up and live in this summer house forever (or at least until the winter). Finally, we escaped, as far away from New York City as possible.