It’s three in the morning. You stumble out of the club, the taste of cheap vodka lingering on your tongue. Sure, we’ve all had our wild phase. But at some point, the question creeps in: what really makes a celebration?
What if it’s not about blurring reality with a heavy dose of booze, but rather about feeling it more vividly, exactly as it is? Stepping outside. Breathing. Catching the scent of moss, feeling the prickle of pine needles, noticing yourself. Sounds simple, but sometimes it isn’t. Doing less and turning down the volume can be surprisingly hard work.
What Dancing Without Restraint Has to Do With Forest Bathing
Ever heard of “Shinrin Yoku”? Forest bathing, a concept first introduced in Japan in the 1980s as a health practice, has long been part of everyday life in Sweden. Thanks to the country’s allemansrätt (the right to roam) you can move freely through nature. The idea is simple: immerse yourself, slow down, let go.
Here’s the catch with forest bathing: why do we need someone to teach us how to do nothing? Or rather, how to fill that much-talked-about mental void with noticing, feeling, and simply drifting?
Perhaps it’s because we feel awkward hugging trees or stroking moss. Science has proven that forest bathing is good for you, yet many of us struggle to do it alone. In a group, it’s far easier. And maybe that’s the first step – pushing past the embarrassment, until it no longer matters what anyone else thinks. It’s the same on the dancefloor: the best moments come when you dance as if no one’s watching.
Life so often boils down to performing, meeting expectations or chasing some ideal. But why, exactly?
Story or Reality?
Have you ever scrolled through those dazzling social media feeds and wondered who’s actually taking all those perfect shots? And how many ended up in the bin before that one keeper finally made it online? And what story that single image is really telling? At the Volvo event, it was fascinating to see how differently the influencers and journalists used the very same experience. Sunset dinners, kayaking, flower crown weaving – everyone crafted their own version of the story. But are our posts really in sync with what we feel? Or are we doing things simply because they’ll look good on Instagram? The truth is, life is easier when what we say and what we feel line up. Everything else is just a façade. The real trouble starts when we post “happy times” that don’t actually exist – or when we preach something that we’re certainly not practising. Isn’t the real story better than the pretty one?
That said, chasing good shots can be fun – and sometimes it’s the very reason we have certain experiences at all. Without the lure of that perfect picture, we might not have been up at five for the sunrise, walked “just” a little further, or stumbled upon some hidden treasure. Sunset shoot in a fishing village? Let’s head out again and see what else we can find. Having a mission makes life better – especially if you can eat the spoils afterwards, like the oysters we picked up while kayaking.
Back at the event, the sound of the sea drifted through the air as the evening sun draped everything with gold. A table full of flowers and drinks waited, the perfect warm-up for the traditional flower crown weaving of a Midsummer celebration. The classic Volvo 240 was already decked out in its floral finery – now it was our turn to add the final touch. It was a moment worth more than a photo: playful, sensual, and full of lightness.
Between Zero Drinks and Espresso Martinis: What Are We Really Celebrating?
One of the first things we noticed was the sheer variety of alcohol-free drinks in Sweden, especially during our evening by the sea, when we toasted with zero-alcohol gin and tonics before starting the flower crown weaving. It’s not because Swedes are dull, but because they’ve figured out that pleasure and togetherness can work in other ways too. Alcohol-free options are booming – simply broadening the ways you can celebrate and experience life. We’ve been putting them to the test for DOWNTOWN magazine, and sometimes they’re a total hit, sometimes not so much. And that’s fine. Trying new things and staying curious is what matters. In the end, it’s not about dogma – it’s about living each moment in the way that feels right. Everything else is just empty performance.
Speaking of trying new things and keeping an open mind: later that night, espresso martinis were all the rage – with alcohol, but made with decaf espresso. These are a genuine game changer if you still want to get some sleep. And before you know it, it’s three in the morning again, only this time the headache comes not from stumbling out of a club, but from rolling out of a cosy bed with a Midsummer sea view. The airport shuttle is waiting. Every party ends eventually: the only question is whether you walk away empty, or full of new stories. Truly celebrating means no perfection, no filters – just figuring out what feels good for you, and doing exactly that.
Thank you, Volvo, for a Midsummer that asked just as many questions as it answered. For great memories, for unexpected twists, for a story that turned out completely differently from how we’d imagined it. In the end, all that matters is what you see – and what you make of it. Because the best party is always the one you celebrate most yourself.
Words: Robin Schmitt Photos: Volvo/Daniela Loof
