The first day was the hardest.

When the plane landed I didn’t know what to think, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that this was going to be the hardest day. I partially blame the older man sitting next to me on the 10.5 hour flight who wouldn’t stop telling me how much he loves black women. “The women in Africa, they are, they are just the best. Black women are just so exotic. They are the best.” He smiled with an intensity that was incredibly off-putting. Considering how long we’d be sitting next to each other, I nodded just enough to say that I acknowledged the words coming out of his mouth, but not enough to say that I was interested—because I wasn’t

Thank God, I fell asleep and eight hours later we separated.

• [Want more posts like this? Subscribe to get on the list!]

The start of the difficult day came while I was waiting for my luggage. Watching the belt turn as other people grabbed their suitcases was fine until it stopped rotating. The luggage connected to the flight was gone, but I was still waiting. Empty handed I foolishly looked left and right hoping my single suitcase would hop from around the corner with a camera crew shouting, “Got ya! You should have seen your face, Danielle! You were all like, ‘Ahhh, where’s my luggage?’” And then we would share a great laugh and walk away together.

Too bad, it didn’t.

My luggage was lost and I’m pretty sure I smelled.

I reported my suitcase missing, hopped on the Flygbussarna (an inexpensive bus from the airport to the city), and then went to the city center to pick up my Stockholm Pass thanks to the folks at Visit Stockholm (we’ll talk about the awesome pass later). Only a few hours had passed, but by this point I was completely discombobulated and couldn’t navigate my way around the city as I would have hopped. I was walking in circles and quickly found myself getting stressed and frustrated. With that, I requested an Uber and headed to the hotel.

For the majority of the trip, I was staying at the Elite Hotel Carolina Tower. I found the hotel thanks to a simple Google search and the rates were pretty impressive. I booked a Superior Room ($99 per night), but what really sold me was the fact that I could get an extra 25% off the stay if I became a member. Joining was free and all they would do was send me an occasional email? Yeah, I signed up.

Checking into the room after the long start to the day, it felt so good to stop and rest. The room was beautifully designed and it felt relaxing. I loved the color palette of the deep salmon and forest green against the wood textured furniture. The Savor Stockholm book caught my eye and of course I wanted to take it with me, but I later found out it was not for sale. If the Elite team is reading this, I would still love the book. Hint, hint, smiley face…

Overall, I needed this room. I needed to be in this quiet space with a never-ending view of the city within a place I didn’t know because my heart needed a place to release. I cried a bit wondering why I made this trip and what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I prayed a bit asking for answers to questions that I’ve been yearning to hear. I went from the chair to the bed, to my knees and to fetal position on the floor, and back to the bed again, and before I knew it I had fallen asleep to the sound of Swedish news on the television.

That’s when the phone rang.

The hotel concierge gave a ring to my room to let me know my suitcase had arrived. It was officially morning which meant it was day two in Stockholm. I shot up, ran to the front desk, thanked the staff, and went back to my room with my missing suitcase like the Flash. In that moment of pure elation, of being able to change into fresh clothes, things started to look up and I finally saw Stockholm.

Follow Them.
Address: Eugeniavägen 6 171 64 Solna
Phone: +46 (0)8-4000 0460
Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Social: Website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.