The cusp of summer – a Scandinavian sojourn

Lagom. According to my cousin Håkan, there is no English equivalent for this Swedish word. Dictionaries attempt to translate, but fall short. The word, as he explained, means something that is "just right" – having no failings whatsoever. That is how I chose to describe my recent journey to the west coast of Sweden and southern Norway. It happened on the cusp of summer – that time of the year where the parks and meadows are alive with color and there is just enough rain to keep it fresh.

Excitement is found in ever-moving cities. Cities are lit, cities are buzzing, cities are place...