Koh Lanta’s inspiration

It was Christmas eve. The Swedish couple Camilla and Stefan Lebert and their daughter Thelma were sitting on the beach in Koh Lanta looking at the bright stars, feeling the warm waves on their feet.
     “This is what life always should be like,” they said to each other and added immediately, “it’s impossible.”
     But unlike most people who have had the same thoughts they also asked the next question: “Why shouldn’t it be possible?”
     Four years later the Lebert family, which now has four members, are back to live in Klong Dao Beach in Koh Lanta for the third time.
     After that Christmas holiday they went home and thought of the tempting but unrealistic idea. Then they carefully thought it over once more. Stefan and Camilla counted, and planned and thought of what would be the worst thing that could happen to them if they went through with this dream. They realized that it was time to change their life. Both of them were working far too much, they wanted to see their daughter more and also save their health and their relationship.
     Some time later they sold all belongings including their newly renovated house. The family had a garage sale and all neighbours came along and bought chairs, pots, pans, tools and other things.
     “It feels kind of good knowing that people we know has our old iron pan and granny’s old lamp,” Camilla tells.
     They kept some special keepsakes like photo albums and toys and put everything that was left in three boxes that was stored in the attic at Stefans parents.
     “To get rid of all our stuff was like loosing weight,” Camilla remembers. “It actually became easier to breath! I recommend everyone to throw away old things now and then.”
     Stefan, a hardworking marketing co-ordinator, and Camilla, a successful management and leadership consultant, and six year old Thelma left Stockholm and Sweden with three bags and a guitar. From this moment they started their inner and outer journey.
     Having their professional background they had made a deal with the owner of Southern Lanta. They would help him with a marketing plan and frequent advices in exchange for room and meals. They also arranged one qigong trip among other things. Time and people passed. A lot of thinking, discussing and contemplating was done.
     “Instead of dressing in a suit and sitting in a long carque rainy grey mornings I started every day with a long walk on the beach,” Camilla says smiling.
     “That gives you time to think about relations, what you want to achieve and what you would like to give yourself. A Swedish doctor who worked a lot with stress related illness once said that now and then you should sit down and think about what you would do if you only had six months more to live. I remember that I always got tears in my eyes when I thought about that back home. Now I was doing exactly what I wanted to do.”
     The Leberts spent two winters on Koh Lanta and one summer in Greece. Little Oliver was born and the family grew.
     However, after two years they thought that Thelma, who they had been teaching themselves, should get a chance to go to Swedish school and most of all have Swedish friends.
     So they decided to move back to Sweden. They had nowhere to stay, but a friend offered them to rent a house in Trelleborg. Neither of them had been there but they thought it sounded nice so Trelleborg it was.
     It turned out to be the right choice. Thelma quickly made friends in her new school, Oliver spent most time with his parents who both started to study different types of therapy.
     After two years Camilla is a certificated Imago Therapeutic specialized on couples.
     So what about this third round at Koh Lanta?
     Well, through their homepage and articles in Swedish magazines Stefan and Camilla learned that a lot of people are sharing their interest in living their vision of a better life. Also, when they went back to the Thai island for a two week holiday Thelma stated that “this is our home”.
     So they are back again. Now they have decided to spend at least the two following winters in Koh Lanta. A Swedish teacher is coming along to teach Thelma and eight other Swedish children during the whole or parts of the winter. This time Stefan and Camilla have fully taken the step towards spreading their beliefs.
     With their own company Travel Insight they are arranging trips not only for body and soul but also for relaxing and refuelling. Travel Insights vision is to create possibilities for inspiration and personal development through journeys away from the ordinary everyday life. It is a bit like making an investment in oneself, something that most people are not very used to.
     This winter they are arranging five trips from Sweden, but people who wants to join at Koh Lanta are also welcome.
     “We want people to feel inspired, to enjoy healthy treatments and well deserved distance from their daily environment,” Stefan says enthusiastically.
     “That can involve learning meditation or yoga or just facing new experiences. There are trips for singles, couples, families, friends and companies. Trips for people who wish to go through the hole “finding-yourself-thing” or who merely wants to feel a little better and maybe become a bit healthier. And the ones who just wants to come along and daze in the sun and participate when they feel like it will probably also have a good time.”
     “Our keywords are respect and integrity,” Stefan explains. “That tells pretty much what it is all about.”
     “Almost everything in our lives is depending on our relations,” Camilla says simply. “Relations to our partner, to our children, to friends and colleagues. To learn how to handle our relations and how to know little bit more about ourselves won’t bring us total happiness. But it will surely make living a bit easier from time to time.”
     If you want to know more about Stefan and Camillas trips check http://www.travelinsight.net or contact [email protected].

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