Jennie Hammar

Best advice you ́ve been given as a mother?

– To trust myself. Everyone does it different and theres no one rule for how it’s supposed to work. You use your gut feeling and do what you think feels right. No one else know my kids as well as I do.

The hardest part of being a mother?

– To love SO MUCH! A friend said it ́s a little like peeling an onion, raising kids. When they are small they’ll run straight into the corner of a table. It ́s horrible. When they get a bit bigger there’s some kid at daycare being fresh and you get panicked. And all that grows with years and gets more and more heart wreching. You gotta be hard skinned to make it through the teenage years.

You chose to live in Los Angeles after the divorce, what was your thought process?

– Initially I wanted to move back to Stockholm. It was a reflex, It felt safer there. But we are two people that need to agree on this and I’ve already been here nine years now. I kind of feel at home. So I’m thinking I’ll give it a few more years and we’ll see.

How long do you plan to stay in L.A?

– Hard to say. A few years? Forever? It ́s something that always hangs over me. But I love living here and my kids life here is fantastic. I’m feeling really good as it looks now.

You moved to Silver Lake, tell us a little about the area, what’s best about living there?

– Everything. I have, like a lot of others, gone a bit crazy over Silverlake earlier. All the hipsters, urban farmers, and ambitious baristas. But it ́s a wonderful community. I actually know my neighbors. People are friendly and engaging. It’s crawling with well loved 3 legged dogs, and cars wallpapered in Bernie Sanders stickers. Still.

What do you do on a weekend off?

– We usually do an outing. This weekend we went to Underwood Family Farms about 45 minutes north of here. A farm with some sort of Disneyland format. My kids loved it! We often go and visit friends. And we hang at home a lot. Swim. Invite friends over for dinner. We are home a lot. That’s what the weekends are for.

Favorite spot to hang out with friends?

– Hopefully somewhere in my hood. I love Alimento, Salazar, Little Dom’s. There’s a whole lot of good restaurants. And if it ́s gonna be a late night I’ll definitely stop by the Tenants of the Trees and the Friend Bar.

What are the advantages of living in LA with the kids?

– Of course it ́s the weather. And how convenient it is especially when the kids are so small. And the fact that it ́s a big city but we still live in villas with gardens. There’s other good parts too with LA as a city. There’s so much for them to do. Outings and activities. And it’s a multi cultural city.

What do you fear?

– Donald Trump, Climate Change, diseases, earthquakes… You shouldn’t think too much!

When are you at your happiest?

– In the evening. When the kids are bathed in their Pajamas. We put on Curious George and lie down in a pile on my bed to wind down together with our dog Roffe. There’s nothing better in the world.

How do you turn a rough day around?

– Train or go for a walk. Listen to something i like. Meet a friend! Take a Bath! Treat myself to something good!

Your “defining moments” in life?

– Wow hard to say. I guess the first was when I packed my dad’s car with everything i owned–which wasn’t much–and moved up to Stockholm directly after high school. I remember how my mom stood in the kitchen and cried and how my brother consoled her and said “ she’ll come home soon again” . But I didn’t. That was the first step on a long journey. Then when i decided to move to Los Angeles. And naturally last years separation. It was a hard thing to go through.

How is it being a single mom?

– It’s demanding! There’s a lot to keep up with. Kids, work, home and a dog. Sometimes small things like planning dinner are completely overwhelming. You have to make all the decisions. But it also has it’s advantages. There’s a lot of things you get the time for too.

Where do you see yourself in five years ́time?

– I’m working on a small project that I hope will be more than small then. I’m very interested in interior decorating and that’s what I would like to focus more on. Then I want to continue writing, which I think is satisfying. I might stay in LA after all. We’ll see. ☮