Sweden - A Swedish man who was believed to be dead after vanishing off the Norwegian coast two years ago shocked authorities when he resurfaced at a routine traffic stop in Sweden.

Magnus Palm, 27, says he faked his own death in 2003 by renting a fishing boat in Norway and then pushing the boat out to sea making it seem he had drowned.

Palm says he wanted to start over, "I wanted to get away from my old life and start a new life."

While Norwegian authorities launched a search-and-rescue effort to find him, Palm was trekking through the south of Europe looking to find a place to settle and call home for his new life..

Palm says, "Things went well in the beginning, I traveled around in southern Europe, laid on the beach and enjoyed myself, had different odd jobs and took it easy."

He left his bank accounts untouched and did not contact anyone to say he was alive - until this spring when he started longing for his family.

Palm is not suspected of any criminal activity in Sweden, however the owner of the boat Palm rented has filed theft charges against him.

Palm says looking back on his fabrication he regrets some of the choices he made.

"I caused some problems for a lot of people, including myself."

He continues, "But at the same time I have had a lot of experiences and learned a lot. I have realized what I mean to the people closest to me."