What's New In Sweden

I've gotten a few phone calls and emails from friends lately who would like me to cut through the surface-level accounts of Swedish culture for a moment and say something personal on this blog. "Yes, yes, but how are you REALLY doing?" my concerned friends keep asking. I think they all think I must be going mad with the short days, the gray weather and the long distance to John.

Well, there are ups and downs, of course. There have been a few days that have been hard. I felt a bit adrift after returning to Sweden after my honeymoon, like "what the hell am I doing here?" But honestly, cross my heart, overall I'm doing quite well. I miss John a lot, but being apart seems to have strengthened our relationship. There's not the anxiety that usually accompanies long-distance relationships because, well, we're married. It's not like we can just up and decide not to be together. It sounds a little silly, but the fact that we're married makes us both feel secure, and the fact that we're apart makes us feel independent. We're glad it's not for any longer than what's already arranged, but we're dealing with it just fine.

And the weather in Stockholm is not such a big deal, either. It's sort of romantic, actually. It's misty and mysterious, and with the sun setting at around 3 pm, you have this strange sense that there's an extremely vibrant nightlife in the city, even though what's really happening is that people are going about their usual day life in the dark.

Plus, I've made some really nice friends here. I keep hearing about how hard it is to break through and really get to know Swedes, but maybe I lucked out because I had an "in" with friends of friends from the get-go. Or maybe Swedes just like to think of themselves as distant and reserved. I think that's definitely the feeling you get when you encounter strangers around town. But one-on-one, just about every single person I've met has been warm and hospitable.

I'm starting to search for the person who will fill my position here when I go back to the States, and I'm surprised to find that I'm already a little nostalgic! I feel like I'm leaving soon and I'm going to miss this place and these people. Stockholm moves a whole lot slower than New York. The pace is more like Santa Fe, with the same emphasis on quality of life, relaxing and spending time in the outdoors. For me, that's the most surreal thing. I'm in a city, but it's so... chill. Apart from the Swedish obsession with punctuality, that is. I guess it's chill if you just prepare to be at a place with the right amount of time to get there in a leisurely fashion. I haven't mastered that art yet, but I'm getting better.

I'm hoping we get some snow around here soon. It's been icy a few times, but the sea hasn't frozen over yet. I really want to try skating or cross-country skiing while I'm here. People go on long, er, hikes over the frozen waterways and it would be fun to check that out. Niklas says he doesn't do that because he's afraid he'll fall through thin ice and die. Which gives me pause. But Fresh and Sweaty has an outdoors program and I doubt they'd let the inevitable duckling queue of middle-aged skaters fall into the sub-zero water. So maybe I'll go with them.

But anyway, the point of all this is: I'm fine. Really. Better than fine! I'm going to enjoy my time in Sweden and then return to a politically changed country that feels entirely new, and that's pretty awesome.