Skip to main content

Posts

Featured

9 years in Sweden & the winds of change

Nine years ago I sold all my furniture. I threw or gave away as many pieces of clothing as possible, and put the rest in boxes, except for what I could fit in two suitcases. I wrapped all my dishes up carefully, putting extra paper towels around my favorite mugs, pretty sad I couldn't bring them. I sorted and packed all the many photos I'd had pinned up everywhere and slipped a couple dozen into the suitcases. I'd thrown a goodbye party a few days before, but one by one my friends came by to give a private, often more emotional, farewell. I drove with a full car out of Santa Barbara, crying in the dark, up to the San Francisco area for family goodbyes and storage errands. Shortly after that, I was on a plane, looking down at an expanse of forest, and preparing to land while listening to the 8 minute Tiesto & Jonsi song I'd been playing for a year while envisioning that exact moment, but finally living it (dork). Then, nine years ago today, I finally arrived in Swed

Latest Posts

Five Years in Sweden, Ladies and Gentlemen! (Okay almost 5 1/2 now...)

The Winter Swede and the Summer Swede

How I learned Swedish: Puss, Upphetsad, Simbassäng and other memorable words

Power, Privilege and Prejudice: Lessons from being a foreigner

Once a villain, now a hero... Swedish Summer Vacation