Dear Sweden, Thank You

Jet lagged and sleep deprived, I am returning to work after an unforgettable trip to Sweden. As I sit here to recap my trip, I am filled with appreciation and gratitude that I was fortunate enough to go on the journey. Five days. Five days that seemed to fly by but at the same time those five days felt unbelievably long. The days were meticulously filled with sight seeing, soaking up every bit of Swedish culture, and visiting with lots of Erik’s family. When looking back on the trip, meeting all his family for the first time was something I will cherish forever.

Our days were not solely focused on sight seeing, since there were many family members that we wanted to spend time with. Once we arrived, Erik’s cousin picked us up at the train station and brought us to his home. This was the most unique and intriguing experience throughout the whole trip. His home was something you would imagine from a child’s fairy tale. Beautiful colors throughout the exterior; reds and yellows covered the intricate detail of the house. Once you walked inside, it was like nothing I had seen before. Vintage decor that had been passed down from generation to generation, each piece having its own story. We sat in the sun room to enjoy coffee and snacks (Fika) sharing stories of the family and learning more about the property they live on. To say they stay busy throughout the year would be an understatement but they described everything rather nonchalantly. They have a small apple orchard from which they make their own apple juice and apple cider vinegar. They have chickens on their property so they have fresh eggs every day. During the summer, grapes are grown to make their own wine in their cellars. And I can’t forget the artwork and wood carvings that are scattered around the property that he creates in his “spare time”. Where trees break or fall, he carves works of art from the stumps that remain.

There is so much that I could say about their property that amazed me and we only stayed one night. He was so proud to show us around the property and tell us the story of each landmark. At this point, I was absolutely drained from traveling over 24 hours but we stayed up to exchange stories, laughed about good times, and enjoyed each other’s company.

Day two we drove towards Hasselby Strands, outside of Stockholm for the funeral service of Erik’s relatives. We walked inside the church and sat towards the back. I looked around, taking every detail in that I could since I had never experienced a funeral service in Swedish. Eva and Magus were married over 70 years and passed only three weeks from one another. The service commemorated both of them in such a poetic way, it was beautiful. Each person brought flowers or greenery to place on top of each coffin, forming two bouquets by the end. Taking turns each person walked up to the front of the church to place their flowers and to pay their respects. Listening to each person speak in Swedish, I looked around to see how those words impacted the family. Tears of happiness, tears of sadness as their long, rich lives were remembered through the day.

Proceeding the service, we joined the family for a luncheon to gather and further celebrate the lives of Eva and Magnus. Again, I was moved by the reactions of everyone around me as each person got up to speak about their memories with them or how they impacted their lives. They were married 70 plus years and spent their time traveling together and seeing the world. There was never one without the other and that was the main theme when someone spoke of them.

Following the luncheon, we migrated to the apartment they shared for the past 25 years. Remaining frozen in time, the apartment was filled with their memories, past travels, and keep sakes that they acquired throughout the way. We stumbled across an old box in a closet that was filled with hundreds of postcards from around the world. Some were written on with short notes from their travels and others blank to remain a keepsake from the trip. There were so many different envelops stuffed in the box, all labeled with a different country and each filled with many postcards acquired through their lives. “A picture is worth a thousand words”. Their apartment was filled with old postcards, music boxes, artwork, and much more that told us endless stories of their lives. We spent time visiting with family members at their apartment, looking through old photo albums and talking about memories that came up in the moment.

On Friday morning (day three), we woke up and made our way to Stockholm Classic, a uniquely beautiful tattoo shop. We had decided together we wanted to get tattoos in another country, at some point in our lives. The opportunity arose quicker than expected but we took advantage of the moment. Checking two things off our bucket list feels amazing. We made it to Sweden and we got tattoos while we were there. Done and done! We wanted to get a traditional Swedish tattoo to commemorate our trip, we decided on a colorful Dala Horse. Our tattoo artist was originally from the area where the Dala Horse originated so he was excited to do them for us. Every time I look at the tattoo, I will remember all the great memories from our trip. Each time someone asks me about it I will have the chance to relive those moments all over again smiling from ear to ear.

The area where the tattoo shop was located was described as a growing area for young adults to live. It was filled with unique coffee shops and cafes where hip young adults wandered the streets. The fashion in Stockholm was fantastic, I wanted to bring so much home with me but had limited space in my carryon. Women wearing baggy worn out jeans, adidas sneakers, and a vintage leather jacket. Chic grunge is what I would describe it as, I was in love. It looked like each item was meticulously picked out from a second hand shop and worn so many times it could tell endless stories.

That evening, we ventured to a cousin’s house to have dinner with family. They wanted to share a few traditional Swedish meals with us before we left which included Swedish pizza (very very thin crust) and Smörgåstårta which is basically a big sandwich in the shape of a cake. As we were enjoying all aspects of Swedish culture, we brought a sliver of “American culture” to share with the family. As I sat with Erik’s family, I looked over at the kids to see pure joy plastered across their faces. Erik’s cousin from the states had brought American treats for the kids to try and the reaction was priceless. Snacks ranging from Pringles, Nerds, Pop Tarts, Lucky Charms, and Fruit Roll-ups had the kids buzzing both on a sugar high as well as pure excitement. Some decided to save their snacks to enjoy them later. Others, ripped through them within minutes eating the Pop Tarts as a sandwich while trying to grasp what a Fruit Roll-up actually is. In that moment, I realized it was just as exciting for them to learn about American culture as it was for us to learn about Swedish culture.

Our last full day, we spent time with two of his cousins wandering the Nordic Museum and going to a couple thrift stores. Most of the day was spent chatting about life and asking them many questions about our curiosities. They were so excited to spend the day with us and have the chance to meet us in person. It is difficult to describe the pure happiness I saw on everyone’s faces, watching them get to know family they had only seen on Facebook or Instagram. It was beautiful in every way.

This trip was uniquely special for me because I was watching my husband meet family for the first time and learn more about his Swedish heritage. This was his first trip to Sweden which has been a dream of his for a long time. I am so grateful I could experience this trip with him, he has such a great appreciation for his Swedish background, I could see it shining through everyday we were there.

Erik and I cannot wait to go back to Sweden but we also cannot wait to continue experiencing new places with different cultures. Five days of walking through cobblestone streets, getting to know family, and enjoying every second of the trip. Each day, we left the apartment around 8:00 or 9:00 in the morning and wouldn’t return until 11:00PM that same night. We were all exhausted by the end of the trip but we would do it again in a heartbeat. The last night we were there we returned to the apartment earlier than previous nights. When we got back around 6:30PM we looked outside our window to see the most beautiful sunset that took our breath away.

Sweden is made up of more than 220,000 islands, which is something that completely surprised me when we arrived. Everywhere you looked, water was nearby. We used the subway system to get around town, which took us from one island to the next without us even noticing. The air was crisp coming off of the water but looking out and taking in the sights was something I would see in a movie. Sweden, thank you for sharing your beauty with me. It was unforgettable.

To share these moments with my husband is something I will cherish in my heart forever. This was our first international trip together and will not be our last.

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough” – Mae West