In Stockholm!

A Stockholm-themed excerpt from my journal entry on Sunday, January 23:

     It's real! And it is beautiful and efficient and thrilling. Yes, this is how we're expected
     to feel at first, but the coolness of this city would be apparent to anyone.

This jet-lagged writer just couldn't hide his excitement about arriving in Stockholm. Reviewing the italicized words above, I'm so happy to realize that the writer was me! How lucky I am to be having this new experience!

My first flight, from Hartford to NYC, arrived so early that the information for my next flight (to Sweden) was not yet posted, but as I walked past the many gates of JFK's international terminal, I became quite aware when I was finally in the right place. Tall, blond, and athletic men and women filled the seats, and I was more than happy to sit down with them.

Seven sleepless hours later, I was flying over the frozen lakes of Sweden, feeling completely blown away by the 8am sunrise.

My attention was taken away from the window as a stewardess asked me, in Swedish, if I would like anything to drink. Asking her, in English, if I could have some water, I noticed the passenger sitting next to me perk up, opening his eyes for the first time during the whole trip.

"Is that an American accent?" he asked.

Of course I told him that it was, and we soon began to chat. He was from Kodiak Island, Alaska, where he makes a living by installing irrigation lines (sounds awful to me, too, but he makes a six-figure salary and gets two weeks off for every two he's on). He was flying to Sweden to visit his fiancé and child, and he had plenty to tell me about the place.

"First of all," he said, "the women in Sweden are just incredible." He then went on a rant about how ugly the women in Alaska are and how his hometown is so barren that he can stand on his back deck and fire rounds out of his rifle without anyone hearing a thing. But the guy meant well, and, looking around at the women on the flight, I knew that his first statement had been quite accurate. I also accepted his advice to try Swedish meatballs and pancakes as soon as possible, and I am quite excited for those meals. But at that moment, I was most excited to step off the plane and begin my adventure.

Arlanda Airport

As was to be expected, I could read all the signs, for they were printed in both Swedish and English:

The airport was the cleanest, brightest, and most quiet one I have ever been in. There was one 7-Eleven, but I walked right past it without a single twinge of homesickness. I was so ready for the new experiences to begin. They did as soon as I got into a taxi that, despite using the same GPS system that I myself own, displayed a gauge I had never before seen:

KILOMETERS PER HOUR!

The rest of the day went by fast. I moved into my apartment, resisted the urge to take a nap, and met the rest of the students at a dinner in downtown Stockholm. The subway ride into the city was just as quiet, clean, and smooth as my Arlanda airport experience had been. In fact, to be environmentally friendly, Swedish escalators do not move at all unless people step in front of them; thus, escalators never function unless people are actually there to need them.

Purchasing milk was the most difficult part of my day (I couldn't even greet people in Swedish at this point... but "hej" means "hello," and it's pronounced like "hey" - how cool is that?!), quickly surpassing the challenge of finding the right milk in the first place (why is it spelled 3 different ways on 3 different containers... where is my familiar gallon jug... why the heck is there a 3% option?!). But hey, the "go green" theme still rang true in this venue, as I walked out of the store with the milk container in my hands because I had not thought to ask, and pay for, a plastic bag.

Check out the European license plates:

And my apartment, from the outside:

Being here in Stockholm is so gosh darn cool. Sweden is like its own little world of sorts. It has stayed out of war for 200 years and has its own health care plan, language, and currency. It looks just similar enough to the States to make me think that nothing is that different... until I realize that I cannot read, write, speak, or comprehend the language that everyone speaks. I'm working to change that, though, and the language barrier challenge is one that I will enjoy for its realness but also work to overcome. I have had fascinating interactions with several Swedes and will describe those encounters in my next post. Until then, just know that I am having the time of my life in a country that has impressed the heck out of me during my first two days in it! I'm here with some awesome students who have already become good friends, and I'm so grateful for each new moment.