Soft Start

I’m young enough to have spent most of my life as a student, so the end of summer still typically feels like a new beginning even though it hasn’t been that in a long, long time. When that reality sets in – that those automatic feelings of excitement are baseless – going back to work after summer vacation suddenly seems particularly tedious. My husband disagrees (all we’re doing is getting closer to ice-fishing season) but was nevertheless eager to delay full-time reality with what’s known here as a “soft start”. That is, easing our way in by not going back to work quite full-time. We cancelled all of our meetings last Friday, forwarded our calls, and headed back up to Dalarna with The Swede’s folks and the Segerstens.

With his parents in the car as backup, I was able to negotiate a leg-stretcher with The Swede aka “No Stops” at my favorite landmark.  

We arrived in Tällberg, at the hotel where we usually stay, just a few minutes after Sarianne’s family, then we all changed into our swimming suits and headed to the pool. We spent most of the day splashing around and taking it easy at the hotel, had Mama Swede’s birthday dinner (her birthday was on Saturday, but this dinner was much nicer than the one we had that day) and then took a walk through the village as the sun set.

 

Have I mentioned how much I love it up there? Gorgeous! 

The next morning, we met up with Ingvor and Roland, who were on their own mini-vacation nearby, for a walk on the lake.

 

Afterwards, we packed up and moved about ten minutes south to a cabin at Leksand Sommarland. It was a typical day in the park, except even more fun because Elin and Julia were there. Jamie and the girls tested an obstacle course built low in the trees and then Elin asked me if I wanted to do the tree-top one. I’m afraid of heights but I have a policy to always do things that scare me (but won’t kill me) so I had to say yes.

 

It was like childbirth, you guys. I was terrified, it was hard, it hurt, and I just wanted it to be over. And when it was, I was super proud of what I’d just done.

This is what terror looks like.

We got home yesterday in time for me to get a ton of stuff done around the house, which made going back to work today somewhat more tolerable. No more three-day weekends. The soft start is over.  

Daily Jamie

"No, I swear, I'm just taking a selfie."

Mission Statement

For some reason, a few weeks ago I started thinking that maybe I should trade in my car for a newer one. My current car is six years old, but in excellent shape since we’re religious about servicing it, and it’s pretty much my dream car. (Well, okay, this one is, but my Volvo is the runner up.) So why would I start checking out every station wagon I see, picturing myself behind the wheel, and wondering what the trade-in value is on my car? I love my car, for crying out loud! 

When all of the most important parts of my life are also in excellent shape, have I been thinking about a new freaking car because I always want to be moving forward, getting better in some way? And what, a car is easier than trying to become a better wife and mother or taking steps toward a more satisfying career or getting in shape or learning something or doing something? Is that it? A car is easy? STUFF is easy? 

What happened to me? When I lived in Cleveland, I had a bumper sticker on the back of my car (also several years old, also well taken-care-of, also loved) that read “Want Less”. So simple. But even then, when my financial circumstances required that I want less, it was really, really hard to remember. A girl at the office had a wardrobe that I coveted. I was a cosmetics enthusiast even then. The things I really wanted then were the things I have now: an adventure and a family. When I got those things I was supposed to keep trying to want less of that wardrobe, that makeup, and so on. But I forgot. I moved to Sweden with one suitcase and was perfectly happy with the stuff inside of it and the tiny apartment chock full of love that still had room for those things. And I had the man who owned the apartment. And I was in a new world, learning every day and wanting very little. And then I got a job and I guess that’s when I started forgetting to want less. I could want more.

Well I’m tired. Wanting a different car made me feel icky. Looking at a blouse in my closet with the tag still on that doesn’t even look that great on me and that I bought because it was on sale and I just wanted to buy something makes me feel icky. The time I spend staring at my wallpaper and wanting to change it is not helping me move forward. New wallpaper would most certainly not make me better in any way. 

I have no need for any more stuff. I’m going back to wanting less. All I want now is experiences. Knowledge. To become better. 

That’s until I can afford the Tesla, anyway.

Daily Jamie

Daily Jamie

August 1st 

August 2nd

McMemories

This is a little rando, but when we were in Helsingborg a couple of weeks ago and popped in at the toy museum there was one display that I found particularly interesting. They had every McDonald's Happy Meal toy since the early eighties. The memories, people. Some of these pieces of plastic took my dang breath away.

When the Zoo-Faces came out I was seven years old. I have not given them a single thought since 1990 and yet I swear to you I can still smell the rubber.

I'm pretty sure there were two dozen of those Flounder spray toys between the neighbor kids and my siblings and me. I see them sitting on the edge of my childhood bathtub as clearly as if it were yesterday.

The Monster McNuggets memory is somewhat less vivid, which is strange since I was thirteen. Even more strange: I was apparently eating Happy Meals at thirteen years old.

On a related note, Jamie and I watched Inside Out this weekend. Well, okay, I watched it because after a little while Jamie didn't think it was such a fun movie to watch with Mom if she's bawling the whole time. Which, since I'm an adult human being, I was. I'm not sure if I'm recommending it or not because, like Derek, I cried the whole time and it made me feel sad just as often as it uplifted, but, also like Derek, Inside Out is one of the very best things I've watched in a long time. So I guess watch it. And Derek. And bring the kleenex.  

Daily Jamie

Celebrating Stockholm Pride

Daily Jamie

July 28th

July 30th

The End Of The Road

Oh, jeez, it seems so long ago now, but here are some photos from another stop on our road-trip last week. After the beach, we drove south to Helsingborg, partly because we knew we could take the ferry from there to Denmark, but mostly because AIK was playing there and The Swede is, as you well know, a big football fan. 

Jambo (for the time being, anyway) and I are not as loyal to the team, however, and spent the afternoon exploring the city. It was actually perfect because Jamie's curiosity led us to some pretty incredible places. We climbed the staircase up to the rooftop of the medieval castle above, for example, and enjoyed 360 degree views of the city, the port, and Denmark, just across the water.

We explored a beautiful botanical garden, climbed trees in a park, and played for a good long while on the steps leading to the castle. On our way back to the car, we spotted a toy museum and HAD to peek in there. We only had twenty minutes before it closed, but could have stayed all day.  

AIK lost the match, but The Swede had cheered up by the next morning so we hopped on a ferry and took the fifteen-minute trip to Helsingør, Denmark. It was pretty much exactly like Sweden except they were speaking the weirdest language, you guys. Oh, and Sweden was just, you know, generally a little bit better. 

We didn't stay long, not even long enough to enjoy a red hot dog. Instead, we got back on the road and headed to Astrid Lindgrens värld to meet Pippi and Emil and all of the other beloved characters from Swedish children's literature, where I unfortunately did not take any good pictures. And now you're all caught up! I'm back at work this week and The Swede and Jamie get back to the grind on Monday. I can't remember the last time I saw the sun, we have nothing on the calendar till - what can it be - Christmas?!?, and it honestly feels like summer never even happened. Meanwhile The Swede is pumped. Ice fishing season is just around the corner! 

Daily Jamie

Tylösand 2015

Well, it's been a week since we got home from our little vacay so I'd say it's about time I share some pics. Just like last year, we headed to the west coast to spend a few days at the shore.

It wasn't as warm as last year so there was only one day that we were able to hang on the beach, which was fine because my dudes thought it was a little too sandy. We spent most of our time in the pool at the hotel, which we had almost entirely to ourselves most of the time since the other people staying at the hotel apparently enjoy sand.

We enjoyed a few walks on the beach, collected a ton of shells (which are now residing on our front deck), and ate some really delicious food.

Three days was just long enough and then we headed further south for the next leg of our grand road trip across southern Sweden.