I am in Sweden...the land of warm, fluffy dynes...delicious, soul pleasing chocolate...current home of 2 of my very favorite people in all the world. I never thought I would have this opportunity to return to Sweden and Denmark with my husband and 3 children. I never thought I would be able to share this piece of my childhood with my children who just happen to be the same ages I was when I lived here. I arrived in Sweden when I was 5 years old and moved back to the US when I was 8 years old. I was baptized here. I started attending school here. I made my first best friends, attended primary, learned the truth about Santa Claus, taught potatoes how to sing, learned all the words to Abba songs, dressed up as an Easter witch, got to be Santa Lucia, and discovered chocolate in this amazing country. It is such a significant part of my childhood. My first memories are from our time in Sweden. It is part of the fabric of my soul! And here I am...it is a dream.
We left for the motherland last Wednesday. The kids did a FANTASTIC job traveling. Because we ended up on the back row for the first flight, we made an amazing new friend! One of the "jump" seats for the flight attendants literally pulled out of a tiny closet in front of the bathroom. It ended up taking quite a while for us to leave Salt Lake City and in that time, I chatted with Diane...an amazing flight attendant from nothern Mississippi. We talked about children and husbands and family. We talked about dreams and patience and the ebb of time. We talked about having the courage to follow your dreams despite the naysayers or chronicle age of your life. I learned so much from her and that conversation we had on the back row of that plane. AND she fed me and gave me a can of CranApple juice...it was a friendship made in heaven!
After a long walking tour on the moving walkways of the Minneapolis, MN airport, we boarded the next plane for Amsterdam. We once again dominated the back row of the plane. Luckily, the seats reclined AND had little TV's on the back of each seat. My children were in media paradise. They watched movies and played games in between cat naps, snacks, meals, and drinks. And all they had to do was sit there. Really, kid paradise. Now when I'm trying to get them to be obedient, I'm just going to play my "plane" card. "If you want to go back to paradise where you don't have to clean up and people serve you food and drinks and you watch TV all you want, then you better be obedient!"
Hannah had a little accident on the first plane (thank heavens for leather seats and a little packet of wipies tucked in my backpack) and on the second plane, she blew out 2 pull-ups. (Note to self: A new Hello Kitty water bottle is NOT a good idea for a 5 year old in confined spaces!) We finally put on the last Pull-Up, laid her pants on the back of the seat to dry, and dosed her with a little Melatonin. She ended up curled on the floor in front of our seats with a pillow and velvety blanket. Ah, to be a child again!
There was a woman in front of us from Somalia traveling all alone to Amsterdam and then on to Kenya with her 3 small children (ages 6, 4, and 2!). She was so tired but determined to keep her children awake on the flight. She didn't have any toys or activities to keep them busy and they spoke very little English so the movies and other activities on the TV weren't very appealing. We shared some candy and snacks, crayons and paper, and Hannah entertained the 2 oldest with a bag of Littlest Pet Shop figures. It made me marvel at the strength of women all over the world. I don't know her story or why they were going where they were going. I don't know if she has a husband or where he was. But she amazed me. I really felt grateful for this sisterhood of women around the world...we may come from different places, worship different gods, wear different clothing and have a variety of differences, but I believe we also possess an equal number of similarities. We are mothers and wives, daughters and sisters. We deal with rowdy children and cleaning up messes and making lots of people happy in trying circumstances. We get so tired that we don't think we can do one more thing and then we rally and do lots of things. We go where we need to go, we do what needs to be done, and we have the opportunity to help and strengthen each other along the way. It is what keeps us going! I hope she made it safely to Kenya and had people there who helped take care of her kids and gave her a long nap!
Once we reached Amsterdam, we raced about a mile across the airport (they even had signs telling how far in km and minutes it would take to get to your different gates!) to catch our next flight to Stockholm. I was waiting for the meltdowns that never came! So, so, so proud of my children! When we landed in Stockholm, I have never felt so relieved! And there, waiting right outside, were my parents. I hugged my mom so tight and cried. I didn't expect to be so overcome looking at her beautiful face! And my Papa...oh my Papa! I've missed them so much! I'm afraid they are going to be very tired of me following them around and just sitting and staring at their wonderful faces!
In an effort to keep the kids awake as long as possible and try to take advantage of the next adrenaline high, we drove to a beautiful little town called Sigtuna with a very big history.
The town was founded back in the 10th century and "minted" the first Swedish coin. Its network of streets, church ruins and monastery church date back to the Middle Ages...that was SO long ago!
Sigtuna has more Viking rune stones than any other town in the WORLD! (over 150)
I love that our children have come half way around the world to play with sticks in the snow and puddles. It was their favorite thing!
We walked through a stone church built in the 12/13th centuries and used until the Reformation.
The amazing Church of Maria is the oldest brick building in the valley and dates back to 1247. Stora Gatan is the main street in the town and the oldest street in Sweden. The present network of streets and sites is based on the original city plan of 980. This stuff is OLD...and very, very cool. It is hard to wrap my "young" American mind around the long history of this country and contemplate the people and events that have occurred through the centuries. It is so awe-inspiring to me!
The town hall is the smallest town hall in Scandinavia and dates back to the 18th century.
We finished our fabulous tour with real Swedish polse (hot dogs) and Mer at a little cafe in town. As everyone headed back to the car, I walked a couple extra blocks by myself and tried to take it all in. I love this country and its culture. I love its red and white homes and tiny shopping streets. I love the mothers and children in their fun rubber boots running errands. I love the girls dressed in their witch costumes and delivering goods in a basket to their neighbors and receiving candy. I love it. Love, love, love it!
We left and drove back to my parent's beautiful, charming, amazing home! It is so wonderful...
And a basket of Swedish goodies that have been delicious and amazing!
When I come here, I feel like I am coming home. I love the toilets that you pull the knob on the top to flush, the door handles that push down, the ground in the forest that make you feel like you are walking on clouds, the smells, the cobblestone streets, the feel of the air as I breathe, the moss on the rocks and trees that make it feel like you are in a fairy tale, the bike stop lights, the Viking graves sprinkled throughout the neighborhoods and the language that is a song in my heart. I love it. I feel like I’ve walked around with a silly, silly smile on my face since I arrived here. And every time I’ve opened my mouth, I’ve been surprised that I don’t just speak fluent Swedish.
It is really, truly a dream come true!
