Today Madison ordered up wind, clouds, & mid-40 degree weather. It's usually my least favorite weather, but today I enjoyed wearing my down coat for the 1st time & getting a bit cold on my bike ride to school and back. Anytime its mid-40s to 50s and cloudy, it reminds me of Sweden. My parents immigrated from Sweden, and it's my absolute favorite place to visit. The weather in Sweden is pretty fickle & goes something like this- early summer- 50 degrees and rainy, fall- 40 degrees, windy, rainy- spring-40-50 degrees & yep- you got it- probably rainy. Swedish people love to complain about the weather, but since I don't live there I can take some comfort in the "dreariness" & the wonderful memories it conjures up.
My sister has traveled all around Europe, & prefers to see new places on her vacations, but all I ever want to do is go back to "the homeland". There is so much I haven't seen! Growing up, I used to visit 1x/year- but ever since high school I've only made it there 1x every three years. Dr. Hottie has been with me to Sweden three times (2007, 2010, & 2013). Our most memorable trip was getting married there in 2010.
My sister has traveled all around Europe, & prefers to see new places on her vacations, but all I ever want to do is go back to "the homeland". There is so much I haven't seen! Growing up, I used to visit 1x/year- but ever since high school I've only made it there 1x every three years. Dr. Hottie has been with me to Sweden three times (2007, 2010, & 2013). Our most memorable trip was getting married there in 2010.
We got married in the same town my dad grew up in. The church dates back to the 14th century but burned down several times & the one in the picture was built in the late 1700s. One set of my grandparents are buried there, and my dad, aunt, & uncle were all confirmed there. One of my favorite parts of the church is the land around it- rolling hills, fresh air, and of course- trees! The wedding was truly a special & unforgettable day.
One of the perks of marrying abroad is the inability to stress about the details. I had never been to the place where we had the reception, so I didn't have any expectations. We didn't know what the food would taste like, what the cake would look like, or what type of music was going to be played- and that was absolutely perfect for me. The reception was at a farm that is now owned by my 2nd cousin who has turned it into a wonderful site for special events.
Our honeymoon was spent biking and camping along the Gota Canal.
This past summer, we had a quick 10 days in Sweden but had plenty of adventures. We visited family, toured Stockholm, and hiked/camped along Sormlandsleden near Nykoping.
The next Swedish adventure is going to have to be short & sweet due to Dr. Hottie's vacation schedule. He is assigned 3 one week chunks of vacation time, but I've already come up with a way for him to squeeze in our next Swedish bucket list item. 4 days of hiking on Kungsleden, a trail in the WAY north of Sweden-close to the arctic circle. The only months the trail is free of snow is June and July- the exact same time of year that part of Sweden sees 24 hours of light. We can hike all day and night without headlights- woot! What I desperately want to see is Kebnekaise- the highest peak in Sweden at ~ 6000ft. That's nothing to a Coloradan or Utahn, but the mountain is beautiful and incredibly unique. So, 2 days of travel and 4 straight days of hiking = Dr. Hottie exhausted come the 1st work day back, but I refuse to let residency life rob us of 6 years sans "homeland".
Well a dreary 45 degrees led to a whole lot of daydreaming!
Well a dreary 45 degrees led to a whole lot of daydreaming!