The days when I am most happy here in Sweden are the days I am busy and feeling productive. This morning (just as every morning) I got up at 6:30, showered and got myself ready for school. I am also J's fail-safe alarm clock. Whenever his alarms don't seem to wake him at all (which is nearly every morning), my job is to get him up. The mornings I have to be at school at 8:20am, I feel like a drill sergeant. I have to make sure he's up and going so I can be on time to school! (I have to drop him off at work before I go to school, or if we're running really late he drops me off at school and takes the car to work).
Anyway! When I have SFI in the morning it runs from 8:20 to 11:40. J and I actually had lunch together today, and then we proceeded to the hair dresser in the downtown mall (he was getting to look shaggy!). After that we came home, I did some work, and then at 3pm I had my weekly meeting with a woman whom I shall call B. I'm not sure if I mentioned her before, but this is the second week I have met with her. She is a Swedish woman who is around 60 years old. I was given her email address by the director of the English program I volunteer at every other week to help Swedish children improve/practice their English. The woman, B, simply wants conversational practice with English so she won't forget the language. She told me last week at our first meeting that English is becoming more and more used here in Sweden (as I myself have noticed) and she doesn't want to be left behind. Thus, every Thursday at 3pm we meet in a local café and chat about anything and everything for about an hour. She buys me fika, and even gives me a little cash on the side for my time! She is interesting to speak with. It's a wonderful arrangement. I just arrived home from this about a half hour ago.
Then once I got home today I did the dishes, and here I am writing a blog post. I've been busy just about all day doing things "that matter," so to speak. I have a craving to do things that matter and that feel productive. I think it's greatly heightened here in Sweden, though, because it makes me feel like a part of society - getting out there and interacting with people. Sitting at home all day would absolutely drive me insane. It also makes coming home that much nicer at the end of the day.
As for the walk home from meeting with B today...well the temperature is hovering right around the freezing mark, and when this temperature combines with precipitation, it's not really all that pleasant to walk in. It is kind of snowing outside, yet when it hits your face and the ground, it definitely feels like really heavy rain. Thankfully, even though I didn't have an umbrella, at least my coat had a hood. Oh Sweden.
My friend M and I are going shopping together this weekend! I don't know what it is, she and I were talking about it in class yesterday, but we feel like we have to have someone shopping with us here in Sweden. When we are both back home in the States we're perfectly comfortable to go out shopping on our own. But for some reason here in Sweden it's like we feel exposed, or something. So we've made a shopping date over the weekend (I need a pair or two of jean-leggings, and she's spotted some things she wants to try on at H&M). Her sambo is also gone for a couple of weeks due to his job, and so she won't have much to do all weekend anyway. I also figure that J would probably love some alone time (as whenever he is home, I am home). I'm excited to go shopping with her, to say the least!
It's crazy how yesterday I was in a rather apathetic mood and couldn't be bothered to even do the dishes. Today, I feel like I want to do everything! I have three quite ripe bananas in the kitchen, and I want to look up a banana bread recipe. I feel like baking. Wish me luck!
2 comments:
I know what you mean. You really appreciate things when they pick up, because the start of moving to Sweden is so slow and you're not really sure what to do.
It's great to be able to establish roots that will hold us to our new home.
I feel the same way, but at times I also feel burdened by all the change. But that feeling usually doesn't last after an energizing nap or a night reading books or playing games.
Glad to hear things are going so well for you, great blog. :)
I'm glad you understand! It's so true about being slow and not being sure what to do, and then being glad about things picking up. And yet still sometimes that burden is there. I'm getting a pretty good rhythm now, though.
Thanks for the compliment about my blog. =)
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