I do realize that this blog post is long overdue, but those of you who are “in the know” can understand my reasoning for the delay. The truth is, I’ve been very busy and distracted. If you would have asked the ‘Maria 2 years ago’ why she was so busy…a long response concerning school, rehearsals, homework, practicing, and studying would have been in order. However, for the first time in a very, very long time, I have the opportunity to get my personal life in order.
Through all of the challenges I’ve faced getting acclimated to this new city, county, and culture, I have finally found a respect for myself that I’ve never really felt before. I’ve always been a very confident and motivated person, but through this experience I’ve found a new sense of peace…a satisfaction in my musical abilities and path for a career, a respect for my physical appearance (although it can always be improved!), and a sense of pride in who I am and where I come from. I know that the recent opportunity to truly let someone into my life is a result of this sense happiness and contentment, and I am astonished by the events of the past three weeks!
I love clichés. It’s true. I live by the motto that “everything happens for a reason” and truly believe it with all my heart (thanks for that, mom!) I don’t think that there are accidents in life and that the most beautiful things are unexpected. I also enjoy a good, romantic story…and am quite excited to have one for the books.
Before reading any further…go back and recall my blog entry from January entitled “Välkommen tillbaka till Sverige”. It briefly mentions talking to a guy on the airplane coming back to Sweden from the US after Christmas break. My flight was rerouted to Skellefteå (between Stockholm and Luleå), and during the hour and a half chaotic delay on the runway, I began talking to my handsome neighbor. I believe my phrase to break the ice was “I’m bored…do you speak English?” After an energetic conversation, and in a totally unexpected moment of bravery, I gave the then stranger my business card and told him to email me. I remember going to sleep that night hoping that he wouldn’t ‘drop the ball’, because I felt a very unusual, instant connection with him.
To my amazement, an email arrived in my inbox a few days later, and thus began a three month exchange of detailed, cautiously flirtatious, emails with Arvid. We talked about everything from our daily lives, to vacations, to TV and music, to politics (ick…), and everything in between. Eventually we began talking about meeting up. The first planned meeting occurred in Stockholm for my concert with Anders and the choir at Jakobs Church (see entry “plane, train, fire truck, van”) Arvid came to the concert, and then met up with me, Lou, and Marcel, for drinks later that night. I know now that we were both anxious and had very high expectations about this meeting…and we both had the same reaction. No chemistry…just friends…what a bummer!
After this encounter, I took the trip to Germany and Austria with Anders. I thought a lot about ‘airplane guy’ and how disappointed I was that we didn’t hit if off in person. When I got back to Sweden, we began texting and emailed again, but my intentions were innocent and friendly. I assumed we would just end up being great international friends.
When I decided to spend Easter up north, as opposed to spending it in Stockholm, Arvid invited me to spend the time with him and his family (they are from Skellefteå, which is very close to Piteå). He knew that I really wanted to ride on a snow scooter, and this was the perfect opportunity to do so. Now, recall the blog entry “Easter” and after you’ll realize that it is pretty hard not to fall for someone after such an amazing weekend surrounded by nature, beauty, kindness, laughter, food, and fun.
When Arvid drove me back to Piteå, I really couldn’t understand what I was feeling or what was going on. I had seen a different guy…more like the person I had been getting to know through emails, and less like the guy the I met up for drinks in Stockholm. But, he’s Swedish…I’m American…he hunts…I play music…he grew up in outdoorsy northern Sweden…I grew up in the comfy suburbs of Ohio. What was I thinking?! But, I knew that he was special, and when he offered to come back up to Piteå the following Thursday to cook me dinner, I couldn’t say no (…plus free dinner, I know you’re not surprised!)
The dinner on Thursday was perfect! There is nothing like a home-cooked gourmet meal to win the heart of this girl. Not to mention that the meat we were eating was from a moose that Arvid had hunted! We spent the evening eating, talking, and laughing. It was the perfect “date”…the only thing was I didn’t know if it was actually a date…or a nice guy just trying to make an American girl feel good. When he left I was once again very confused! Friends? More? What is happening?!
He came back up to Piteå that following Saturday. I spent the days in between the meetings trying to figure out what was going on in my head and my heart. I knew that I really liked him. He has so many amazing qualities that I am attracted to (I’m sure I’ll get into them more as the relationship progresses and blogging becomes a priority once again!) But, he never once crossed the friendship barrier…which can really play with a girl’s head!
During dinner on Saturday, another surge of bravery came over me. After some rambling and nonsense, I told him my feelings and asked him what was happening between us (crazy, I know…but it’s just how I do things!) He laughed and said that of course he liked me and wanted to see where things could go between us. In other words….green light!
After that, the relationship went into a ‘fast-forward’ mode. Arvid intended to go back to Uppsala (where he lives, just outside of Stockholm) the following week. However, because of the volcanic eruption in Iceland, all flights were cancelled in Europe for the week. It was a pain for most travelers, but you will not hear us complain. He spent most of the last two weeks with me in Piteå…meeting my friends, cooking amazing food (he loves my American banana pancakes, but breakfast is the only meal that I’m allowed plan, because he’s such a great chef!), learning about each other, walking around the town, and even working and being productive (he has his own company doing web-design and programming for various clients, so he could work while I continued my daily routine at school…it was nice that my professional life didn’t stop…I learned a lot of new music, had a few gigs and 3 recording sessions)
Now, I am in Uppsala spending the week with him and his friends. I could write about us for a very long time, with much more detail…but will leave that for my personal journal. Some of the details will just have to stay between us, but I promised myself that I wouldn’t hold anything back from this blog! So, I hope you enjoyed my little story…I know there is much more to come!
I also know that many of you are staying “I knew it!!!”…considering most predicted that I would meet a guy while I lived here. I was very, very skeptical…but one short, little flight with a long delay surely changed all that!
29.4.10
7.4.10
Summer Plans
When I got back to Piteå Sunday, I received an email from Alexa, the orchestra manager from the Baltic Youth Philharmonic. It stated that I made the orchestra! So, this summer I'll be playing and traveling with young musicians from northern Europe and Scandinavia. I'm so excited!
The orchestra doesn't meet the entire summer, so I will hopefully have a chance to go home to the US at some point. I also hope to visit Anna's home in southern Sweden (she's a farmer's daughter and promises that if I stay with them for a bit, I'll be put to work!). Anders and Anne invited me to their summer home in Gotland as well...so this summer is looking quite amazing!!!
The downside of making plans right now is that I won't know if I got into the Doctorial program here in Piteå until mid-end of May! Ugh! That's such a long time to wait, and I would really like to know where I'll be spending the next few years...not just to plan it physically, but to prepare mentally for being away from home. I’m trying to tell myself to just live each day as it comes, and not worry about the future too much. It’s easier said then done…but I am just trying to focus on all the amazing opportunities that are unraveling in the coming months!
The orchestra doesn't meet the entire summer, so I will hopefully have a chance to go home to the US at some point. I also hope to visit Anna's home in southern Sweden (she's a farmer's daughter and promises that if I stay with them for a bit, I'll be put to work!). Anders and Anne invited me to their summer home in Gotland as well...so this summer is looking quite amazing!!!
The downside of making plans right now is that I won't know if I got into the Doctorial program here in Piteå until mid-end of May! Ugh! That's such a long time to wait, and I would really like to know where I'll be spending the next few years...not just to plan it physically, but to prepare mentally for being away from home. I’m trying to tell myself to just live each day as it comes, and not worry about the future too much. It’s easier said then done…but I am just trying to focus on all the amazing opportunities that are unraveling in the coming months!
5.4.10
Easter
This weekend was really special! I expected to have a boring holiday after deciding to stay in Piteå and not travel back down to Stockholm to stay with Anne, Tove, and Emma. I knew I'd be going down there at the end of this month and thought it would be wise to stay up north, save some money, and try to be productive. But, the weekend turned out much differently than I expected…full of new friends and lots of adventure!
On Friday night, many of the students left in Piteå went over to Mirjana’s place for a pot luck Easter dinner party. I made some chocolate chip cookies (which are considered very “American”. They never make them over here!), and enjoyed a night with a great group of people. The best part about hanging out with musicians is that at every party there is always crazy people singing and dancing around…
The real adventure started when Arvid picked me up on Saturday morning to spend the rest of the weekend with him, his family, and their friends at their summer house in Renholmen (about a 30 min. drive south of Piteå). I had no idea what to expect…besides the fact that I was promised a ride on a snow scooter. I packed my winter pants that I bought at the Red Cross, a hat, gloves, and sweatpants, and hoped that I wasn’t in over my head!
When we were driving down the back road to the summer house, for a minute I wondered if I should trust a guy that I met on an airplane and only know through some email correspondences…haha...only because it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere and there was snow and ice everywhere! But, as soon as we got to the summer home I knew it would be a good weekend. His family was wonderful, and the surroundings looked as if they were staged for a movie.
After chatting for a bit, we got our snow gear on, and headed out to the snow scooter. I had no idea what was going on, but just tried to learn by observing and followed the group. Arvid’s parents rode on the actual scooter, while Arvid, Anna (his sister), and I sat I the sled attached to the back. It was wild! We drove around the coastline for a bit, looking for a site to spend the day. Swedes celebrate Easter on Saturday, so there were a lot of families out cooking and relaxing. We soon found a great spot, and set up a fire and the reindeer fur to sit on.
Then, I got to drive the snow scooter all by myself for the first time!! Arvid drove first, but then it was my turn. No lesson needed…just go! It was so much fun, a little scary to begin, but once I started to trust the machine it was a piece of cake! I even drove it all the way back to the campsite without a mistake.
Soon, another family close to the Åströms joined us, the Lundholms. They were equally as nice, and very easy to talk to. We had some Easter champagne (haha), some more snacks, and then Arvid, Tim, Evelina and I went on another snow scooter ride. Arvid and Tim drove at first, and we went a lot farther than the first trip. Then, it was the girls’ turn to take over! I actually ended up driving up the mountain (almost) all by myself (Arvid had to intervene a few times when the turns were really sharp and there were a lot of trees around…haha). The few from the top was amazing!
Soon it was time to head back to the house to search for eggs, take a sauna, watch the hockey game, eat dinner, and enjoy the company. The entire evening was lovely, and filled with a lot of laughter. The dinner was so good! For starters we had hardboiled eggs, bread, salmon, other means, caviar, herring, and many other yummy things (very Swedish!). I actually didn’t realize it was just the first course right away! Then, they brought out moose fillets with goose liver with a red wine sauce. The meal was complimented with some Finnish snaps…and the best part was that they would sing a song before drinking it throughout the meal! I loved it! After the meal, we hung around and even played a few card games. They quickly learned of my incredibly quick reflexes when playing the game ‘spoons’ :)
There are only about 35 houses on the island, and most of them stay within the families that have owned them for years. The light house on the island was incredible and quite unique (so I learned). Tim gave us a great tour and we all hiked through the snow that afternoon enjoying the scenery.
We went went back to the house and decided to go on one more scooter ride. I got to drive wherever I wanted! I was getting a little more confident, so I drove a little faster. I just didn’t want the day to end! I can’t even describe how cool it was to be outdoors, enjoy such great company, and see a part of the world I didn’t even know existed.
After another lovely afternoon of food and sitting out in the sun, we left the island to go back to Renholmen. I was sad to say goodbye to the Lundholms, they were such kind people! Hopefully I will be able to see them again in the future.
When we got back to the Åströms, everyone was so tired! I thought we would head back to Piteå right away, but relaxing was just too nice! We chatted a bit more, and then Arvid, Anna, and I played poker. Let’s just say…that my card playing skills prevailed once again, and I have bragging rights for the next few weeks :) I also joined them for dinner before having to say goodbye and head back up to reality.
Even though I only spent 2 days with them, I felt like I had known them forever! And, as we drove back it felt like I had been away from Piteå for much, much longer than 2 days. I think that is a sign of a really special experience, which I will be eternally grateful for!
The memories are even solidified in the Swedish newspaper ‘Expressen’. Arvid’s dad is a photographer, and they called him on Saturday asking him for a photo of a family celebrating Easter in the snow. He took a big group picture, and they printed it! Arvid and I stopped at a gas station and I picked up 5 copies...
As I tried to get settled back in my apartment, it was quite hard to comprehend the adventures of the weekend. I still can’t believe that they invited me into their Easter tradition with such open arms. Even more unreal than that is the fact that Arvid and I met chatting on a flight, and now we know so much about each other! The world sure is a crazy, and very small, place.
On Friday night, many of the students left in Piteå went over to Mirjana’s place for a pot luck Easter dinner party. I made some chocolate chip cookies (which are considered very “American”. They never make them over here!), and enjoyed a night with a great group of people. The best part about hanging out with musicians is that at every party there is always crazy people singing and dancing around…
every good holiday revolves around the food, no matter where you are!
I love that everything is always candle lit here. Thumbs up from Jenni, Simon, and Bjorn
They are all named Andreas. It's my "go-to" guess when I forget a guy's name here :)
and let the dancing begin!
The real adventure started when Arvid picked me up on Saturday morning to spend the rest of the weekend with him, his family, and their friends at their summer house in Renholmen (about a 30 min. drive south of Piteå). I had no idea what to expect…besides the fact that I was promised a ride on a snow scooter. I packed my winter pants that I bought at the Red Cross, a hat, gloves, and sweatpants, and hoped that I wasn’t in over my head!
When we were driving down the back road to the summer house, for a minute I wondered if I should trust a guy that I met on an airplane and only know through some email correspondences…haha...only because it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere and there was snow and ice everywhere! But, as soon as we got to the summer home I knew it would be a good weekend. His family was wonderful, and the surroundings looked as if they were staged for a movie.
This is where we spent the day
Then, I got to drive the snow scooter all by myself for the first time!! Arvid drove first, but then it was my turn. No lesson needed…just go! It was so much fun, a little scary to begin, but once I started to trust the machine it was a piece of cake! I even drove it all the way back to the campsite without a mistake.
Soon, another family close to the Åströms joined us, the Lundholms. They were equally as nice, and very easy to talk to. We had some Easter champagne (haha), some more snacks, and then Arvid, Tim, Evelina and I went on another snow scooter ride. Arvid and Tim drove at first, and we went a lot farther than the first trip. Then, it was the girls’ turn to take over! I actually ended up driving up the mountain (almost) all by myself (Arvid had to intervene a few times when the turns were really sharp and there were a lot of trees around…haha). The few from the top was amazing!
Tim and Evelina had all the right gear!
The view from the driver's seat!
Ah! so much snow!
amazing view!
getting ready for dinner!
hanging out after the day of "a lot of fresh air and sun" not "too much fesh air and sun"...because there is no such thing!
The next day we decided to go up to the Lundholms’ summer home which is on an island north of where we were (about a 20 minute ride on the snow scooters). We loaded everything up, and were on our way!
passing some people fishing!
There are only about 35 houses on the island, and most of them stay within the families that have owned them for years. The light house on the island was incredible and quite unique (so I learned). Tim gave us a great tour and we all hiked through the snow that afternoon enjoying the scenery.
The lighthouse
at the top!
Arvid and me
The lovely people that shared their traditions with me :)
After another lovely afternoon of food and sitting out in the sun, we left the island to go back to Renholmen. I was sad to say goodbye to the Lundholms, they were such kind people! Hopefully I will be able to see them again in the future.
sitting the sun!!
Even though I only spent 2 days with them, I felt like I had known them forever! And, as we drove back it felt like I had been away from Piteå for much, much longer than 2 days. I think that is a sign of a really special experience, which I will be eternally grateful for!
The memories are even solidified in the Swedish newspaper ‘Expressen’. Arvid’s dad is a photographer, and they called him on Saturday asking him for a photo of a family celebrating Easter in the snow. He took a big group picture, and they printed it! Arvid and I stopped at a gas station and I picked up 5 copies...
As I tried to get settled back in my apartment, it was quite hard to comprehend the adventures of the weekend. I still can’t believe that they invited me into their Easter tradition with such open arms. Even more unreal than that is the fact that Arvid and I met chatting on a flight, and now we know so much about each other! The world sure is a crazy, and very small, place.
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