People have to overcome a lot of adversity in their life, and, as life would have it, "Moving to Europe" is mine.....haha I know, tough life right?
Things have been great here. It has come as a pleasant surprise that there is better weather in Stockholm right now than in Boise, Idaho and Boulder, Colorado :D. There is still snow on the ground, but in the week I have been here It has been a sunny, dry 32-36 in the daytime, with chillier temperatures when the sun sets. Around here, the saying goes that spring officially arrives when it stays above freezing for a week straight-Sounds lovely right? Well I promise you, it is better than it sounds, and while you are all out shoveling your respective driveways, I will be taking a nice walk through the nature preserve a half-mile from my house.
All in all, living in Sweden has been an easy transition. The Stockholm Mean Machines club has done everything possible to help me out, and the guys on the team are doing their best to make sure I don't turn up the oven to 450 degrees celsius to cook some meatballs and burn the whole housing complex down.
The degrees change is coming along better than expected, but it is the little differences that really let you know you're on the other side of the world. Yesterday, during a nice little stroll through my neighborhood, I noticed there was a small bug on my shoe that I had never seen in my life. I wish I could go all Steve Irwin on you (May He Rest in Peace) and tell you all about the little bugger, but in reality, I have no idea what it was. It was a little orange bug that I have never seen and it served as a reminder that home is a long, long way away!
Even though home is a long, long way away, I am working hard not to forget my friends and family. Before I left, My friends and family gave me several pictures and they are happily displayed around my tiny little room. If that doesn't make you feel like home, waffles with berries and whipped cream definitely will! My mom is unbeatable in this department, but my friend Felicia (girlfriend of my friend/teammate/recruiter Dennis) had us over for her best Misti Hawkins impression...and she came close! It was a delicious treat that I am sure I never appreciated enough while I was home (The typical Swedish breakfast consists of a strong coffee and a pastry).
Competition is always something that I have always enjoyed, and Living in another country has definitely put a limit on those opportunities. After my poor showing at the Billiard hall the other night, I made sure to get back on my horse and head to the "Rock and Bowl" with Magnus, Alexis, and Dennis in the evening to get a good taste in my mouth! I was pleasantly surprised to find an impressive little bowling alley underneath the hustle and bustle of downtown Stockholm. There were only 8 lanes, but what they lacked in size, they made up for ten-fold in character. It was supposed to be a rock and roll theme, backed by electric guitars and posters of lyrical legends adorning each and every wall. However, every music video playing on the screen made it seem much more like a "Tears for Fears" themed bowling alley, which is of course, fine by me :) haha. The music videos were all of Pat Benetar, Duran Duran, and other 80's artists who have haunted my dreams since my birth... My only regret is that Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" went un-played the entire night - sigh... However, I did manage to bowl the high score in the first game (a free for all game) and in the second game, I teamed up with Alexis to battle Dennis and Magnus in an international (not so) friendly matchup between the Uber-cool United States and the Super Swedes. While Magnus easily bowled the best game, we were able to come out on top with some clutch patriotic pin precision. I know, I know - I promise that is the last bit of alliteration I will use for the time being.
The city is coming together, and with each and every day I am improving my sense of direction and recognizing subtle street signs to find out where I am and where I need to go. Heck, I even bucked the subway trend and took a scenic bus ride through the city the other day! Busses here are not what they are in the states, and they can drop you off at nearly any doorstep in town. If we took a page out of Stockholm's book I am sure that the usage of Public transport in the States would skyrocket. Each day I make new friends, and I actually had a google-translate conversation with a new friend Rosa in my student housing complex. After an awkward encounter in the kitchen, we realized that neither of us spoke swedish beyond small talk (I am working on it!) and my exquisite spanglish led me to have my first ever exclusively google-translated conversation with my friend from El Salvador. New friends are great, but they will never replace the old ones. I really wish I could share my great experiences with everyone back home, but I am doing my best through this blog! If you have any questions, please feel free to share them with me and I will try to get them answered :) I am working on putting together a photo album as well - so you can catch a glimpse of some awesome scenes that I have had the great fortune of witnessing!
Hope you all are doing very well - and I miss each and every one of you!
Hawkins - You're the best, love you all (Who's excited for sister Ashley's birthday on Friday??)
Hokansons -Love you as well (and an official BLOG shout-out to cousin Danny getting into West Point!!! chikka chikka yeyaaa)
Friends at home - thanks for all the support and I miss you and love you all!
Swedish Phrase of the Day(s)
Tjena! - A friendly, upbeat greeting often used by Stockholm-ers much more often than "Hej"
-Pronounced "Chen-nah!"
Et stor varmt chocolat ta med, Tack! - One large hot chocolate to go, please!
-Pronounced "Ett stoor varmT hoocolah ta mid, tack" (They use Tack for both "please" and "thank you"
Hej Da!!
--Cody
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