What we'll miss...

Spring has finally come, the days are long again and we are in the final countdown of our stay in Sweden. In a few more weeks, we will be returning to the U.S.A. Since we booked our flights "home", we've been asked many times how we feel about leaving. It's a complicated question. While we're happy to get back to people and things back "home", we've been here long enough that this has also become a home to us. After nearly two years of ordinary, daily life here, Sweden is no longer a vacation destination or an exotic, strange place. It is simply where we live. Kristianstad has become our town and there are definitely things we'll miss. For the record, my daughter thinks making a list of things we'll miss is sadistic. But I've moved enough times that I've learned that every place we go has its great things and not so great things, and I want to remember all those differences--all those things that make a place unique (and my daughter doesn't ever read my blog anyway).

So here is a list of some of the things we will miss about living in Sweden (in no particular order):

• Intelligent traffic planning-- round-abouts, more yield signs than stop signs, street light timers/sensors that work, using traffic cameras and chicanes to force lower speeds in certain areas (rather than random police hiding behind bushes).

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RLWTJbK7xV8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

See the big sign warning you about the speed camera ahead. The point
is to make you slow down-- not to make money off the tickets.

• Bike paths-- so lovely to be able to walk and bike anywhere without fear for your life
• Lots of vacation (6 weeks per year is standard) and more holidays
• Being able to get around easily on trains and buses
• Free incoming calls and texts on mobile phones
• LONG summer days (if we're ever rich, we'll build a summer home in Sweden)

  

  This picture was taken after 9 pm, in April. The sun had just set
  and it was still very light out.

• Rapeseed fields blooming in the spring
  
• Scandanavian style-- clothes, interior design, Christmas decorations, etc.
• Varied school schedules-- every day is different
• No Boy Scouts at church!!!
• Being surrounded by history

  

  Beautiful old buildings everywhere-- like the town concert hall
  where we've gone for flute concerts and dance recitals

• Freedom at school-- to come and go without hall passes, to go shopping during breaks
• European chocolate (Yum!)
• Unlimited hot water (tankless water heater at the house)
• Coat rack and a mirror at most building entrances
• Not feeling obligated to small talk with strangers, store clerks, etc.
• Kids' music concerts with very little talking-- they just play
• Walking to the grocery store (now that I have my wagon I seriously enjoy it)

  

  Fabulous Christmas present.

• The paths in the woods near our house
• Wonderful friends we've made (OBVIOUSLY)

So what won't we miss? We are still weird Americans afterall...

•Milk in 1.5 liter cartons-- that is the biggest you can buy. (Guess how many we go through a week!)
•2+ hour wash cycles for the clothes washing machine (and it only holds half as many clothes as well)
•Shopping in general (short hours, high prices, small inventory)
•Food that just doesn't taste like you expect it to (Swedish Oreos are not the same as U.S. Oreos)
•Stupid outlet adaptors (to use our American electronics)
•Most Swedish food (sorry, not sold on pickled herring)

My husband bought these fund-raiser cookies simply because of the
name. Dammsugare means "vacuum cleaner." The cookies were
pretty yucky. I brought them to an activity and couldn't get most of
the Swedish kids to eat them either.

•DARK winters!!!! (Sunsets at 3:30 pm are not cool!)
•Grey skies and rain
•Many things about our rental house...
•Non-existance of drinking fountains (it is common practice to drink out of the sink)
•High pollen count (I've never had such trouble with my allergies anywhere)
•Skinny parking places
•Noise of living in the city
•No screens on the windows
•Lack respect for teachers at school and resultant lack of discipline/control
•Trying to understand phone voice prompts in Swedish!

The remains of this year's Valborg bonfire. And a random observationon Swedish culture-- Swedes are
generally very cautious and conservative-- think Volvo-- except when it comes to fire.
Then they are pyromaniacs. :-) People light candles all the time in their houses and for holidays it seems there
 is always something flammable--big bonfires, candles on girls' heads, crazy fireworks for New Years...