Hej Y'all,

Since returning to work life has been busy and good. I'm making money again and we've had a happy couple months! I haven't written much because, well, life has been happening. We've been living it! And grateful for it. Here are some of the main beats:

October was beautiful. I completed my first ever Inktober (drawing 31 ink drawings, approximately one per day, for the month of October). We overcame some physiological hurdles and really became united as a team, determined to thrive through whatever life throws at us. The leaf change was big and wondrous. I've never experienced an autumn like it. Many piles of leaves were kicked and tossed into the air. Shorter days meant many walks down dark leafy lanes lit by street lamps. We bought bikes and cycled around like the Stranger Things kids, usually to the gym or our favorite cafes. The city really opened up to us like never before. Some lovely day hikes were made to nearby Hågadalen to hangout in nature and say hello to the horses. We had some nice hangouts with friends as well. I got more into cooking. It's too expensive to eat out and I can make the things I enjoy or miss. It's really satisfying.
 

November was constantly rainy and did it's best to be dreary. Despite this, or perhaps because of this, we resolved to have a great month - and did! We did tons of indoor rock climbing and really improved our fitness. Our favorite Saturday morning tradition was to wake up, do our Swedish homework, cycle to the climbing gym, climb a big set, lift some weights, then feast on a plate of meatballs and mashed potatoes at IKEA. We started taking vitamin D every day (the sun doesn't get out much these days) and have really taken a shine to hitting the sauna in the basement (amazing for muscle soreness and warming up after a chilly rainy day). I really got into my groove at work and was able to knock out some good level chunks. The Uppsala festival of lights arrived, with many fun art instillations around the city to help keep the darkness at bay. Winter arrived early as well, with a beautiful blanket of snow that enveloped the city. I've been manifesting a snowy winter and got my wish!!! I adore the snow. Everything becomes quiet and peaceful. The nights are so much brighter as well! It's like midsummer again - everything is glowing. It's irresistible to lay in. Snow angels must be created. Snowballs must be thrown at Nelson. Snow drifts must be kicked with boots and knocked skyward into a snow spray explosion. Snow makes me happy and ungovernable. Snow is life.
 

One cool side effect of living here is that I have become much, much more tolerant of the cold. I've always described myself as a lizard, preferring a hot dry climate and getting chilly when the sun goes behind the clouds. Now I find myself sweating and shedding my jacket, enjoying the crispy air on my cheeks and watching my breath rise in big plumes of steam. The first day it was 6c (42f) here I thought it was so cold! Now, when it warms up from -11c (12f) to -3c (26.6f) I start to think, hey, this is pretty nice! Those cold days are best because often the sky is clear. The sun comes out. To feel it shining is heaven on earth. The nights are dark and full of stars. To see them shining over the snow is magical.

December is here now. Nelson and I have had Covid for the last week and we've spent most of our time sweaty and shaky, lying on the couch, playing video games, coughing, sneezing, complaining, and surviving on a diet of frozen pizza and orange juice. The house lays in disarray. We are horrible goblins living with unwashed dishes and unwashed hair. We are glad our mothers can't see how we live right now. It is a sight. Our hearts have turned to getting well and going home. We can't wait to see our families and friends again. The longing to be in California is becoming overpowering. It consumes most of our thoughts and conversations. Sun. Friends. Fambly. Burritos. Beach. Big supermarkets full of favorite foods. Vegetables. Fruits. Relative warmth. Home.

Thoughts at 6 months:
 
I feel as though I came to Sweden with a great knot tied in my chest, full of anger and anxiety about my home country and home culture. Each month I felt that knot grow looser, and now I feel as though the ropes have fallen to the ground. When I think of home, I don't feel frustrated anymore. I feel love and I feel gratitude. I accept the things that are imperfect. Yes, it's full of inflated egos, lonely individualism, rampant materialism, and internet fueled paranoia. But it's also full of the people I love most in this world, abundant sunshine, stunning landscapes, fresh food, and a lot of potential for positive change. It's a place people literally risk their lives to try to reach. I'm really, really lucky to call it home. 

Sweden is an incredible country. It has given me so much peace and perspective. Swedish culture understands how we are all interconnected to each other, and how by helping others we also help ourselves by creating an environment which is safer and more enjoyable to live in. It emphasizes individual competence and collective responsibility. The freedom to live without a mandatory car has been an absolute blessing. Walking, cycling, hopping on and off trains and busses at will without ever having to worry about gas, insurance, repairs, or parking is incredibly liberating. I love seeing how fit middle-aged and older Swedes are from this more active lifestyle. I see folks in their late 70s riding bikes and people in their 90s out on walks in the forest. People are overall pretty lean. I've always been an advocate for this stuff and it's so rad to see it in action on a massive scale. There are separated bike lanes and pedestrian paths on ^90% of roads. They also have more relaxed zoning laws which allows more compact cities, so there's more fun stuff within walking distance. In Sweden, the car is not king, humans are. That's the way I like it. 

I do miss the sun though.

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We are flying to the US December 18. See you all soon!!!! Manifest some sunshine for me please!!! God Jul, Merry Christmas, och gott nytt år! I love y'all!

- Katie