Walking

It's time to start visiting all the favorite places and seeing how much I'm going to miss the charm of the city.  I went for a nice long walk today around the city wall and I only cried a little twice.  Fall in Visby is just as beautiful as summer.  The smell of apples has replaced the smell of roses and the soft yellows and reds are coloring the green leaves.  Under a strong breeze and a bright blue sky it doesn't feel like a real place.

Fika i Hällarna

In Swedish schools there is something called "study days."  These are days when a certain class just is out of school for a day off.  They are universally not used for studying.

Today was Frida's study day, so we decided to go for a walk in Hällarna after the weather cleared up.  After I taught her how to make apple roses and we had fika we played cards.  It was a sweet afternoon before practice.

American Burgers

Tonight was a thank you dinner for the fam.  I made burgers, mango salsa, avocado fries, apple roses, and Arnold Palmers (very fitting since he passed so recently).

I knew I missed cooking with Jonathan, but tonight it was even more apparent.  I had fun in the kitchen, but it wasn't as nice as when we coordinate and make yummy dinners and have so much fun doing it.  It also takes FOREVER when you are doing all of it on your own...

It was a great night though.  We invited Farfar and Farmor and Lise and Ali and Jocke and had a very fun time.  Since I didn't have my grill master with me, Bobbo helped me get the burgers cooked.  Lise brought me sunflowers and we lit the candles and had a cozy time.

Sista Hemmamatchen

After a couple of tough losses it was nice to beat the stuffing out of a team - especially for the last home game.  It ended 12-1 and we were happy.

It was sad to think that it was the last home game.  I thought four months would be a lot longer than this, but I'm also ready to be home for a little while before the big move to Kingsport.

What an incredible adventure this has been.  I will always be grateful for everyone that encouraged to pursue the opportunity.

Två Veckor

I can't believe it's only two weeks left until I'm back in Tennessee!!

Sunday FaceTime dates with Momma and Dad and Jonathan will be a thing of the past and face to face conversations will replace them.  Ah.  How lovely that will be.

I will miss waking up and looking out at the ocean every morning during breakfast and watching the sunset every night at dinner time.  What a truly incredible place I got to call home and the sweetest host family that I possibly could've had!

Gotland is an incredible island with incredible people.  I hope I make it back to visit over the next years of my life.

Hammock

A perfect late summer day for reading outside means a great opportunity to lay in a hammock outside the city wall and read a good book.

I've been happy that I've been reading again.  I've also re-developed an appreciation for public libraries and I think that's a good thing too.  I've gotten to read some challenging and fun titles while I've been here and having that time after not reading for the last 4 or so years has been really incredible.   I hope that it's something that I carve out a little time for in the future when I'm back stateside and getting caught up in work and family and love again.

Västerås BK 30

Unfortunately the game today was nothing to write home about...

WE played the top team in our league, and they made it very apparently why they were the top team.  Very talented group and it was not handled well by us.

The next two games in a row are home and I am thankful for that even though traveling has begun to feel like a little routine now.  It's always fun to see Stockholm come into view under the plane's wing when we head over to the mainland to play.

Full day :)

Today was busy and very enjoyable.

I got up and read for a little while, worked on some Swedish vocabulary, went for a walk, and sent in an official application for an apartment in Kingsport! Eeeeekkkk.

After lunch I went down to the restaurant to help Anja set up for Boston's birthday party with his classmates.  It was a tiny little pink party round two because we had so much left over from her party, but there was also a mountain of candy so no one noticed really :)

After we pumped them all full of sugar, Boston, Bobbo, and I headed over to Villa Villekulla and dressed up in scary costumes.  As the kids came through the upstairs we popped out and startled them very sufficiently.  (I think we made one of the littlest girls cry... I felt a little bad, but Boston thought it was perfect.)

Soon I had to head back up to the house to change into my yellow Sweden shirt and head to Gutevallen for The U17 National Team game between Sweden and Norway.  What an incredible opportunity for Ebba not only to continue playing with the National team of her age group but also to play with them at home on Gotland.  

Front Row :)

It was a decent turnout and a fun time watching with all our teammates.  Sweden pulled out an awesome 1-0 victory, and Ebba impressed everyone again with how much she can run around the field and never seem to get tired.  We will miss her in our game tomorrow for sure.

Middag Med Ejla

Tonight we didn't have practice because the U17 Norwegian National team needed our field.  So instead I went over to Ejla's and had a sweet little dinner and watched a movie :)

Teammates are such an incredible thing to have in your life.  It was fun to get to talk to her and learn a little more about Sweden and her life.  We talked about her maybe coming and visiting sometime and going to the Smokies!  I hope sometime she and Björn can.

Sunday

Sunday afternoons I think are my favorite time of week.  It's sleepy.  And it's quiet.

Today I felt a little restless, so I took my bike and set off on the bike trails through Hällarna with no real destination.  I ended up going all the way into town and crisscrossing my way through the upper stad, taking in views and appreciating the last roses of the season.  The majority of the blooms have faded, but some are still holding on and the bright spots and the pleasant smell made this Sunday even better.

I am content.

Vinst! 6-1

I don't understand any of the trash-talk that gets posted in the papers since it's all in Svenska, but apparently Värmbol did some before the game today.  So beating them 6-1 felt nice.  :)

I almost put one away today, too.  Dinged it off the crossbar on a free kick.  Bummer.  At least I got an assist (maybe two?).

Walk On

Another beautiful day, another nice adventure through Hällarna.  It's bigger than I thought with enough trails to get a little lost.  But I know that if the water is by my right should I'm heading towards home.

Berså, Gnisvärd, Tofta

The adventure of the day started with fika at Berså, a sweet little boutique and cafe south of Kneippbyn.  The weather is incredible, so we dropped the top on the car and let the wind mess up our hair.

So far it was the best fika I've had: the chocolate, coconut, hazelnut half-baked lump of deliciousness was a perfect blend of the three ingredients that left me wanting to go back inside and eat the whole platter of them.

Fika

After fika we went for some sightseeing. I hadn't been to Gnisvärd or Tofta yet, so we cruised over and checked out the areas.  At Gnisvärd we watched from the harbor as a couple attempted windsurfing. At Tofta we strolled down the windy beach and listened to the waves noisily crash on the shore.  We took our shoes off and found out how cold the water was (VERY) and let the sand get in between our toes.

Gnisvärd

Tofta

It was a soft, easy afternoon with good company and good laughter.