Sweden: Day 1

And so began the longest day of my life.

5 ½ hour fight to Reykjavik,

2 hour layover in Iceland,

2 ½ hour flight to Arlanda Airport, (total of 16 hours traveling, US time)

waited for my checked bag,

phone call/emails sent to say I’m safe,

breakfast,

Arlanda Express train to Stockholm,

Walking in a large circle around downtown,

Sporadically emailing my host to find somewhere to meet,

Trying desperately to get through the people headed for the T-bana (subway), (twas very much like a salmon swimming up river but with a rolly bag and a being too polite to just cut in front of people),

T-bana ride to the stop two stops ahead of where I thought I was supposed to be, (I had to get off because they said we couldn’t go to where I needed to be…

Having to walk about 5 miles to one stop ahead of where I though I was supposed to be, getting lost numerous times,

Taking the T-bana to the last stop on the line, where I THOUGHT I was supposed to be,

Asking a kind shop owner for his wifi password,

Realizing that I was one T stop past where I was supposed to meet my host,

Taking the T back to the stop I had just came from, and meeting my host. 

Taking one T stop back up the line to get off and walk to my host’s house.

What have I learned?

1.     That I just wanted to go home numerous times

2.     I was really glad that I thought it would be a good idea to put my hiking boots on at the airport.

3.     My sleep schedule is completely out of whack.

4.     Sweden is beautiful.

5.     Strangers are kind, and willing to help.

6.     Sweden has very lovely bike/walking paths, everywhere!

7.     iPhones and their GPS’s are wonderful things.

8.     This adventure is bigger than I ever imagined.

So many times I wanted to cry, because I was walking, because I could never seem to stay close to the roads I was following, because I knew my host was waiting and I couldn’t get there fast enough, but I kept muttering to myself “you committed to this Genevieve, you can’t go home now.”  The insecurity and ambiguity and uncomfortable feelings of knowing that I might not have a place to stay are truly terrifying and yet the worries are gone the minute you meet a kind stranger who will become one’s family over the coming weeks.  I certainly hope so.