Falling in Love with Sweden... Every Day a Little More.

I have found an awesome net of cross-country ski trails just outside of Sveg that allow Buford and I to collect some serious mileage. Within the last 4 days we have walked around 3 Swedish miles (can you do the math?). And during those walks, I have felt grounded, strong, and filled with gratitude and wonder.

Am I really allowed to call this place home? Really? With all the birch trees, the pines, the moose, and the bear?

These days I'm pondering the fact that I haven't created a home for myself in forever. Over the past ten years I have lived in many different houses with different people, in my beloved van Shark, out-of-doors, or have frequently been allowed to "surf somebody's couch" for a while. I always enjoy making my space "my space" and don't mind those spaces to be transient (e.g. camping for one night on a backpacking trip). And yet, I smile at the thought of soon being able to invest time, money, and most importantly, creativity, into my home here in Sweden. I am not certain if "the house" will be that place, or if I'll find a smaller roof to live under. But I realized today, that in ten years I haven't bought (m)any things that were designed to be used in a house. All my pots and pans for example are camping equipment... [until tonight - I bought a set of pots that allow me to boil more than three red-beats at-a-time (I used to boil three almost every night - cause I love them)]. I catch myself almost nervously wondering, if I even have a home decor style. It seems so daunting to me, to think of purchases such as... a couch... a lamp... a (gasp!) bed. For years I have gotten those things for free (or almost) from friends, second-hand stores, and garage sales. While I love the practice of re-using and recycling (and I'll certainly do my fair share of that in the future) I think I will also commit to my new nest with some purchases when I return to Sweden. At age 32 it probably wouldn't be so bad to actually own a good mattress. Even though part of me screams inside, while I type this ("JUST SLEEP ON YOUR 2-INCH THERMAREST!! IT'S PROBABLY HEALTHIER ANYWAYS!!"), I almost feel like some home investments will add to my sense of finding a home.

And to "Create a home for Buford and I" must be taken seriously... it's priority # 2 on my Sweden To-Do-List after all...