Tuesday, September 28, 2010

German Blues.

So... Germany is teaching me that I am crazy. You know, a little out there. That I am not the person I used to be... some decade ago, when I worked in an office and guided travel agents in their struggles with clients who wanted to travel to Latinamerica.

I think I have become a rather free spirit.

Who doesn't fit into a cubicle anymore. Luckily this statement has nothing to do with physical size... ;)

But man, do I feel out of place in city environments!! Even though people speak my native tongue here I feel misunderstood and as if I don't understand some secret code. Sooo many people and soo little human connection. Not that the Swedes are terribly social, mind you!

So, really, the trip is affirming my bigger life choices... compliments to my gut at this point... cause really, I cannot claim that my brain is my guide when deciding irrational things such as leaving the States and moving to Sweden many moons ago (ok, only about 15, but you get the point...).

Am sitting in a hostel in Cologne right now... winding down after an emotionally taxing day. Sounds like I am scoring more work days in the near future... so, it's happening.

Tomorrow I'll meet three guys I've wanted to meet for many months now. We first got in touch last winter when things were rather grim for me. Hoping to score a goal in our time together!! And hoping to make some real connection. Cause they, to me, are life-affirming. And I certainly need a little bit of that in this grey, rainy country.

Love,

Me

Monday, September 27, 2010

Front-Country Challenged.

"Hi, my name is Marlies and I think I am front-country challenged."

You know, as opposed to feeling at home in the back-country (read also: The Farm, small villages, the woods, the cliffs, being with B).

We used to talk a lot about front- versus backcountry when I still lived my life in the US. But I've never felt the difference as strongly as I do right now.

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Am sitting in the train to Stockholm's airport Arlanda. Flying to Köln in Germany tonight for a little businesstrip. It's supposed to last a work week and I am supposed to meet with different potential partners. But goodness am I rusty with all of it!!

Dress code, people paths, train silence, tickets, money, ...


Yesterday this was my world:

We got enough snow to have snow drifts. I love snow drifts.



B and I met 2 bears!!! One is visible on this pic. Hurray!



Rocks. Sky. Snow. Clouds. Simply beautiful.



This is where the hike started and ended. Love the softness.


+++


Today, I am focusing my energy to channel what I found yesterday in a way that I can share it with the agencies that may send youth my way in the future.

Seems logical that mother nature is my go-to-place to gather energy and courage for that... right?

Both powerful and a bit surprising to me how foreign the world I used to be part of feels to me right now.

But hey, challenges are good, right? And to know that I am in the right place to live my life is even better.

Here's to pushing the comfort zone.

"Front-country, come on - let's be friends again!"

(At least for a little while... ;)...).



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Friday, September 17, 2010

What does one say when...

... one has finally found a place to call home after years of searching for it?

The Farm is full of small perfect sights.

I love how well it's taken care of and how nicely it has aged.



Wanna find out if birds will nest in that little house up there in the spring?

Double-luck attracter?

This last picture shows the building that holds the stable area, my garage, my gear storage room and some wonderful handiman area... and my actual live-in house in the back ground.

I'm not sure what to say now that I have a home.

Am waiting for the wood stove to be activated for me so I can start heating my space that way.

Have spent hours the other day with a chainsaw... readying myself for the cold.

Have berries in the freezer and rhubarb.

Bought a wonderful bed and ordered a couch.

Taking small steps to making it more mine every day.

:)

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Thursday, September 16, 2010

An Afternoon Hike.


I'll let the pics do the talking this time ;)


























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Monday, September 13, 2010

Skinny Dip Inspiration (... or Invitation?).

Ups, I did it again.




Couldn't resist a waterway's invitation to join it for a few seconds...


Maybe I captured it's beauty well enough for you to be tempted as well?











Wait, that is just a fuzzy pic of B and some fern-lings!! :)









I had no clue that my backyard offered a 200 yard waterfall...!





I'm in love. The colours. The energy. The simplicity.








In other news:



Had a real wonderful first date with a wonderful fellow yesterday.




Up on the fjäll.



Caught several rainbows.



Ran with B.




Who ate some berglemmings (= sadly some very cute little creatures).





Life continues to be wonderful.





And maybe a tad less lonely.




+++



Where and when are you next going to be inspired to take a dip?




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Friday, September 10, 2010

In the Moment.

I promised some in-the-moment blogging after having caught you up on my past months' adventures. Funny how life is challenging me further by bringing oh-so-much into my life these days.



Over the past few years I have learned that I have most success in grounding myself by

a) being in nature,

b) taking photos, and

c) enjoying B's presence.



Beautifully, these three coping strategies can be combined... :).


So, I am enjoying them all a lot recently.



Currently I am "in between" being with clients. Accordingly have I taken advantage of the relative calm by moving, nesting in the new environment, taking drawn out mountainbike- and hiking-trips with B every day, picking blueberries, getting a haircut, making scrumptious food, watching movies with a glass of wine for company, buying, putting together and loving my new bed, slowly setting up my personal spaces around The Farm, finishing the process of registring my company, opening a business bank account, organizing bills and paperwork, setting up my winter job, studying Swedish 3 days a week, and connecting with some seemingly sweet souls via online dating (hoping for a first encounter with the sweetest of them this weekend).


Rich days. And after my initial struggle to land my feet after having been on an intense journey with a young man for 52 days have I finally found some moss to plant my feet on.


I've been writing here about my struggles and successses and everything in between for over a year. Interestingly, I have never been this close to actually follow the Sweden To-Do-List. Now, my life actually reflects 1) Learn Swedish, 2) create a home for Buford and I, 3) grow roots. Intentions are my strongest weapon in realizing my dreams.



In the midst of my rather self-centered life (beautifully so) - I get to celebrate movement. Things are for real now. I'm going to travel to Germany at the end of the month to meet up with some people from the company that sends me clients. If all goes well the previous client will join me on my way home and stay with me another 4 weeks before I shift my business into "winter mode" (essentially working 20 hours with a vacation rental place for a full-time salary and skiing tons). Still gotta ponder what adventure we could tackle this time if he happens to come.



But, I have also been contacted by another company that I have been in touch with during the dark winter days last year. When I was grasping for whatever opportunity I could find on the WWW. They wrote that they would love to have me work with a "very troubled girl" of theirs. Apparently they thought of me right away... To me there is a lot of beauty in this. I am given more client opportunities than I can handle a mere three months after starting my business, while not even having advertised what I am doing here! Haven't found the time to even create a web presence cause I am so busy with doing the actually work. I could not have imagined this a year ago... or maybe I did? Am certain that that voice of mine was pretty meak back then...




But now it's strong. And it speaks Swedish a lot. In all kinds of circumstances. And German. And English. And I feel grown, and rich, and strong. Wanna continue with wandering in each direction from my place and find ever more beautiful spots to go with B, and take photographs.



Soon my fire place will be "installed". Cannot wait to spend evenings cuddled up with B in front of it. It's been cold here. Incredible, crisp autumn days. In the morning there is often frost outside. It's crunchy under B's hurrying feet when he seeks a spot to take care of his very personal business first thing in the morning.



The community here is wrapped up in the current moose hunting season. I've had the luck to see a moose a couple of days ago on my way to Swedish class. They continue to amaze me in their stoic beautiful presence. Hope that one didn't get shot.






Thanks for being part of my journey by reading here and sometimes commenting.


Life in Sweden is still a little lonely for me. Lots to decide and ponder all on my own.



But... it's happening. And with mine and B's feet planted a little more sturdily on that Swedish moss does it seem like only a question of time till we're a bit more connected with other humans and their four-leggeds.


Have a wonderful day!


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Tuesday, September 7, 2010

The Farm.


This is it, people... my new base.



In a whirlwind Buford and I left our old house right after our client left. We have spent the last 10 days or so moving our belongings from our temporary house to our new home.



I've even bought a bed in the meanwhile!! (Side note: Kinda crazy that I had to learn at 33 years old that I have slept wrong for all of my life?! From a cute guy at IKEA that "checked me out" while pretending to sleep on various beds? Was well worth it though, cause I now sleep in heaven every night. Thinking I may push a 100 if I continue good stuff like this for myself... Underbart!).



But, back to The Farm.


On the picture above (I took a photo of a photo in the older flat upstairs) you can see all the buildings that are bascially mine. Yeah, I get to be the "rent-in owner" of all of them...!


B and I live in the house on the upper right corner of the picture. The other buildings are an actual stable, a house that's being renovated (not actively, but it looks incredibly promising), quite a few sheds, and several storage places. Everything is in nice shape and beautifully aged.


There is also a swing. B gets a lot of stoke in his eyes when I use it. May try to capture that on "film" at some point for you all.


There is also endless forest that starts right behind our property.


And in the forest there are lingonberries. And moose. And bears. And trails to bike and hike and ski on. You get the picture. It's my kind of paradise.


Am planning to take some current photos of it all today.


Cannot wait to share...



In the meanwhile: Har det bra!





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Monday, September 6, 2010

Of Cuddles, Play, and Rowing in the Skärgård.

Welcome back!


Here's a visual of our time out in the Skärgård (Swedish for Archipelago). The Swedes are proud of their islands... I can understand why.



Note B's favorite sleeping spot: The fire pit! Maybe he doesn't need beds and sleepingbags after all?!




Love. This. Shot.



He looks so endlessly happy when he gets to play with the boy.








Sometimes I catch him even though he's speedy as no other!




Paradise, right?







Me, rowing the boat.




More cuddles. There has to be time for that.



Hard worker resting his eyes... :)





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Sunday, September 5, 2010

Best Idea Ever: Canoe Trip on the Klarälven.

I'm back. For real. Will catch up a little on the past month away over the next few days and then actually do some in-the-moment-blogging. Cause life is beautiful and deserves not only savoring and capturing but also sharing.



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Over the course of a week my client, Buford and I paddled our canoe over 100 km on the Klarälven in Värmland. While a 100 km may sound like a lot of work I can honestly say that this was probably my most relaxed time on my job.


This is how we traveled:









B does most of the work.... :)







... and continues to tease my desire to capture his beauty.









Our first evening out...








... how beautiful!








Seal or dog? Or beaver?





Made the decision to learn myself a lot about fishing. It's too good not to jump on that wagon...







.... mmmmhhhhmmm. That about captures it.






Peek-a-boo! :)






Upside down and totally grounded at the same time.



+++


Klarälven... you're accepted as a part of my business components.


I'll be back!



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