The adventure so far... part 1.5 or how I cried during a haircut

Before M posted the last post we discussed the purpose of the blog.  The main goal is to help us communicate with our friends and family about our journey but it is also a way for us to keep a record of this experience and this includes how we are doing emotionally so that in a year we can look back and see how we have or haven't changed. SO be prepared this is me being emotional.

I have started this post several times in my head: while wandering the aisles of Ikea, walking towards the playground, on the bus to this location or that, etc but I have 
1. Not sat down and started it
2. Am not necessarily sure how I am feeling
3. Get distracted a lot 

BUT I thought today would be a good day to sit down and write the post, this time here between my Spotify Partners Relocation Seminar (SPRS) and my first Spotify Swedish lesson (post on learning Swedish to come).  SIDE NOTE: Sadly I didn't finish the post until a couple of days later but I think that was for the better. I was really caffeinated Wednesday.   

G hanging in there

So HOW am I doing?  I am doing ok.  At the SPRS, we briefly touched on how to deal with a transition like this.  With each transition there is an ending, or a change from your reality like going from being single to being partnered, a neutral zone, where we adjust, and the new beginnings, where the new reality is the new normal. An analogue was giving that is like a trapeze swing, the ending is the initial bar where you start the swing, while you float through the air you are in the neutral zone and when you grab the next bar that is the new beginning. I don't think this Trapeze act is a linear processes but one that ebbs and flows and is more circular in nature and you find yourself at continually at endings and new beginnings.  It's how you handle the process that is important. ANYWAYS...

A visual of a transition

We were asked to think about what we left behind and then reflect on where we were in our transition. I even figured out where G and M are.  SO right now right here  M is holding on to the first bar with one hand, G is swinging at new beginnings and I am somewhere between the neutral zone and new beginnings. I am enjoying exploring Stockholm and everything this opportunity has to offer us and the experience we are having.  I am loving watching how G has just embraced the Swedish way. But I am struggling to help Marc see the glory that Stockholm, Sweden and the world has to offer us.

I am not saying that I don't miss Seattle and everything we have there, I do. I think it is a testament to what a wonderful life we had in there that we do miss it and are having a hard time letting go. We left for the opportunity and experience not as a way to escape.  We decided to come here and by golly I am going to try to find the positive in everything, even if it kills me.

I am not always successful at this, this is why I cried at my haircut on Friday.  The guy asked me questions like what do I want done with my hair and how short, and all I could think 'I don't know can we phone Fran and she will tell you.'

My first post-Fran hair cut....

Or walking down the street I see something and think you know who would enjoy this, INSERT YOUR NAME HERE. I then get sad and lonely that NAME isn't here.

BUT by golly I am going to find the positive in everything. (To every negative there is an equal and opposite positive.) Yes we have to climb 5 flights of stairs to get to our flat BUT I am back in my pre pregnancy jeans without any extra effort!  Yes our bathroom is a little quirky BUT when G pees on the floor I can just hose it down and squeegee it into the shower without getting out the mop.  

In El Salvador, I tried to live by my saying "Home is where you keep your underwear."  Here is where our underwear is and here is where we are creating our home.

The swing of G.  Look up, laugh and enjoy the ride!

The adventure so far... part 1

Marc shares how he is feeling so far...

how am I doing? Well, good and bad. Some things are just harder than I expected them to be.

Unlike Rachel, this is my first time living abroad. We dreamed about living abroad for a while. We love Seattle! We love our house, our friends and just the overall vibe of Seattle so of course it wasn't easy to leave. But this adventure presented itself and we couldn't turn it down. Our friends and family (except Rachel's mom) said we were crazy not to go and most said just go and do this, don't even think about it. I mean Christopher Columbus wouldn't have discovered America if he had not gone on an adventure.

Apparently I was a little over confident in myself before we moved. I thought I would be able to handle the changes no problem. As I said, I love Seattle but life there had gotten somewhat routine and now we get to go an adventure in a world class city and I get to work at my dream company. I knew that the European apartment standards would be different and it would never compare to
our house in Seattle. I knew we were going to have less space. I knew we wouldn't have instantly have a group of friends. I knew it was all going to be unfamiliar and weird. But I just felt I was ready for this change.

Well, it has been harder than I thought. What has been hard? I miss everything I thought I was fine leaving. I miss our house and my car. I miss familiarity. I miss the ease of life where most things are understandable and easy to figure out. On top of all that I struggle to be ok with the uncertainty.

When will Rachel get a job? What happens when we want to move back to Seattle? And why am I even thinking about moving back so soon?  Even though everyone assures us not to worry, Rach will get a good job and it will be pretty easy for us to go back. I still let the uncertainty get the better of me.

The good part of course is I am loving Spotify. It's fun exploring Stockholm. We have a nice apartment. Gaby and Rachel are having a ball. And with each day Stockholm is starting to feel more and more like home

I am not trying to sound like a complainer and have you think that life just plain sucks.  (Rachel thought this might be good for me, too.)

I also know that if we didn't do this, I would always regret it. Seattle isn't going anywhere and I expect we'll be back, eventually. But we're here and going to take Stockholm by storm and see where this adventure leads because "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone."

In-Schooling...Settling in

We have survived our first week in our Stockholm apartment.  I think I average climbing the 5 flights of stairs about 2x a day, luckily I usually only carry G up them once.  Both M and I are feeling the walking and the climbing in our legs and it makes us wonder when will it just be natural to do all the climbing and not so much work.  But all of this is really for another post since the main focus this week was getting G settled into daycare.  

A little background

Every kid has the right to go to förskola (daycare) from 1 years old.  (Paternal leave is about 1.5 years here at 85% pay so for the first year the parents, both mom and dad, are able to take time and care for the baby.) The cost of förskola is a percentage of the combined income based on amount of kids with a maximum fee per month.  In order to get into a center you apply to either the municipality centers or there are private centers that have their own queuing system. The only difference I was able to find in public vs private was the queuing system and even that is changing and the private schools are being placed in the municipal system.   

As I mentioned previously, we got into a förskola very quickly.  As part of the helping parent and child adjust to this new environment and routine there is a period of time called in-schooling.  For the first 3 days, parent and child attend the school from about 9:30am- 3pm.  The parent acts as the child's guide through the days activities. On the first day though if the child doesn't take a nap, you go home early and try again the next day. If those three days went well then the following 2 days are still short days but the child attends the school alone.  

G Amazes us all

G and I started in-schooling on Monday.  When we arrived the first day there was circle time where there was singing and greeting the new kids, another child started too that day.  After which was some free play followed by fruit and lunch.  It was looking pretty good but then all fell apart at nap time.  The school has a room dedicated to napping where there are pads, blankets and pillows for each kid that sleeps.  The kids are assigned a spot so each day they go to the same pad and for the most part lie down and fall asleep.  WELL not my kid.  She kept looking around and sitting up and refused to nap.  I decided rather than fight her we would leave and the teachers were all very sympathetic and said "new place, tomorrow will be better." (G fell fast asleep the moment we left the building.)

The next day went about the same BUT this time I was talking to one of the teachers about how G doesn't fall asleep with me and that I need to just leave the room.  And that is exactly what we did.  I put G down for a nap, she whimpered and then slept for 1.5 hours. The teacher exclaimed that she had never seen a kid fall asleep like that on the 2nd day of being there.  

The third day was a little bit of a mess.  M came with us and that was all well and good. The kids started out playing outside which G loves and she barely looked up to see where we were once she got out. It was when we had to go inside that her whole world fell apart and from that moment on she was a bit of a mess.  Luckily the teachers saw that G was very independent and didn't need me around so the rest of the week she went by herself.  On the first day when I showed up I could hear her giggling from down the hall and was greeted with hugs and laughter.  

All and all I think G will do just fine in school, leaving me time to get a job, learn swedish and catch up on some reading. ;)

Well what do you know..

Playground

You know when you are working on a puzzle and it seems like it is taking forever but then you get this one piece figured out and everything falls into place. Well that is how August has been for us.

If you will indulge me for a second:

1. The residents card for G and I got lost in the mail.  Without this we couldn't get our personal identification number which means, we couldn't apply for daycare, get a doctor, apply for swedish class, etc.  You really can't do much of anything here without that number.  

2. The ship with our stuff got delayed, then delayed, and then delayed again.  So we had this great apartment in Vasastan but nothing but the bookshelves.  Luckily we were able to stay in our temporary housing but our Ikea showcase apartment in Nacka was starting to wear on us.  

Well in order to get our residents card, G and I ventured out to the migration office to get printed and photographed. This time though we got the card sent to the migration office with a phone number to call to see if the card was ready.  And this is when things started to fall into place.  A week later I called and our cards were ready.  Third trip out to the migration board.  To make it interesting I decided that G and I should venture back on the light rail.  We did find a very fun playground and G spent most of the time squealing and laughing at all the Swedish kids.  

With this we were able to go apply for our number on Monday. The same day that we did this Marc got an email saying that our stuff is in Stockholm and will clear customs this week. Our stuff would be delivered on SOON!

our stuff is off the truck ready for the 5 flights of stairs!

See what I mean about the puzzle.  It seemed as though once we got our card everything else seemed to fall into place.  And to make a long story shorter, as the movers moved our stuff into our apartment, the mailman came and delivered our personal numbers. AND if this isn't enough G and I went to one of the 1000000000 daycares/preschools near our house. They have openings and we are going to go do an "in-schooling*" on Monday!!! 

Well, tonight is our last night in our Temporary housing.  Tomorrow we move into our place.  It will be interesting since the movers unpacked most of the boxes and so every vertical surface is covered.  I figured 1. we won't have to deal with the boxes since the movers took them away,  and 2. it will be motivating to get things organized.  We are pretty excited though and it will be nice to start our new normal.  

*in-schooling is a period of time that allows the parent and child to adjust to being in daycare. Parent and child spend 3 days at the school together for short days doing the routine together. This period lets the parent know what is going on in the school and the child starts to learn the routine while still having the comforts of mom.  

BUS!

Well...we are still in our temporary housing.  Maybe our stuff has arrived and we might get it next week but maybe not.  The hope is that by next weekend we will be in Stockholm with all of our stuff, getting a good workout. For now we are hanging out, enjoying the cable and trying to have daily adventures (they wear out G and she sleeps like a baby ;)).

One of the positives about starting out our adventure in Nacka-Boo is we really get to experience how well the public transportation system works.  For the most part we journey back and forth to Stockholm, for this journey we take a bus to the Slussen where we can either get on another bus or get onto the subway.  Here are some of my general impressions

1. That a majority of the population needs public transportation

I feel that what makes the system work so well is that they assume that everyone needs to ride the bus. Assuming that, there needs to be a good quantity of buses at a regular frequency and these buses need to have varying routes in order to make it convenient for passengers to use.  At our initial stop there are at least 5 buses that leave every 15-20 minutes and 1 commuter bus that runs during the morning rush and the afternoon drive home.  Each route ends in the same place and have several stops in common but they vary in amount of stops and directness.  The commuter bus for instance stays on the highway until our stop which makes the trip efficient.  

What time does the bus come?

2. Clear communication for the riders

Each stop has a reader board letting passengers know how long until their bus arrives. Another amazing wayfinding is the change of paving at the bus stops. Where the bus stops on the street is marked with white pavers that run the length of the bus next to the curb. Where the door opens the pavers are changed to 2 textured pavers perpendicular to the curb and a black paver that aligns with the white pavers. This clearly marks where the door is going to be which leads us to 3.

Where the bus is going to stop

3. Queueing 

The one thing that can be said about Swedes is they love their queues and getting on the bus is no exception and this can be seen most evident at high traffic times. People line up to get on the bus as soon as more than 3 people are waiting for the bus. 

4. No cash

Buses don't accept cash, you have to have an Access Card that has one of the many passes on it, travel cash or you must buy a single ride ticket at a kiosk in the metro or the gas station. Another method is to go onto the SL website and buy a ticket that is then loaded to your phone. It makes getting on the bus that much quicker not having to wait for someone to look for the last dime.  

Priority Seating

5. Priority Seating

Each bus has priority seating for the handicap and strollers. It is a special area were 3 good size strollers can be parked with a little bit of room for standing. I should mention here that you enter at the front of the bus and pay and in order to exit the bus you use one of the backdoors. WELL, if you are traveling with a stroller, no matter the size you get to enter at the back, getting a free ride so you don't have to leave your kid to pay. This makes it easy to get on and off the bus, plus there is no need to remove the kid from their seat which if you're lucky the baby will be fast asleep like most good Swedish babies, but that is for another post.

G taking a snooze 

These are just 5 reasons that I like the public transportation system here and I haven't even delved into the subway or light rail. But that I believe is for another day.  

Waiting...

Soaking up the rays

Not much is new in the lives of Team Green-Beitch.  The shipment with our home furnishings was delayed 1.5 weeks, which means rather than moving out of the temporary housing like we wanted to this week we are here for a little bit longer.  The plus side to all of this is that for at least the first couple of months, I don't think we will mind the stairs because having a bedroom for G and our kitchen stuff will outweigh any stair we have to take.

We tried to go to Ikea last Sunday so that M could reel in my impulses and provide muscle but sadly our trip was thwarted by an accident in the Tunnelbana.  BUT never fear once we move it will be much easier for us to get to Ikea, there is a Ikea bus that takes you directly from central Stockholm.  I already plan on making this one of G's and mine outings.

As I reread this all it sounds like nothing is going well for us right now.  But really these are just a few minor setbacks and for the most part I am trying to lay low while we are still out in Nacka, so we haven't done much in the last week.  G and I have our daily routine, wake up, play, nap, lunch while watching Jamie Oliver's 30 minute meals, go for walk and play some more.  We went to the nearby mall and found the better play center, went for Tapas and meet a friends of a friend which was lots of fun.  Slowly but surely we are getting into a good routine and settling into life here.  Also we tried shrimp on pizza last night.  I tried to get M to get one with bananas on it but he vetoed that for now...hahahaha

Week 1-(ish)

Well it has been a little over a week since G and I landed.  Not much has been happening. We have been adjusting to our new time, checking out the new city and enjoying our very compact living.

For the most part G and I have been staying close to our temporary housing while M is at work.  As amazing as the transportation is, I don't think either of us were adjusted enough to make that trip too often without totally wiping us out.  We go on several walks during the day, exploring the different routes and trails near the apartment, occasionally we search the local grocery store but mostly we just hang out at home.

On Thursday, we got the keys to our apartment.  It is going to be great! From the rumors and watching too many episodes of House Hunters International, I was expecting that we would be living in something smaller and no storage.  Well M found us a great apartment.  There is a closet in every room, I think G's room is actually bigger than her room back in Seattle, and built in exercise.  Hopefully we will be able to move in next week but our stuff isn't scheduled to arrive in Sweden til Monday and it will take a few days for it to get through customs.  

first of many trips up the stairs

When we do venture into Stockholm proper, I will admit that we are excited about all the places to explore, and the beauty of the city.  This weekend is Pride weekend. As with any good Pride celebration there was a parade that ran through the city:

At our first look out spot, only G had a good view. She did enjoy the dancing and the clapping. (Everytime I tried to get a video she would stop.) After a while we started walking back towards to bus home and saw the rest of the parade going in the opposite decoration.  It was a fun parade, very similar to the one in Seattle. I will admit that the people watching was probably the best part.  It seemed that everyone old and young came out to support the parade. The cafes along the route where bursting with people enjoying the sights and sounds.  

If you noticed on the map every 7-Eleven is highlighted.  They were one of the sponsors of Pride and had a drop in wedding chapel at one of their store locations.  Who knew that 7-Eleven was so progressive?

Made it safe and sound and then some...

G getting ready to go see M

Well G and I made it without any minor incidents.  Both flights were fine, the flight attendants were not only helpful but very friendly, and the lady who sat with us to London saw G and said "Looks like I will be in good company."

view out our window, 9ish 

G did a good job of winning over everyone she came into contact with. She made special friends with a group of Spanish teenagers returning home after some time in Washington, she flirted with the guy sitting across the aisle from us, and every grandma and grandpa was willing to take her home with them.

Our only minor hiccup came when we had to transfer from one flight to the next.  We had to go through security again and all the food I had stashed for G triggered extra searches.  We were cutting it close to begin with, and we did not make it.  Luckily we were able to get on the next flight so that gave us 3 hours to kill in Heathrow.  G ran around like a mad woman and I chased after her.  At least she was enjoying herself.

After getting in a lot later than expected, we got a good nights sleep and prepared for our adventure the next day.  Just like M's first day, we had to venture to Solna to get registered as our first step in getting residency here.  Since M had learned the ropes of getting around, our adventure was much smoother than his first trip.  Only misstep was getting off the bus 1 or 2 stops to soon. The registry office was also running late so we made it just in time. Once that was done we got on a bus and explored and ate where M works and close to our future home.

G's bedroom

On Friday M went to work leaving G and I in Nacka.  Let me first describe our temporary housing. It is very nice and furnished by Ikea, including the fridge but it is the size and layout of my studio apartment in grad school.  It was fine for one person maybe two but not three. Especially when one is a newly walking 1-year old, this place feels very small.  We are making it work and are only here for one more week.  G is sleeping in the kitchen and we are partially living out of suitcases.  Saying all that and being really jet lagged and not wanting to figure it out for myself, G and I headed to M for food, a grand tour, and meeting his new coworkers.

Today we ventured Södermalm, and tomorrow we will get me a SIM card so that at least I will be able to figure out where I am.  I know I am being very descriptive but we really didn't see or do much except wander.  And since I am really out of it I only remembered to take a few pictures.  Also, most of Stockholm except in the tourist areas basically shuts down for July so people can go on holiday. We will go back and report more thoroughly when everything is open.  As for now I leave you with the few pictures I did remember to take.  

beach at Södermalm

lake near temp house, 10pm

So long, farewell... Auf Weidersehen, goodbye

Team Green-Beitch*

I have been working on our Farewell Seattle! post in my head since I decided that I should write a blog. AND now it has come...We are excited to start this new adventure while at the same time terrified of all the unknowns. We are leaving behind friends that have become family, a wonderful house and a beautiful city.  I have no fear that we will be fine in Stockholm.  M alone has already booked our social calendar for the next month and found us a great place to live.  But I still lack the words to express everything that I am feeling so...without much ado I leave Seattle with these thoughts:

The story of life is quicker than the wink of an eye, the story of love is hello and goodbye...until we meet again. - Jimi Hendrix

Remember me and smile, for it’s better to forget than to remember me and cry. - Dr. Seuss

So long and Thanks for all the fish- Douglas Adams

How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard. - Winnie the Pooh

*Photo by Krista at Love Song Photo.

G in a flower pot

House Hunters International

As G and I head to Seattle for our last week in the USA, M went out house hunting. Without further ado, here is his report.

recommended area to live in from a Swede

The housing market is Stockholm is very much like Seattle, San Francisco and New York City. To give some background... Stockholm has a thriving economy with lots of tech companies and start-ups and is actually a small city with very strict building codes around preservation. The result is much more demand than supply in the housing market.

All I've been hearing from coworkers is how difficult it is to find a place and how it may take a while and how hard it can be, etc. At the same time, I spoke to some people who relocated for Spotify from California that had the same relocation agent and they had no problems except that 5 minutes after looking at their top choice of apartments, it had been claimed by someone else! So I prepared myself to make a quick decision.

The requirements where a two bedroom apartment in central Stockholm and with our conservative budget we were told this could be a stretch. We want to be in the middle of the action as we don't know how long we'll stay here and as DaD says, we don't want to be in Stockholm and be 'house poor'. So we expected to get a 1 bedroom and make it work until R found a job and we felt we could spend a bit more. With that, I'll describe the day...

I finally got to meet Ines, my French relocation agent who I've been working with for 3 months, in-person at her office in Ostermalm for a quick presentation about the market and how things work over here. It was a good overview with some useful information. After that, we hopped in her car and set out on the hunt. She had arranged viewings for 5 properties. I had a print out overview of the properties and of course, I ignored the presentation and really had to take a look at what she had arranged. I started seeing Vasastan, Sodermalm and Ostermalm and got excited because these were our top choices for location. So at least there will be options! Even a 2 bedroom in Vasastan in our budget, there's hope!

The first property was a 1 bedroom in Ostermalm that was about 650 sq ft. It was an okay place in a very good location and it would have worked, for a while. Ostermalm is the most posh area of Stockholm and would certainly be a nice area to live in. However, what it makes up in poshiness, it lacks in interesting. It was comforting to see a place this size and have the feeling that it could work even though I was pretty sure it was not THE place. Sorry, no pictures of this one.

Next was the 2 bedroom in Vasastan, 860 sq ft and 1km from work and close to everything. Vasastan is the northern part of Central Stockholm. It has lots of old beautiful buildings, families, parks and great bars and restaurants. The apartment is on the fifth floor with no elevator, BUT it had a stroller closet on the first floor. Ok, not even much smaller than our house in Seattle. Beautiful hardwoods, high-ceilings, plenty of space and built-in exercise. We could even have visitors stay with us in this place! It quickly moved to the top of the list BUT there was still a place in Sodermalm.

living room

entry

fireplace!!

We made a trip out to the suburb of Solna which isn't that far away. The place was ok and cheaper but too out far and not as nice as Vasastan. Meh, next!

We hopped in the car and headed South to Sodermalm. Sodermalm is an island in central Stockholm that is south of the city center. It is usually compared to Greenwich Village or for Seattleites, Pike/Pine in Capitol Hill. Except it is way more kid friend. But kid friendly is just Stockholm in general.

There were two properties in Sodermalm however we skipped one because it was a furnished 1 bedroom and only 540 sq ft. Probably two small. Instead we got a coffee and some lunch at a cafe while we waited for to see the final option. The final option was a 780 sq ft 1 bedroom. Ines had never seen this one before so she didn't know what to expect. I got super excited about it based on the location. It was on a side street with awesome bars and restaurants and very European feeling. The building was beautiful on the outside and there was so much cool stuff in the neighbourhood. I imagined it to be this big open lofty space since it only had 1 bedroom.  I loved the place but in liveable space it was much more akin to the size of the Ostermalm apartment due to its architectural features.

Anyways, it's so easy to get anywhere in Stockholm and we can break the lease if we give 3 months notice so we will still have options if we want to make a change! We could do Sodermalm but I knew the Vasastan place would be much more comfortable and be something we could stay in for longer.

Ines cleared it with the leasing agents that I could have the evening to decide. She dropped me at the bus station and quickly started entering the positives and the negatives into a notepad on my phone. It was pretty clear Vasastan would be the winner. I phoned my new friend Anna who grew up in Vasastan and she gave me the feedback that it would be a good location (Thanks Anna!). I went home and waited for R to wake up. I gave her the overview and we chose Vasastan. Hooray! Our lease starts August 1st and our stuff arrives August 2nd. Now if only my girls would get here, life would be perfect!

Melting...

As M explores Stockholm. G and I are hanging out waiting for the timer to hit zero.  For now here is the WWWWH of this stretch of our journey.

who needs clothes in this weather

WHERE

We are in Kennewick, Washington, which is one of the Tri-Cities: Richland, Kennewick and Pasco (and now West Richland, which will change the whole "Tri" bit).  For those of you who don't know much about Washington geography, we are located at the confluence of the Columbia, Yakima, and Snake Rivers in a place called the Columbia Basin. It is a widely assumed myth that Washington state is all rain and evergreens but here in the Tri-Cities it hardly rains and temperatures get to 100+, really a desert.  We are melting; I had to buy shorts and G spends as much time as she can in a diaper or less near or in water.

pool time fun

WHEN

We got here the day after Marc left and we stay until July 15 when we will head back to Seattle for a week.

HOW

My mom and dad drove over to Seattle, helped pack and ship us off, sent M on his way, and brought G and me back with them to Kennewick.

water park fun

WHAT

My family and I moved to Kennewick in 1982.  My parents still live in the same house for exactly 32 years.  It is always interesting coming back to a place that I am very familiar with but at the same time a visitor.  Luckily, I have great friends and family to visit with and enjoy the time we have here.  Some of the highlights:

1. Splash Gardens- it is sprinklers on speed and G loves it!
2. Storytime at the library, need I say more.
3. Naked baby running around after a bath.  (Sorry no public pictures, saving them for G's first boyfriend). As mentioned before it is HOT here and what better way to cool down after a long day of sweating but run around NUDE to dry off. (Nude Beitchman)
4. Blueberries-  Up until July 7 (Happy Birthday Grandma) G refused blueberries, she would spit them out. Then one day she decided to bite into one and proceeded to demolish off a pint of blueberries.
5. Friends- So far we have been able to visit with my longest friend, of exactly 32 years, and her family, my third grade teacher's daughter turned roommate and her family and family friends that have known me since I wasn't much older than G.
Soon we will meet up with a good college friend and his family and visit my friend recovering from a minor procedure.  We are very fortunate to be able to spend time and share Hambre the Monster cup with all of them and with you.

G's photo taking skills

WHY

You might be asking why didn't you just go over with M at the end of June.  Well that is much like an onion with lots of layers.  But the long and short of it is that we are minimizing the time that Team Green-Beitch has to live in a studio apartment, allow M to get into the groove without having to worry about G's groove and let me hang with family and friends.  

new night time tradition

First days...

This blog is the journeys and trials of Team Green-Beitch.  I am the Green part of the team and M & G are the Beitches. So...we thought it would be a good idea that M contribute to the blog.  So without much ado here is M and his journey navigating Stockholm without his partner in crime and sidekick. 

Rachel covered us leaving Seattle so I'll pick up my part of the journey from there. I've been in Stockholm for 4 days and it has been a whirlwind. 

I landed in Stockholm on Sunday night. The flight was uneventful until I got to baggage claim. There were hundreds of unclaimed bags lying around which was odd. Turns out Heathrow was having major problems getting bags to their destination. 

One of my bags arrived and then I waited and waited and waited and the other one didn't show. 

Luckily, the one that arrived had the important stuff except for the plug adapters. I was told there was a good chance the bag was on the next flight but if I didn't stay to check it could take a week to get it. Needing at least the iPad to work until Tuesday I decided to wait for the 2.5 extra hours which was the right choice even though it felt like an eternity.

I got in a cab bleary eyed from the travel to get to our temporary apartment. Turns out the apartments are in the top floor of an office building with no clear signage. I asked some people and they didn’t know where it was. I dragged my 100 lbs of luggage around the back and saw a small sign for the Beautiful Apartments. Whew, I made it!

I was overtired but couldn’t sleep. I managed about 2 hours before Monday showed up and needed to run errands. Armed with only the iPad and no connectivity I journeyed to the migration bored, north of Stockholm, to get biometrics taken. I had a 10am appointment and left hours early. A lady at the first bus stop told me to take the metro which totally threw me off. I was in the vicinity but not walking distance. After walking around looking for the street names and not seeing anyone to ask for help I decided to hop in a cab at the metro station and made it. 

The rest of the errands were in central Stockholm so I was able to pop in and out of coffee shops for connectivity.

Tuesday was the first work day. Met my new manager and "buddy" first thing and proceeded to go get my supplies. They ordered me a Swedish laptop, whoops! Even though my manager clearly specified US English. Luckily, it’s just for the laptop keyboard.

Work has been great. I am the only American on a team of 3 Swedes and 3 Spaniards. It was a revelation realizing I am the weird one. Everyone speaks English MOST of the time. I’ll write more about work later. 

I will say that I can tell already that Spotify is a special company. Here’s a few pics from the office, including the lunch from my team retrospective (part of Agile development) - Mexican burgers!

 

My desk

The hallway

Burger!

I haven't had much time to explore Stockholm except for the random times I stay on the train for an extra stop or exit the subway on the wrong side. I’m planning to wait for most exploring until Rachel and Gaby arrive because I want to experience it with them for the first time. But here's a few pics from my mishaps...

Gondolen restaurant and observation deck

An outside restaurant in Sodermalm

A house in transition...

townhome in a truck

We are officially a family on the go. Everything has been packed, shipped and routed to Stockholm.  We are now in the period of flux and separation, but I don't really want to dwell on that. Instead...

On M's last day we did talk about what things we would miss most about Seattle, I was trying to give him one last treat, (we ended up at Hello Robin Cookies, not necessarily an old favorite but if you know my husband you know he wouldn't pass up ice cream and cookies.)  We talked about the glorious bowl of pasta from Spinasse, going to Chucks, all the coffee Seattle has to offer, and many more delicious places that we frequent. All of these things are loved but we look forward to the exploration and discovery of our new home. I am not saying we won't miss Seattle. Seattle will always be home;  it was where we meet, bought our first house, got married, and started a family. But I am taking this ambivalence of our places as a sign that we are ready for what lies ahead.

g enjoying her own company

With that in mind, M has landed safely in Stockholm without too much complication.  G and I have been safely transported to Kennewick where we will stay for the next few weeks visiting friends and family till the timer says 0 and we get on the plane to join M.

5 years all packed up

A little over 5 years ago, we moved into our beautiful house and started the processes of filling it up. And now it is all getting packed into boxes. 

I have to admit to am a little afraid of what we are going to find on the other side. Luckily the diapers are all clean. 

Going, Going...GONE!

Back in 2008-2009, M and I use to live down the street from Sun Liquor Lounge, and every year they would make eggnog from scratch for 24 and 25 of December.  It is one of the best things ever.  In 2012 the Seattle Times posted a similar recipe for aged eggnog and since I was a couple months pregnant I filed it away to be made later.  Well later was this past winter.  AND IT WAS GOOD!

Now I know what you are thinking right now...What does this have to do with you moving?  Well after a lengthy discussion with my brother about making and aging eggnog, M and I kept some to be consumed in December 2014.   Because we can't bring it with so why not try it now.  It was even better than back in December.  It was smooth and creamy; and if you didn't know better you'd thought you were drinking a non alcoholic beverage.

The 7 month aged eggnog was one of many things that is no longer with us anymore.  After tomorrow for the most part everything that we aren't taking to Sweden personally or shipping will be out of our house.  And what will be left at our house will be packed into boxes to meet us on the other side.

In some way it has been quite liberating to watch our stuff go, in other cases it feels odd and sad to finally be rid of it.