Longing for my beloved Sweden...

So here I am married to a full blooded recently displaced Swede who I would have thought by now would be somewhat homesick for the mother land. Maybe he is but Swede's don't always talk about how they feel. I, on the other hand, am absolutely DYING to book a flight and get the heck outta Dodge! I want to go to Sweden so badly right now that I find myself spending time scouring the Internet for Swedish news, Swedish information, Swedish pictures, Swedish real estate, etc. I've been looking over the photos I have from past trips and remember each moment fondly.

Dammit, I want to be there.

I can't really explain why I love Sweden so much. From the first time I was there, for a short two week trip in the winter when it was mostly dark, I loved it. My love was amplified when I returned in the summer months when it was warm and the bright days lasted well past bedtime. There is such a blend of old and new there. Such an appreciation for culture and art and literature and creativity and self expression yet there is a sensibility there too that keeps things practical, clean and useful.

You'd be hard pressed to find anything you could describe as excessive in Sweden. Except for perhaps the excessive natural beauty of the landscape - even in the big cities. There is a melding of the green and growth and civilization that is important to everyone. I did not see any blight when I was there. I saw urban areas surrounding by parks, trees and water. I saw trains running past open sky and over water. I rode buses into the wooded areas which existed right next to the residential areas. The Swedes just get it, you know? They don't tear things down and make things sterile. They celebrate their heritage and make the new stuff work alongside the old. All while looking to the future.

Yeah, I love the place. I love the people. I wish I was leaving tomorrow!