Well, here we go...

So I may have mentioned that we've been planning a trip to Sweden this summer. As it happens, with what's been happening with Alexander's father we've had to push our plans up to the earliest possible date now. That's okay though. It's been hard being so far away while his dad is going through a major life change and his siblings are there to deal with it. We've been so worried and getting as much information as we can by calling directly to his care givers and physicians but still it will be good to see  him with our own eyes and know that he will be okay.

Turns out the earliest we can go to Sweden is in August so even though we've had to move it forward it's still pretty far away. My job just wouldn't be able to accommodate any earlier travel what with my coworkers all out already on their own summer vacations. After much ado, we have gotten our tickets and reserved two hotels. We fly into Stockholm first where we have a car reserved for us at the airport. We'll drive to Karlstad the day we land in Sweden. I'm going to be the driver! Yikes! I've actually driven in Sweden before but that was on Gotland...a small island without a lot of traffic. This time I'll be taking on the highways and byways of the country. Wish me luck! We'll be staying in Karlstad for a few days to help get his father's apartment in order and move some things still there. I love Karlstad. It's a lot like Kenosha in size. A university town with a quaint yet cool city center. Very cultural yet rural. Yep, I could live there. After that we drive to Stockholm for the rest of our time in Sweden. We won't be keeping the car for  the entire time since the public transpiration in Stockholm is aces. No need for it there.

I love Stockholm too. Sophisticated yet homey, urban yet laid back, hugely cultural but not snooty, new and innovative but reverent to it's history, full of sights and sounds and tastes and smells. Yep, I could live there too. It's a big city with a smaller city feel. I would put it up against Chicago anyway of the week. It just doesn't have to try so hard to be cool because it is cool. Love it there.

I'm looking forward to seeing the family in Sweden and, most of all, seeing Alexander's mom and dad. I worry that we're so far away. I wish it was easier for us to travel there any time we wanted to but it's quite expensive and we have to save up to do it each time. Still, we're going! That's all that counts!

And I can't wait!