Sandanavia Part 2: Something a little different

Nov 9, 2006 6:03 PM

Hello Everyone!
The list of people that my emails are reaching continues to grow! Wow! And, as always, if you were added to this list by mistake or don't want to hear about my adventures anymore, just send me an email with the subject titled "remove" and you will be removed from the list.
That settled. I'm going to try something different for this email. It's more of an experiment. Because I'm lazy, and can't remember exactly what happened after Narvik and the Northern Lights I am going to tell you guys a story. It started out as one of my daily journal entries (So please don't laugh :P) and ended up being something entirely different.
Before I get started I would like you all to know that I am in Berlin on November 9th. For those of you that don't know how important a day November 9th is, Especially for Berlin. You'll just have to go and look it up.
Here we go :)

Th 11-02-06 19.21 Boden-->Stockholm

It's been one of those weekend. One of those weekends that starts on a Monday and ends with an overnight train to Stockholm Thursday. ONe of those weekends I thank God for the breath in my chest. The last few days have been what dreams are made of....EDIT
It's the night with lit houses. Singular cottages in the snowy Scandanavian landscape.

We stayed in Boden last night because the trains from Narvik were all stopped due to bad weather. The hostel was close because it was so late, but it worked out because the most wonderful hotel was open. It was modern and clean and Jack and I watched T.V. all night. The lady who checked us in gave us the most wonderful discount. From 900 Swedish Krone down to 700. For the both of us. She said it was because it was so late, but I'm certain it was because she wanted to do something nice for us. She even allowed us to stay in the rooms until five o clock the next day because that's when our train was leaving. It's amazing, the things I miss when I'm gone from home so long. Clean linen, a real bed, laughing with a friend at a T.V. show. Staying up late in a safe, non-train station, non-sub-zero environment. The smile of a familiar face.
It's one of those weekends where you want each stage of the day to last forever. When you wake up in the morning and come downstairs to see Grandpa reading the paper and drinking his coffee. When you get all bundled up and go for a walk; The sun glittering on the new fallen snow. When you want the sensation of the cold on your face and the knowledge that there's a hot cup of cocoa waiting for you at home, to last forever. When you hear the crisp crunch of snow under your feet. When you look up from the ground and although you're in an environment you've been in hundreds of times before, and you're looking at a house you've lived in and visited every Christmas of your life; you still smile because it's the first time you've seen it this beautiful. Or even if you've never been in this certain place before, but you've seen a thousand houses like it or hundreds of lakes similar to it; It takes your breath away. Or maybe even, never in your life have your adventures ever taken you somewhere anything like this kingdom of wonder, your breath is stolen by Jubilance and returned by Awe.
It's the part of the day when you come into your home from the winter beauty to a fire. You want your complete bliss as you sit in front of the Christmas tree and warm firelight and sip your hot chocolate to last forever. You wish your dad could keep reading you Christmas stories until you fall asleep. (Which often ends up happening).
And all of a sudden it's Christmas Eve and you've said your last goodnights. you take one last look at the Christmas tree, all alite. Slowly you crawl into bed. You wish that feeling just as you slide under the covers and shimmy from the sheer happiness of the evening's happenings, could last forever.
Slowly now you lay in bed. Your breath becoming steadier and steadier by the minute. It's dark but that's ok, you've spent enough nights staring at the ceiling or wall or dimly lit doorway to know what's there. You are home and fed, and it's Christmas eve! Everyone who loves you most in the world is only a wall or two away, dreaming of picturesque snow sledding adventures.
You wish the moment just before you fall asleep and the day and your life and everything is complete, could last forever.
But you open your eyes. And you're a thousand miles from home. In a country where they don't speak your language, in a bed that isn't yours. And you start to panic and get homesick and are short of breath, "I just want to go home," you scream! Deaf ears. And it's not even Thanksgiving yet. "I'm okay," you whisper to yourself. "I'm okay." Because you have a home and loved ones and in a few months time you'll be going back to them. And you're OK. And God loves you. And that's the moment that lasts forever.
Tad

For those of you that are new to my emails, at the end of each email I thank someone that either made this trip possible or deserves a thanks from me in general. You'll have to excuse my bad grammar. Which sparks this email's thank you.

I would like to thank Ms. Goessl for always supporting me as my English teacher for two years running. She always encouraged me, and supported my writing style. Thanks Ms. Goessl!