I am from Cincinnati, Ohio, and have been living in New York for the last 7 years. I met Sean 6 years ago, and after a brief stint as friends, we’ve been dating ever since. Life in New York is very fast paced and exciting, but I have to admit it’s starting to wear on me. My first roommate in Brooklyn once told me I had the patience of a kindergarten teacher, but recently I’ve found myself thinking and reacting in ways I would never have dreamed of. When I first came here I was bright eyed and bushy tailed, my skin still tan and radiant from the fresh country air. Now I swear I’m a shade of gray from lack of sunlight due to tall buildings and covered in a thin layer of pollution from the overcrowded streets.
Like I said, I’ve been here 7 years, and he’s never lived anywhere else. Perhaps it was a good time in our relationship and careers for a fresh start? (Maybe somewhere a little more “green”.) We travel a lot, mostly within the lower 48 states, and every place we’ve visited for the last two years we’ve heavily considered moving to.
Recently, Sean’s mom was discussing with her sisters that perhaps they should sell their summer home in Sweden, seeing as no one was living in it. It’s a tiny unremodeled cottage built in the 1930’s, nestled in Eckero (pronounced eck-ah-ru’, -ru as in book). About 20 minutes outside Stockholm by train, what was once a sleepy little town sprinkled with summer bungalows for the middle class has transformed itself over the years into a very posh neighborhood complete with summer mansions and Swedish celebrities. Basically the Hamptons of Stockholm.
The home was an inheritance to his mother and aunts, and the fear of losing it forever was cause enough for action. We discussed it with his family and convinced them not to sell if we would live there for the summer.
And so the journey begins. I know about three words in Swedish – mostly having to do with how much I love those little Swedish fish candies (the red ones are the best!) And his language skills would allow him to have an X-rated conversation with a Swedish toddler. Also, Sean and I are both just about as broke as a bag of glass. But we’re determined, so let’s see what happens. 