That's not me in the photo, or my window, and i didn't take the picture, just to put that out there. But i am looking through MY window, and the view is much cuter anyway, with some apple trees (albeit sleeping right now), raspberry plants, and pines and birches across the street. (I don't have a digital camera so it's tough to put picutres of myself or Sweden up on my blog. I ought to get with the times i suppose and buy one, but the cost stops me)
So, to back up, the Swedish family I live with moved a few weeks ago to a new house about 15 minutes by bike from our old one. This new house (called by more than more person "a carl larsson home") is a better fit for the family, and for me it is an immeasurably better situation. My old room was dark, in the basement, and not a place I wanted to spend time in. Now i have my own apartment, so to speak; a separate wing of the house with my own entrance and small hallway, my own kitchen, my own bike parking spot outside and tulips coming up by the door. If you haven't caught own, the feeling of having my "own" space has been good and helped me feel more independent here. Erik and I appreciate having dinners on our own, here and at the adorably small studio apartment he just moved into. This Spring has felt full of nice, fresh changes and as the light grows longer and the weather warmer, I begin to feel more at home here in Uppsala, with my life here in this new country. My Swedish is improving and I can hang onto conversations better and laugh with others (legitimately, not half-heartedly while thinking did i really get that joke?:) Our backdoor opens onto the city forest which is a gorgeous area full of trails, one titled "troll trail" which goes through an area completely untouched for the last 40 years and is thus full of beautiful decaying trees which display the amazing life cycle the forest. I love winding my way through the trails on my bike, then popping out on the other side in downtown Uppsala. I signed up for a half-marathon recently which is in May in Stockholm, and it feels good to have something motivating me to get out the door to run, something i always enjoy once i'm out there but which is somehow tough to start doing. Also, Erik and I are getting to know folks better here and are feeling spiritually fed by a wonderful international Bible study that is concerned with not only what we know about God but that we love others because of God's love for us.
To give some recap for the month of February: I celebrated my 23rd birthday on the 11th, and it was a pleasant day filled with Swedish celebrations here as well as calls and packages from home. The move happened= BIG accomplishment. I began growing lettuce in egg cartons in my sunniest windows, and I'm building a cold frame from old windows to set the transplants in once they are big enough. I am biking on a new (old) bike that I fixed up and so now no longer need to borrow Hanna's "mom" bike here unless I need the baby seat to carry Alexander on. (I just laughed at the though that if HE knew i just referred to his bike seat as something for a BABY he would most definitley get extremely defensive and declare what a "stor kille" (big guy) he was to me, complete with a visual display of him climbing on the tallest kitchen chair to show how tall he is. :) I love my new bike, and though it only has one gear, it is the fastest bike ever, and i'm constantly effortlessly passing Erik when we bike to town together. tehe. i call it blixten because it is as fast as a lightning flash, and because i like the sound of the word. :)
I have been reflective lately, thinking about what life means and what is important. Isn't it so easy to just breeze through the days consumed with the details and forgetting to ask what our real purpose is? I am convinced more every day that God created us for real relationships of love and joy....with Him and with each other, and that involves being involved with people....all kinds in all places. Our neighbors are next door and they are hungry children across the globe and women who are sold into prostitution in India. To love them means to pray, to act, to be aware of their situations and to do what we can about it. Life is short, often confusing, broken and yet being redeemed, a joy to live some days and a trial on others. I think these words from Isaiah 55 are beautiful..."Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!"
Mom and Becca arrive in one week! I'll try to write a post soon after their visit to record what i'm sure will be the best 10 days of the year. :) I hope all of you reading this remain well!
