Unto this point our author has seen the wasteland of Iceland, climbed the extreme hills of Norway, dined on salmon, and met all Swedes. Now join us as we conclude Scandinavian Adventure.
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| Exhibit A:Stupid American |
By the time we reached my dad's relatives in Junby we were all very tired. There hadn't been much sleep and there had been a lot of meeting people. It is really surprising how tired you can get when there is a language going on around you that you can't speak. I felt like a stupid American because I came to a country expecting to be able to speak English and get around, thankfully that was the case because we would've been in trouble otherwise. We drove to my dad's relatives after saying a very extended goodbye to my mom's relatives. I had no idea how I was relate to some of the people we encountered, but I was assured that I WAS in fact related to all Swedes (as I had previously thought). Upon our arrival we were greeted by a woman named Asa(pronounced Oh-saw) who was waving madly at the end of the driveway. Last summer she had come to visit us in American along with a large group of my dad's relatives. It was fun to know I would be seeing people I had met before, and especially Asa.
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| Asa, just walking |
Something you should know about Asa, she is the most lively person I have ever met in my life. You can't help but want to laugh when you're around her. One of my favorite memories of Sweden was when we were at Asa's cottage and I was walking in to use the bathroom. She came bustling out of the house in a strapless black bikini and matter-of-factly asked me "Would you like to take a bath? There is nothing like a quick bath!" Dumbfoundedly, I said no thank you, and watched as she bounded down to "bathe" in the lake. I was in complete shock as I stood there, and it took all my willpower not to laugh out loud at the scene I had witnessed. Did I mention that Asa is in her 60s? She has white hair that springs from her scalp in tight curls, and she always wears a headband. She has black glasses that she wears at the very bottom of her nose, and she always looks like she is about to smile.
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| I want to go to there! |
Back to our arrival, we walked into the home of my dad's relatives and were greeted with the most amazing scent of cooking salmon. I really had a thing for salmon at this point and I was so pumped I got to eat it again. The rest of the trip was a blur of family and food. We got to go shopping in Junby, and we found some really cute shops. Of course, when you're in a foreign country everything seems cute. The most magical thing about shopping in Sweden (and Norway), is the grocery store. You may be thinking, this kid is crazy, what the heck could be so magical about a grocery store. Oh ye of little faith, thous has never encountered the amazing candy wall. I still have dreams about the candy wall sometimes. It is an aisle in the grocery store that is complete of candy. You can take a scoop and plop it into a bag. There are the most fantastic candies to be had, and all at the same price. My eyes could feast for days on that wall of candy. Needless to say I filled my candy bag to the fullest, and was not mad at all when I had enough to take home with me.
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| Hard work...then cake. |
While we were with my dad's relatives we partook of the Pearson/Perrson family reunion. We had different last names as a result of the whole "We can't pronounce that in America" thing, when the ancestors came over. This reunion took place outside, until it rained and we were forced to hurriedly move into the barn to finish our meal. It was a great spread of food as per usual, but the desert was fantastic. It was a mixture of fruit, cream, meringue, and awesomeness. I can't even remember how many pieces I ended up having. After we had digested our food, it was time to get to work. The relatives brought out scythes, pitchforks, and rakes and said we would be cutting the grass. They told us it was tradition, and more fun than using machines because machines are loud and prevent us from talking to each other. We were shy at first, but finally we decided to get down in there and cut some grass. It was the most fun I think I've ever had at a family reunion. I didn't think that physical labor would be required of me, so it was all the more fun to find I had been slightly useful. I had a blast talking to some of the relatives who were around my age, and after we had finished cutting grass we "took a wade" in the lake. And after all the work it was, of course, time for more cake.
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| Our dinner scenery. |
On our last day with the relatives they took us out to a little island out on the lake. This is where Toby comes in...although it should probably be Tobi since his name is Tobias. No one ever called him Tobi, but it fit in with my Roots thing, and I think he must've been called Tobi at some point in his life. Anyway Tobias and his father Dan(pronounced Don), helped us get into the boat and on our way to the island. Once we were there we set up a grill and had hotdogs, potato salad, and a really tasty Swedish beer. We stood right next to the lake and ate our supper as the sun went down. I was able to wander around the island and climb some rocks, and of course get lots of pictures of nature. Everyone was smiling and laughing, as we shared our meal and enjoyed the gorgeous scenery. All too soon it was time to leave, and we got back on the boat to the mainland.
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| BEST NERD MOMENT EVER! |
The next day we gave a sad goodbye to the relatives and started on the road to Denmark. We were leaving from the Copenhagen airport, and got to take the bridge from Sweden to Denmark. This bridge goes under the ocean and it is so weird to slowly start going in a tunnel under the water. As soon as we got to Denmark I said "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark!" I think one of my sister's replied "It's probably you." I was slightly disheartened that my Shakespeare moment was thus ruined, but I wasn't leaving Denmark without a picture of me making a face. When we got to the airport I looked everywhere for a sign that said Denmark, and I finally found one. I put on my "something is stinky" face and made my mom take the picture. I will always cherish that moment, and know that I am a literature/theater nerd to the very end.
Our flight back was a tired one, but my television worked the whole time so that was just fine. It was very exciting when I heard my dad say he could see Duluth out of his window. I started to get antsy as we finally landed in Minneapolis. My sister Kari had her mother-in-law meet us at the airport and take us back to Kari's place. We were very excited to see someone we knew, and to have someone welcome us back into the country. When I finally made it home, everything seemed so still and quite. I felt like I was finally able to rest, until I looked at my suitcase and decided to bring all the memories back up to the surface. With all my Sweden swag splayed out on the floor, I tenderly looked at each item and made sure to attach a memory to it. Holding up my moose socks I closed my eyes and saw myself standing in Norway once again.
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