Christmas season in Stockholm is in full swing! Swedes celebrate the holiday on the 24th, so technically here, my birthday is the day AFTER Christmas. I won’t be spending the actual holiday here in STKHLM because I am going TO FREAKIN’ PARIS, FRANCE! So I am trying to embrace all of the Christmas activities and sites that Stockholm has to offer before leaving.
The first Julmarknad, or in English Christmas market, was located in Gamla Stan. We went the last weekend in November and it was crowded already. In retrospect, I found out it is the “tourist” Christmas market. Any event set up in the center of the Gamla Stan square will be scenic and adorable, but there were only about 30 booths to shop through.
The following weekend, we ventured to Kungsträdgården to the Julmarknad at the Royal Stables. There were probably about 100 stands to sample and shop through. There were numerous stable rooms to walk through and you could even see the Royal horses and chariots, too! I sampled candied nuts, a dozen flavors of fudge, reindeer jerky (I declined on the bear and hog jerky), olives, and mustards. It was also crowded, but had more of a Christmas spirit with glög, mulled wine, and pepparkakor, gingerbread. I picked up small gifts for my momma and nana at a hand made wire ornament stand. The Royal Stables does charge 100 SEK to enter the grounds, but I think it is worth it.
I knew that Thanksgiving would be a tough time to be away from home. I couldn’t decide if I would miss the food, friends or family more. Luckily, I was still able to focus on everything that I am thankful for in my life in Sweden.
I AM ABLE TO BE HERE: Not only is teaching internationally a unique opportunity, but it has allowed to live and travel in Europe. Seeing more of the world has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember and although this move has not entirely satisfied that, it has made me feel more fulfilled.
I still have an amazing connection with the people who are most important to me back at home. I talk to my family and best friends on a daily basis and that makes the distance feel so much smaller.
I have made a family of my own with my friends in Sweden.
My students, their families, and my colleagues show interest and care for me that makes me feel like my hard work is acknowledged.
I spent the actual Thursday night of Thanksgiving being treated to a dinner by a kind family. One of my mentor students at the beginning of the year unfortunately had to switched schools in October and I was really sad that I would not continue my relationship with him. However, his family and I kept in contact via email and they extended an invite to their Thanksgiving dinner with them. This family had spent 5 years living in New Jersey where they were exposed to full-on Thanksgiving traditions that they wanted to continue with their children now that they are back living in Sweden. They made a reservation at Marcus Samuelsson’s Kitchen & Table that had a set, special Thanksgiving menu. The meal included a pumpkin & pork soup, turkey served with cranberry sauce, brussel sprouts, green beans, and mashed sweet potatoes, and an apple sorbet dessert. The food was delicious, but the company was even better. I was able to hear the family recount some of their experiences in America that reminded me of home, and tell me about some Swedish customs I was unfamiliar with. The whole family included me and made me feel so warm. It was such a thoughtful invite and special way for me to celebrate Thanksgiving in my home away from home.
The next day, Friday, the school that I teach at hosted a staff Thanksgiving dinner where everyone contributed a food item and feasted together! Foods included traditional American foods like my favorite stuffing, sweet potato casserole, pumpkin pie, mixed in with dishes from other countries like India, Sweden, the UK, etc. Our school also paid for the turkey and beverages. This event was well organized and executed, and it made me feel really appreciated.
It was my first Thanksgiving away from home, but for that reason it made all of the new ways of celebrating and expressing thanks feel so much more special.
Skansen is located in the center of Stockholm right next to Grona Lund. It is considered an “outdoor air museum” and has both historic and modern attractions. A huge feature of the park is their animal exhibits. They have classic nordic animals like brown bears, wolves, seals, owls, and moose. They also have a cobble stone street with stores and restaurants. There is a row of wooden stands for vendors to sell food, but not all were open during our visit. There was a fresh grilled fish stand, waffles, candied almonds, hot chocolate, and other yummy treats. I am hoping to head back for the Christmas market in a few weeks. It is a fun place for families to walk around with some really beautiful views.
With the leaves changing, we decided to take a trip (about an hour away on train/bus) to Tyresta National Park! The park was bustling with families and people, many searching for edible mushrooms to collect and take home. The park also had a small campfire and picnic area next to a small town-like collection of buildings. There you could use the WC and stop for some warm food, drinks, and cute souvenirs. There was also a national park store that had books and maps about Tyresta and other national parks in Sweden. It was a nice trip, and I look forward to going back in the Spring time. There is an alleged body of water with scenic views that we didn’t stumble upon on our “2 km” hike with numerous detours off-trail!
I have had some trouble maintaining a balanced diet here in Stockholm. I would say the most popular options for eating out are pizza, burgers, or fish. All of these options are more expensive than they are in the U.S. and more “gourmet”. The lunches at my school are really filling, delicious, and healthy, so the weekend is my time to explore the food options. I am going to keep track of my favorite meals thus far, beloooow:
La Neta
There are two locations for this taco joint, one in Central near T-Centralan and one in Soder. I visited the one in Central and got 3 small tacos: 2 beef and 1 pastor, as well as a Mango Jarritos. The tacos are served with corn tortillas and meat, and you add everything else on your own. The onions, cilantro, and three choices of salsa are available on a counter. I noticed a lot of to-go orders being made and fillllled up with little salsa containers. The place was crowded at 8:20 on a Friday, when it was closing at 9PM. And by crowded I mean almost all indoor and outdoor seating was filled in addition to an eight person line when I walked in. Service was fairly quick and these tacos were SO good. The meal really fulfilled my craving for authentic Mexican food that I have not been able to find anything even close to elsewhere in Stockholm. Here, I also met a lovely couple visiting from Riga, Latvia for the weekend. We chatted, which made my solo dinner even nicer. The husband was actually born in Mexico and agreed La Neta was delicious, cheap, and as authentic as it gets here in Sweden!
Eatnam
Eatnam is a Vietnamese restaurant recommended to me by my lovely barista at Espresso House in Odenplan. It was a little hard to differentiate the menu items, but I knew I wanted something with noodles and beef, so I went with the #4. I was not disappointed with the amount of food or flavor I got! The meal is enough for two servings or days. My rice noodles were served with carrots, bok choi, cucumbers, and fish sauce. I added sriracha and it was tasty, warm, and hit the spot. The service was super quick and friendly on a busy Saturday afternoon. My friends tried the Vegan Pho, #6 Rice Noodles with Pork Belly, and the #2 Spring Rolls and we all enjoyed everything and went home with leftovers.
STHLM Brunch Club
The 40 minute queue on a Sunday morning did not scare us away. Knowing they had vegan options for my girl, we waited it out with other groups of friends, families, and couples. Between the 4 of us at the table, we tried the Donuts, Avocado Toast, Eggs Benedict, juices, coffees, etc! All of the portions were substantial and the presentation was adorable. (All of our phones ate first) I had the Berry Pancakes and a side of bacon and it was sooooo scrumptious. It was the first real breakfast food I had since arriving in Stockholm and it did not disappoint. The place is a little bit pricey, but in my opinion it is reasonable for brunch every once and a while! I will definitely go back and try something new. The coconut chia pudding is next on my list……
This cemetery is on a huge plot land with beautiful landscaping and architecture. This sunny Saturday was full of visiting loved ones and active families enjoying the grounds.
I met Holly through our sorority and we figured out our best friends from high school were each other’s new best friends at college. It was such a weird, small connection, but so meaningful. If two of the people we love the most, love each other, then we would probably love each other to by default, right? Well yeah….that did turn it to be right…..
2016
Holly seeks adventure and along the way spreads such love and warmth. She takes risks and loves learning about new things, places, people, beliefs, concepts, etc. This chick is backpacking Europe alone for 3 months + Even though she is not from my hometown, having her in Stockholm was the first source of familiarity I had in a month and her presence gave me a chance to share my excitement and experiences with someone in person. It meant the world to me for her to see my home, meet my friends, and explore my city. On top of that, she was engaged and patient with me while I talked extensively about work and worked from home every night.
While she was here we walked around the historic Gamla Stan area of Stockholm. She encouraged me to try my first Swedish cinnamon bun, kannelbullar, and ooooooo it was yummy. We met up with my friends at the Stockholm Beer Festival and had a few beverages. We also went to my first Stockholm fotboll, or soccer, game at the suggestion of Holly’s brother from the states! Those are just some of the glorious, gluten free highlights of her stay. It was a visit I will never forget, and reminded me of how lucky I am to have a person like her in my life. Safe travels to Holly and I can’t wait for more visitors!!!
My official work week caps off at 36.5 hours. However, I spend at least 40 hours in the school and additional hours and hours planning, preparing, and thinking about my students and how to meet all of their needs.
As a first year teacher, I want to be phenomenal at my job. I want to plan lessons that are engaging and create relationships with each and every one of my students. I want the parents to think I am on the ball (whether that is the complete truth or not so much). I want my coworkers to think I can handle things on my own, and be surprised when they realize this is my first time having my own classroom.
However, this year has proved to be even more challenging than I anticipated. Lessons do not go as planned. Students are not engaged, and are therefore not learning. There have been days I have felt not only exhausted, but like I was letting some of my students down.
I have a team of supportive coworkers, who even with more experience than myself, are struggling with the same problems. We vent to one another and we check on one another. And sometimes on the weekends, we explore this new country together.
In this time, of course we talk about school, but we also talk about our lives back home in our respective countries. This may be the US, UK, Canada, etc. We talk about our families, relationships, passions, and experiences. The people who have found their selves here under similar circumstances to me happen to be open-minded, positive, beautiful humans.
Although we work long days, we are all passionate about making a difference in children’s’ lives all over the world. On top of that, we are all growing to know one another and embracing our differences whether it is accent, age, sexuality, interests, etc. There is no one else I would rather live this crazy Swedish life with.
scandinaive 