Time is almost up!

Things I have yet to talk about before I leave September 6th:

Misommar

Euro Trip

Baseball progress

Swedish Mountains-camping

Finished Paint Job

and probably more filler stuff

Adds up!

I fell into a slump in terms of blogging and I apologize--blogging--what an annoying word...

As for now, I am no longer painting and camps do not start up until tomorrow, so I have much free time this morning while it pours outside the apartment. The weather has dramatically decreased, but in a good way---I love the cool weather, not the frigid, nor the humid heat, but that windy, dry, cool weather is perfect--and besides the rain, that is where we are at right now. I am getting excited to see those that I haven't been able to physically see, let alone talk to in a close to a half-year, but I am also saddened by the fact that I have met some incredible people and have lived a great life here in Sweden, and my time to leave is arriving. What is the cliche saying? "Bittersweet." that's it... Though this was an incredible experience and worth every minute, everything comes to an end, and that's okay, since more things lie in the future. I have met some interesting people, from Sweden and not from Sweden. For instance, a kid, 18 yrs of age, that has been recently coming to baseball practice, is from Nepal. He has lived a life completely different from anything that any typical suburban American guy has lived. Long story short, he grew up near the Nepalese jungle with tigers, monkeys, wild dogs, cobras, etc... He said that wold dogs are usually around town and that monkeys will swoop down and steal things from your backpack if they think there is food. The wild dogs have gangs and when paths cross, it can get ugly. He added that one could be walking and see a group of guys equipped with weapons such a swords on their backs. He fled Nepal in a van to Europe once he no longer had any family left in Nepal at 15 years old. He wound up in Sweden alone due to some misunderstanding, so he headed to the immigration office and they set him up with necessary Swedish classes, a Swedish father (good guy, but doesn't live with him), and a job. He is starting school next year and has hopes of going back to Nepal eventually, and hasn't heard from or seen his brother for four years or so. He has been living on his own since he was 16 in a country that is nowhere near home. A very nice and humble kid, he did not brag about his adventure, but rather enlightened us when we questioned. He has been stabbed and held at gunpoint. He complains of being bored as hell here in Sweden, and I can wonder why! A bit more laid back than a jungle. He was attracted to baseball since he saw us practicing as he was playing soccer in the fields next to the diamond. He was a big cricket player back in Nepal and has quickly picked up the game of baseball to some extent--naturally athletic. He said that him and his friends played all of the time back home, and since he cannot stand sitting at home alone in his apartment, he goes out and does whatever he can find outside of work--Where he is from, there is a lot going on around him in the city, so it is quite different from here, well that, and he no longer has his hometown friends around. I could go on telling the stories of this unique kid, but it is his life and I don't feel right telling the public of his years in Nepal, but I felt it necessary to tell a small portion since it is much different than anyone's I had ever heard. I know there are more stories from people all over the world much unlike mine, but that is what makes traveling and meeting others so fascinating--allows me to step back and be thankful and to also open up to new experiences and find more than Ohio. It really showed me how insignificant high school was! I mean while I was playing football and going to prom, he was dodging wild animals and trying to stay away from trouble with gangs. It's nice to meet those who make you think.

Erek and I recently returned from a trip with a friend (Morgan) on the team from his summer cabin (his dad grew up there), and the Swedish mountains for camping. We have been living in Gavle, close to the city, and have ventured out in Sweden for baseball and Midsommar, but it was nothing like where Morgan took us. It was a five hour drive Northwest of Gavle, and since I do not speak the language, the names of towns never stick in my head. A kids father from the youth team generously supplied us with a car while they were on vacation (too nice here!!). It was a small Toyota Yaris--pretty much a bit bigger than a smart car. We stuffed that thing full and bags and gear and headed for the mountains. The landscapes on the way were again nothing less than amazing. After our long journey, we stopped and parked at the bottom of an area surrounded by old Swedish mountainous terrain. A few parts were actually areas for ski runs, and Morgan noted that many cross-country ski/hike up the mountain and then ski down--talk about a killer workout. As we made our summit, I noticed that it wasn't too high--the Swedish mountains are very old--some of the oldest in the world--all of the ice and wind and wear and tear have chiseled them into beautiful, stony, landmarks. There were rocks everywhere and green grass, small streams and ponds of water. As we took in the vast picture of being on top--the fresh air--cool breeze, we began to realize that we were the only ones around for miles--very cool, erie feeling. Morgan added that the weather as acting very bizarre, in such that there wasn't any wind--normally wind floods the mountains, but rather several mosquitoes! Usually when you climb past the tree line, the mosquitoes are no longer a pest, but without wind, I suppose the sustain their flight for blood. It was quite annoying at first, but we got used to it--maybe not Erek, but for the most part, as long as we covered up, it wasn't much. We set up camp in a flat area that overlooked some small ponds. It was nice to know that we could drink the water straight from the streams with no problems at all. It tasted just like a bottled water from the store. Morgan is no stranger to the outdoors and camping, so of course he had the perfect equipment for everything. He had silverware, cooking pots, stove, lights, durable tents that folded into the size of a football, extra clothing, water bottles etc... The right guy to have on the hike. After setting up, we decided to make our way to the areas of water. The ground around the water was just like walking on a giant sponge--so soft and dense--there really wasn't any grass, but rather small bushes and shrubs that lined the entire floor of the mountains. We were on a mission for cloudberries--in Swedish--hjortron-- a bright orange/yellow looking berry that is very hard to find since they are temperature sensitive and only around during certain months of the summer. They grow straight from the ground in dense, saturated areas near water. They have a very unique taste of sweet and fruity, but unlike anything I have tried before. The jam is quite expensive to purchase. Morgan said that one can receive about 50 kronor for one kilo of berries (sell to restaurants and other stores). As we made our way down, we found several berries to try--best berry I have had. He still said there is usually more and the weather just wasn't helping out--apparently Erek and I bring bad luck because we never found a lot of berries as expected. As the day came to a close, we saw some reindeer off in the distance, but not much other wildlife. Morgan made some pasta for dinner and we crept into our tents--each one was double layered for protection and warmth, and each had two separate, storage compartments on either end for setting the backpacks outside of the tent while remaining protected from the outdoors. I flicked on a light and tucked myself into my sleeping bag, which of course reminded me of a giant Chipotle burrito--one of the first things I'll get when I'm back. It was almost more difficult to sleep at first since it was freakishly quiet. The comfortable sleeping pad and bag made it easy to get cozy with the cooler, mountain weather. I woke up a few times in the night, but overall slept pretty well. The next morning, Morgan was up and preparing breakfast--he was always on top of making sure we had the full experience! We had oatmeal with some flavoring added--like blueberry soup--we do not have packets of these mixes in the U.S.

We made our way back after compressing all of the camping gear back into our bags. It was an easier trip downhill and I had to at least go and explore part of a massive gorge created from years of natural wear and tear. It resembled somewhat of a "half-pipe" for giants. I carefully made my way through the craters and up the side of the massive cut-out. I ended up climbing an area that ended up in a dead end, plus we had to get going back to the car in order to get to Morgan's cabin at a decent hour. The rest of the way down was pretty easy--all down hill.

Morgan's cabin area was awesome. Reminded me much of my aunts place with the old pictures and wooden tables and furniture. Maybe it is a Scandinavian thing since my aunt (half Norwegian), has much of the same setting. We arose the next morning to a beautiful lake in the back yard.