Each year, in the Spring edition of William's school newsletter, the editor asks a family who is leaving to write a farewell article. Dwight and I thoroughly enjoyed Kristen's story and thought is would offer an interesting perspective to our blog readers. We will miss the Fosters and wish them well as they settle into their new home in Charlotte, NC.
Four fabulous years for the Foster Family
By Kristin Foster
It is a beautiful day today. The sun is shining and the sky is blue. The wind took me by surprise when I stepped out in a sundress and sandals and I had to hurry inside for a quick change of clothes. Who knows? It might just snow today. Stranger things have happened than a snowstorm in May. I distinctly remember my first Spring in Sweden when a late snow snuck up on us just as the Masters Golf Tournament was being played in sunny Georgia, our home state. I think it says something that my first thought when I sat down to write this article has to do with the weather. It is just about impossible to talk about life in Sweden without discussing it. We praise it and complain about it. My Swedish friends seem to feel responsible for it. They nostalgically recall years of winter wonderlands and perfect summers. Even I remember the weather of 2005-2006 as picture-perfect. The movers came last week to assess our packing needs. It is starting to feel real. In six short weeks we will be back in the US and our experience in Sweden will be over. Admittedly, I am ready to be closer to family and old friends. I'm ready to settle-in to a more "normal" world where people stay put. That said, I would be lying if I didn't say that I'm starting to get a bit emotional. We have formed friendships that will last a lifetime. We have skied and danced around the midsummer's pole quacking like a duck. We've cruised the archipelago and kayaked on Edsviken. We've ice skated, rode horses, played rugby and danced. We've travelled through Europe, drank good wine and ate delicious food. We've sledded and drank hot chocolate out of thermoses. We've donned kilts and Starboy costumes. We've lit fires on dark November afternoons and snuggled in for the day. We've learned songs about pepperkaka. We've developed a fondness for kardemum kringla and strong coffee. We've given our children a chance to be independent: riding bikes to school solo and walking to "town" alone to do the recycling. We've slammed schnapps at a Julbord. We've seen a moose and picked mushrooms. We've opened our minds to new ways of thinking. Life as an expat is amazing but not always easy. As a community we have shared an experience that most won't understand. We deal with the lifestyle much like we deal with the weather. We pick it apart, criticize it and wish for something different. In the meantime, we have a great time in spite of ourselves! We will miss this community more than words can say. I'm even starting to think that I will miss the weather. O.K... maybe that's pushing it!
