“Someday, someday, my country will come…”
What is something
that makes its recipient physically exhausted and emotionally stimulated all at
the same time? An activity that takes all of yourself, yet you continue to
willingly give more. For a moment, you are able to step away from your busy
hectic life and drown yourself in the beauty of culture. Yes, you guessed it.
Traveling. Going to a new place with a constant buzz of wanderlust is one of
the greatest things I’ve ever experienced, especially when one does not only
travel to a new place, but also to a new culture. Why do I like traveling so
much? Simply because of this quote: “When you’re a kid, they tell you it’s all… grow up, get a
job, get married, get a house, have a kid, and that’s it. But the truth is, the
world is so much stranger than that. It’s so much darker. And so much madder.
And so much better.” (Doctor Who). I want to see that world.
Now, I just came
back from a long, strenuous, beautiful, and enchanting trip to Europe,
specifically Stockholm, Sweden and Tampere, Finland. Claude Monet once said “Every day I discover more and more
beautiful things. It’s enough to drive one mad…” I believe my European
experience was exactly that—a conglomeration of beauty.
Strolling through Stockholm. Just beautiful. |
Like any culture
and country, Sweden and Finland has its upsides and downs. Yet, when I first
arrived there... I was a Juliet, who was newly in love with her Romeo. See,
that is exactly what this experience was like—being in love. The same
butterflies, lightheadedness, and eccentric giddiness that may accompany
youthful love was the same feeling that traveled with me in Europe. Yes, as odd
as it was, Europe was my Romeo. Clothed in cobblestones streets and dressed
with accents, euros, and history, Europe made me fall madly in love with it. Yet,
once I arrived back in America, I realized some hard to swallow differences as
a foreigner. Enjoy a sneak peek into my European experience:
Walking down the cobblestone streets (Please
America, get some!), I felt drenched in the history and culture surrounding me.
A man speaking in a different accent. Foreign letters coloring the signs.
Foreign billboards. New and different foods. Foreign. New. Foreign. New.
Excitement. Thrill. Adventure. I could go on and on. See, when I travel, I want
to be completely taken back and surprised. Sweden and Finland did the job for
me.
Having completely
novel people introduced in my life with their own culture, languages,
mannerisms, and more was a complete roller coaster of excitement. One of my
personal favorite Swedish & Finnish cultural perks was “fika”. Now “fika”
(pronounced fee-ka) is the coffee break for the Swedes and Finns. Wait a
second…Americans have coffee breaks too, right? Well, not like these people.
Picture delicious food, arraying from berry crepes to delicious foreign
cinnamon rolls, always at the grasp of your hand. Being a snack eater, I gave
my stomach a cloud 9 experience with fika. My stomach was much obliged.
Of course, after
the fika, sauna was the next step to my American transformation. Again, yes,
the sauna is something Americans have too. But, we don’t take advantage of its
full potential, like the Swedish and Finnish people do. So, next time you go to
either of these countries…do not skip out on their perks. Sauna and fika? Yes,
please.
Delicious fika! |
Grabbing my Finnish Ernest Hemingway copy of "And the Sun Rises" in an authentic Finnish bookstore! |
When I was
traveling with my wee romantic heart amidst Sweden, I had a Swedish friend tell
me something surprising about his country—marriage was unpopular. Marriage is
handled much differently in Sweden/ Finland than where I come from. Living in
the Bible belt, marriage is traditional. In the circles that I run in, the guy
and girl meet, develop a strong attraction for the other, date, fall in love,
and marry. It’s as simple as that. Take marriage out of the equation? Might as
well tell me that dragons and knights were still roaming the countryside.
So, once I arrived home, I did some research
concerning the subject. Practically every web writer I read spoke about the
unpopularity of marriage in Sweden. However, as I thought about it, I was less
surprised. In America, we don’t realized how divorce has become one of our
identifying figures to other countries. Going to Sweden as a foreigner, I was
taken back by how marriage is treated differently. Yet, when a Swede visits
America, he or she is probably equally surprised by our high divorce rates.
When you go to different countries, EXPECT differences. When you marry a man,
expect that he will have a weakness or two...if you don’t, then you may feel
angry and divorce him. Don’t divorce a country—Number one rule of a traveler.
Just because you may disagree with a country’s standards does not mean you have
to disrespect it by any means. I adore both Sweden and Finland, although I
disagree with them in some areas.
That was just a
tip of the iceberg concerning my most recent European travels. Tell me about
your own travels & experiences! I would love to hear it! Got a case of
wanderlust? Well, you've come to the right blog! Join the club :)
Stockholm, Sweden...Truly a beautiful place. |
WOW. I love how you describe your wanderlust and your experience there! The insta-love; Sweden/Finland as your Romeo is brilliant! And the quirkiness: "my stomach was much obliged." So funny. The insight that you give about the marriage issue is probably my favorite part of the post. I never thought about it like that. I grew up in a Christian home and I still have the same values. The fact that marriage is apparently so undervalued there really breaks my heart. It's completely foreign! Well...literally. Thanks for your thoughts! Reading blog posts like this is much more helpful and entertaining than reading a travel guide.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I'm glad that you enjoyed it! Yes, seeing a country move from it's original religious state is very heartbreaking. I'm so glad that you enjoyed this though. Stay around for more! :)
ReplyDelete