In January I passed my 13th anniversary of our move to Sweden, and later that month a cousin of mine finally made the move here. She’s also married to a Swede, but because of their careers they’ve been commuting back and forth from Sweden to the US for TEN YEARS. She said part of the reason for the decision to finally choose one place was motivated by how tired her husband was starting to look. I’m boggled that it took that long, but delighted that they chose Sweden.
My mom’s family is huge—her dad had 7 sisters and a brother and all but 2 of them had kids who had kids who have kids (who are now starting to have kids). Katie is my mom’s cousin’s kid, which I think makes her my first cousin once removed. Or maybe she’s my second cousin? I never could keep it straight how that works. Anyway, mostly we just say cousins. I don’t know her family well, and have only met her a few times but my mom’s family is totally COOL, and she’s one of the coolest. She and her husband have a daughter that is close to Karin’s age and I’m looking forward to getting to know them all better.
When my mom was here we were talking about how many people in our extended family have married foreigners and/or live abroad. Besides myself and Katie, I have another cousin in Berlin and my brother in southern Germany; a cousin married to a German who lives in the States and another cousin who lives in Russia (for work) and yet another who is married to a Canadian—that totally counts!
Katie blogs, too…and she’s witty and interesting and is making me sympathize with the daily dramas of moving to a new country…it’s easy after so long here to forget what it was like when I first arrived. Figuring out the language and the driving and culture and all the little myriad mysteries of life in a place that seems so much like home on the surface but which constantly surprises you with the differences. I hope that her transition and experience here will be as positive as mine has been. Go give her some love: Falling Monkeys
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Have I left you hanging about something? Is there something I’ve forgotten to follow up on; a story that you never heard the end of? Let me know and I’ll answer your questions!
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Three Delightful Things About Today: Unexpected avocados, Rice Krispie Treats from a friend, Anders home in a couple of hours!
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Friends come from the most unexpected places when you’re a blogger. The quality of the people I have met online and become friends with, and sometimes met, continues to amaze me. And one the most wonderful of them is celebrating a birthday today. Barrels of Bunny-Soft Birthday Wishes to the Magical Bluepoppy. May you live long & prosper! XO!