Ett år i sverige*
*minus a few months here and there.
One year ago today I was sat on the M25 with Mum and Tom, cursing the standstill traffic as time ticked ever closer to my departure for Stockholm. The block was removed and cars started moving, clearing the way for me to start my Swedish adventure (aka my PhD).
Time is a crazy thing. Looking back on those first few weeks here, living with a Swedish/Cuban couple in Årstaberg (which I hadn't the foggiest how to pronounce), exploring Stockholm through the eyes of a tourist, trying desperately to learn the names of the countless new faces that were welcoming me to the department and attempting to hide my complete lack of knowledge on all things glacial, seems like an age ago. Yet, I really can't fathom how it has been 12 months already. I still get puzzled looks when I try to tell a Swede a new place I'm exploring that weekend and I continue to pretend to know much more about proglacial sediments and their associated landforms than I feel my PhD deserves (although I have a feeling this is the case for the majority of academics!). However, when I look back to last year's blogs and through my numerous notebooks full of project plans and ideas, I realise just how much has occurred. I've gained so many new friends from across the world; have been introduced to some of Sweden's unique traditions (the midsommar frog dance, Lucia dagen processions, Cinnamon bun day and julbord complete with giant reals of licorice and obligatory pickled herring, to name a few); I've played and watched a range of new sports (innebandy, brännboll, ice hockey and nordic skiing); explored each of Stockholm's main islands and parts of the surrounding archipelago and national parks and tried countless cardamom buns at numerous cafes.
Of course, not every day is an action packed adventure filled with sweet treats or new encounters, this
is just what makes it onto the blog. I've spent endless hours sat reading papers on the uses of geophysics on sediments and ice and trying repeatedly to get some useful information out of a bunch of wiggly lines on software I have no idea how to use. Plenty of dark winter evenings have been spent curled up watching Netflix or Swedish cartoons and I'm frequently perched on the end of the kitchen table back in Coleshill as I chat to Mum and Dad over FaceTime. These are the things that confirm I am living here in Stockholm, I'm not just a visitor, this place is now my second home.
I've been lucky enough these past twelve months to have frequent visits from friends and family, giving me the perfect excuse to see alternative areas, sample new cafes and restaurants and try out some of the more touristy experiences Stockholm has to offer. So far I've played host to Mum and Dad, Libby, Ricarda, Tom, Steph and Diese and am already lining up some more guests for the coming summer; any other friends and family are more than welcome to pop over too!
Having almost seen Stockholm through the whole year now I can say it's an all-round lovely city (except maybe in November - that's pretty grim!) but I'd have to say late Spring has been my favourite so far. Since returning from Svalbard, each week has shown a few more signs of Spring arriving and soon the cold, dark months will be forgotten. The city has properly thawed out, Stockholmers are returning to the streets, the blossoms are beginning to appear, I had my first StikkiNikki ice cream of the year today (beetroot and lemon sorbet and coconut ice cream) and a few of us even braved a very quick dip in the sea yesterday lunchtime, maybe slightly overestimating the power of the newly returned sun!
Last weekend I saw a little more of Stockholm than expected. Benny and I were meant to be joining
Peter on field work in Tarfala, Northern Sweden, but unfortunately Peter had to cancel the trip right at the last minute as he had contracted a bad back so we had no way of getting the radar equipment up there. Fingers crossed for next year! Instead I had Yan Ma and Felicity over for dinner and went to the first of the Hornstull weekend markets for 2019 where I had a delicious chicken tikka kati from the Indian Street Food Co. and on my walk back saw a bizarre competition occurring: hobby horse showjumping; is this a thing now?!
I'm now preparing for my main field season where I'll be collecting GPR (radar) and seismic data over the foreland of Midtdalsbreen and radar data over a frozen proglacial lake. Then the fun really begins as I'll have some proper data to analyse so I can actually get writing some papers! My supervisor Benny and I will set off from Stockholm on Tuesday and drive to Hønefoss, just beyond Oslo, then catch the train to Finse the next day to meet the guys from Leeds ready for 10 days out on Hardangerjøkulen (if we're blessed with good enough weather).
Before I yet again head out of Stockholm, I'm celebrating Easter at Charlotta's place with her and her girls, Eva and Nelson and Ilaria and Benjamin so I'd better go and whip up some baba ganoush. I hope you're all enjoying/enjoyed the long weekend and have a Glad Påsk!
One year ago today I was sat on the M25 with Mum and Tom, cursing the standstill traffic as time ticked ever closer to my departure for Stockholm. The block was removed and cars started moving, clearing the way for me to start my Swedish adventure (aka my PhD).
Time is a crazy thing. Looking back on those first few weeks here, living with a Swedish/Cuban couple in Årstaberg (which I hadn't the foggiest how to pronounce), exploring Stockholm through the eyes of a tourist, trying desperately to learn the names of the countless new faces that were welcoming me to the department and attempting to hide my complete lack of knowledge on all things glacial, seems like an age ago. Yet, I really can't fathom how it has been 12 months already. I still get puzzled looks when I try to tell a Swede a new place I'm exploring that weekend and I continue to pretend to know much more about proglacial sediments and their associated landforms than I feel my PhD deserves (although I have a feeling this is the case for the majority of academics!). However, when I look back to last year's blogs and through my numerous notebooks full of project plans and ideas, I realise just how much has occurred. I've gained so many new friends from across the world; have been introduced to some of Sweden's unique traditions (the midsommar frog dance, Lucia dagen processions, Cinnamon bun day and julbord complete with giant reals of licorice and obligatory pickled herring, to name a few); I've played and watched a range of new sports (innebandy, brännboll, ice hockey and nordic skiing); explored each of Stockholm's main islands and parts of the surrounding archipelago and national parks and tried countless cardamom buns at numerous cafes.
 |
| Spring |
is just what makes it onto the blog. I've spent endless hours sat reading papers on the uses of geophysics on sediments and ice and trying repeatedly to get some useful information out of a bunch of wiggly lines on software I have no idea how to use. Plenty of dark winter evenings have been spent curled up watching Netflix or Swedish cartoons and I'm frequently perched on the end of the kitchen table back in Coleshill as I chat to Mum and Dad over FaceTime. These are the things that confirm I am living here in Stockholm, I'm not just a visitor, this place is now my second home.
I've been lucky enough these past twelve months to have frequent visits from friends and family, giving me the perfect excuse to see alternative areas, sample new cafes and restaurants and try out some of the more touristy experiences Stockholm has to offer. So far I've played host to Mum and Dad, Libby, Ricarda, Tom, Steph and Diese and am already lining up some more guests for the coming summer; any other friends and family are more than welcome to pop over too!
 |
| Summer |
Having almost seen Stockholm through the whole year now I can say it's an all-round lovely city (except maybe in November - that's pretty grim!) but I'd have to say late Spring has been my favourite so far. Since returning from Svalbard, each week has shown a few more signs of Spring arriving and soon the cold, dark months will be forgotten. The city has properly thawed out, Stockholmers are returning to the streets, the blossoms are beginning to appear, I had my first StikkiNikki ice cream of the year today (beetroot and lemon sorbet and coconut ice cream) and a few of us even braved a very quick dip in the sea yesterday lunchtime, maybe slightly overestimating the power of the newly returned sun!
 |
| Autumn |
Last weekend I saw a little more of Stockholm than expected. Benny and I were meant to be joining
Peter on field work in Tarfala, Northern Sweden, but unfortunately Peter had to cancel the trip right at the last minute as he had contracted a bad back so we had no way of getting the radar equipment up there. Fingers crossed for next year! Instead I had Yan Ma and Felicity over for dinner and went to the first of the Hornstull weekend markets for 2019 where I had a delicious chicken tikka kati from the Indian Street Food Co. and on my walk back saw a bizarre competition occurring: hobby horse showjumping; is this a thing now?!
I'm now preparing for my main field season where I'll be collecting GPR (radar) and seismic data over the foreland of Midtdalsbreen and radar data over a frozen proglacial lake. Then the fun really begins as I'll have some proper data to analyse so I can actually get writing some papers! My supervisor Benny and I will set off from Stockholm on Tuesday and drive to Hønefoss, just beyond Oslo, then catch the train to Finse the next day to meet the guys from Leeds ready for 10 days out on Hardangerjøkulen (if we're blessed with good enough weather).
Before I yet again head out of Stockholm, I'm celebrating Easter at Charlotta's place with her and her girls, Eva and Nelson and Ilaria and Benjamin so I'd better go and whip up some baba ganoush. I hope you're all enjoying/enjoyed the long weekend and have a Glad Påsk!
 |
| Winter |
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| Same Spot: winter |
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| Same Spot: summer |
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| Meetup walk around Brunnsviken Lake 2 weeks ago |
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| Trip to Tovetorp, south of Stockholm to chose sites to teach undergraduates radar |
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| Meet up lunch at the botanical gardens today |
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