Hej då 2020!
What a year it has been. Back in January 2020 the year ahead appeared packed with trips abroad, sporting events, meetups with friends and family and a clear path forward for my PhD. Things started out on track with a trip to Oslo to present my work in January, followed by a month in Leeds where I was able to catch up with friends each weekend while dodging the relentless storms that battered the UK. Come March there was rising concern of a virus that seemed to be making its way across to Europe but Mum, Dad, Tom, and I were still able to fit in ski trip before I headed back to Stockholm, ready for the fieldwork season (I’m sure Mum now wishes that trip had reached the same fate of many others in 2020).
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| One snowy walk with Emil |
Mid-March: the world slowed down. We became far more accustomed to our little plots, countless hours were spent in meetings or quizzes on the previously unheard-of Zoom, and the air was filled with the scent of hand sanitizer. While field trips were cancelled and opportunities to see family and friends diminished, 2020 presented me with other new experiences. Never before had I managed to stay put in Sweden for more than 2 months at a time and now, I had an almost uninterrupted year to get to know this country. I became very accustomed to my new little apartment, I discovered a new sport: swimrun, Tom and I explored some of Sweden’s West coast, and I met my new partner in crime, Emil.
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| My chariot |
Due to the increasing restrictions in the UK, we decided it would be too complicated for me to try and make it across for Christmas (turns out I would probably have gotten stuck until mid-January if I had), so instead, Emil’s family kindly invited me up north to Skellefteå for a very Swedish Jul. Therefore, on 22nd December, Emil and I were greeted by his parents (Steffan and Siv) at Skellefteå airport ready for a relaxing week of being truly spoilt with delectable home cooked dinners, numerous Swedish experiences and plenty of snowy walks. I have my cast on until 5th January so to get around I attached spikes to my crutches, which generally did the job, but on occasion the snow and ice were a little too intense, so I received true princess treatment and was pushed along on Siv’s childhood spark (kick sledge).
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| Some of the julbord |
Here in Sweden, Christmas (Jul) is celebrated on the afternoon of the 24th (the Swede’s are just so eager to celebrate). We started the day with a short walk/spark ride to the graveyard to meet Emil’s aunts and uncles and pay respects to his grandparents. For the second time in December, the sun came out and on the walk/ride back we enjoyed a pink and orange sky over the snowy scene below. The next big event of the Swedish Christmas occurs at 3pm, when pretty much the entire nation settles down to watch Kalle Anka: an hour of clips from old Disney movies, including its namesake, Donald Duck. From there, it was on to the Christmas dinner, or julbord, which Steffan and Siv had spent the past few days preparing. Steffan, Siv, Emil, Linn (Emil’s sister) and I tucked in to a full smörgåsbord of delicacies, including the obligatory Christmas ham, gravadlax, caviar topped eggs, Västerbotten cheese pie, pickled herring, dressed prawns, beef and horseradish rolls, meatballs, ribs, prinskorv (little sausages), janssons frestelse (creamy potatoes with anchovies), and pigs trotters. All very Swedish and rather scrumptious. After dinner we
relaxed in our relative food comas while opening presents and playing some games. First thing the next morning, we joined some British festivities via Facetime, opening our Christmas stockings with Mum, Dad and Tom in Coleshill then chatting to Grandma and the Aubrey’s through Grandma’s front door up in Edgworth. It felt very odd, us not all being together for the big day, fingers tightly crossed we can be reunited soon and have mighty celebrations to make up for a year of missed opportunities!
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| Falukorv on the BBQ |
During my week in Skellefteå my memory was put to the test. As well as Emil’s family, I had about 15 new
names to learn as we met up with Emil’s old home friends. We spent a couple of
evenings playing board games with Anton, Thomas and Joel; met a larger group
for a BBQ where I had my first taste of
falukorv (like a ginormous frankfurter); and chatted to Emil’s godfather over his
balcony while keeping a covid-safe distance. All in all I felt very welcomed up north and am
so thankful I was given the opportunity to share their Christmas during these
odd times; will have to make it back up there some time once things have
settled down a bit!
Back in Stockholm,
it was time for the Watts Christmas bonanza, Zoom style. This involved an evening
of quizzing, games, and much comedy with Mum, Dad, Tom, Libby, Lewis, Lauren, Imogen, Simon, Lisa, Steve, Lulah, Torrin and Charlie, each in our respective bubbles; still probably the closest we’ve come to getting all the cousins together in quite some years! A few days later, Emil, Mattias, Bäcker and I bid farewell to this crazy year with a home cooked dinner and board games at Emil’s place, each tackling a different course for the occasion. Now, the festive season is over and it’s back to work, not physically but back to writing my article anyway. I sincerely hope that 2021 brings some renewed light so we can meet again as soon as possible and regain some of our old normality. In the meantime, I fully appreciate all the opportunities I still have and send lots of love and hugs to friends and family far and wide. Wishing you all a healthy and happy 2021 and gott nytt år!
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| Bringing in the new year with Bäcker, Mattias and Emil |
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