Day 302: Milestones and Play

In all of the excitement the past few days with visiting family and Trader Joe's, I completely missed the fact that I made it passed the Day 300 mark. I am now on Day 302. It feels fantastic to have succeeded in making it this far, Finding Happy every day. I know I mentioned before how great it felt to finally make it to first one milestone and then another, but this particular milestone really feels like an accomplishment. It was so difficult in the beginning to imagine how Finding Happy every day for 300 days would look and now that day is here. It hasn't always been easy, though even on the most difficult days it has been possible to pull myself sufficiently out of a funk to find something happy or positive in my day. Having gone through some of the darker days, I feel that I really can relate to others who have even more difficult things to get through. I know in my heart and in my soul that it IS possible to Find Happy each day, regardless of what I am going through. Whether it is in acknowledging the simple fact that I have been blessed with another day of life, whether it be that I saw a gorgeous sunset, a pretty flower or a majestic tree shimmering with autumn leaves or whether it be that I got to hug each one of my brother's kids, happiness has been sought and found.

But one thing that particularly makes me happy today is the concept of serious play. I have a nearly seven year old nephew who really loves to play. I got to spend just under twenty-four hours playing with him recently and it was so much fun. We played hind-and-go-seek, we played tag, we played steam roller, we played outside on the swing-set, we collected seashells and we played with building blocks and dinosaur eggs. It was serious play and serious fun. My husband and I are pretty playful together ourselves and especially for our age but playing with a youngster really shows me how important it is to keep my own imagination alive and well. It is amazing how imaginative and resourceful a child can be and it is a good reminder to not take life so seriously. If you haven't played really hard in a while, I strongly encourage you to go to the nearest park, get on a swing and swing as high as you can. Bring a friend along and play on the see-saw too. Draw pictures together with magic markers or crayons and really allow your inner child to come out. See if it opens your imagination in other areas of your life as well. I dare you.

Nothing better than a swing and a friend to swing with...

Day 301: Trader Joe's

When I first moved to Los Angeles in 1990, I clearly recall seeing the signs for a specialty grocery store called Trader Joe's. One of the girls in my dance scholarship program always talked about how much she loved Trader Joe's. She would always say, "Trader Joe's has the best this" or "Trader Joe's has the best that." Two years passed before I finally made my maiden voyage to Trader Joe's. And from the minute I walked in I regretted waiting so long.

I don't know how to explain it but there is something truly magical about Trader Joe's. It is definite one of those stores that energized me the moment I walk in. I soon had a growing addiction for their products. It was love at first sight and over time I developed a strong and deep bond with Trader Joe's that has continued for many years. However, when I moved back to Texas from California, my love affair with Trader Joe's sadly ended. There were simply no Trader Joe's stores in Texas. I continued to love Trader Joe's from afar and anytime I traveled to a city that had Trader Joe's I made it a point of adding it to my list of "must see" places during my visit. And my trip home was usually made with a slightly overstuffed suitcase due to all of the wonderful Trader Joe's purchases.

Somehow I have a feeling that today will be no different, as today is a special day. I will be visiting my first Texas Trader Joe's. You see, just about three years ago my husband and I moved to Sweden from Texas. Approximately one year ago I received the bittersweet news that Trader Joe's would be opening stores in Texas. (Finally!) Were they serious?! I nearly had a heart attack when I heard this news. (Trader Joe's why have you forsaken me?) Before I moved to Texas from California I made a point of asking at every Trader Joe's I frequented if they would be opening stores in Texas. I mean, they were opening stores in various places all over the country so why not Texas? At the time I was told that, yes, Trader Joe's would be opening nationwide and within five years. This included Texas I was told so I was pretty happy. Yipee, right? Ummm. Let's see... I lived in Texas for about six and a half years before moving to Sweden and I've lived in Sweden almost three years now. Trader Joe's just recently opened in Texas. That's nearly a ten year wait, Trader Joe's. Does that sound fair? What's up with that?

Well, I can honestly say that If I wasn't so happy to have you within my occasional grasp again, I might complain about the wait that has taken almost twice as long as promised. Okay, so maybe it wasn't exactly a promise but I took it that way. I loved you and needed you in my life. But hey, that's okay. I'm fine, I can deal with it. So the minute I knew we were traveling to Texas, a visit to Trader Joe's became a priority. You may be wondering what it is that is so special about Trader Joe's. As I said before, it is really somewhat difficult to explain but here are a few items that could be found in my shopping basket from today's visit: a couple of bags of peanut butter filled pretzels, oatmeal and tea tree oil soaps, a giant one pound plus chocolate bar, chocolate covered orange jellies for my mom, spiced cider, cracked wheat sourdough bread, vegetarian Italian sausage, wine, a wide assortment of other treats and a brand new re-useable Trader Joe's shopping bag. Sigh. Trader Joe's, I love you and I have missed you so much. When do you suppose you'll be opening in Stockholm?

Trader Joe's in the old Alabama theater in Houston, Texas.

It was a chilly day today in Texas but look at that gorgeous clear blue sky.

Day 300: Gringo's

Real Tex Mex cuisine is something I crave constantly living in Sweden. We try making our own Tex Mex sometimes but it isn't quite the same as the authentic flavors of freshly made enchiladas with refried beans and Spanish rice, perfected over time through years of tradition. I seriously could eat Mexican food every day. When we started planning our trip to Texas my mouth started salivating just thinking about sinking my teeth into some true Tex Mex enchiladas and tacos, not to mention the truly amazing spicy salsa that I could drink by the gallons. All of this deliciousness best finished by washing it all down with a frosty margarita with salt.

So when my aunt suggested that we have lunch today at a Tex Mex place called Gringo's, there was not even a hint of hesitation when I replied, "That sounds great!" Even later when she hinted that maybe we wouldn't have time for lunch with everything we wanted to do today, I assured her that we would make time for her and my uncle, and some much awaited and yearned for Tex Mex.

Gringo's may not have been the absolute best Tex Mex I've ever had but it really hit the spot and satisfied my craving. And compared to what's available in Stockholm it could easily be said to have been the best I've had in a really long time. I look forward to eating more Tex Mex during the next week. Maybe even every day.

Day 299: Sunrise

When I looked out of the airplane window early this morning it was pitch black as far as the eye could see. It was six thirty a.m. Swedish time and we had just taken off. After being up since three-thirty a.m. I was hoping to catch even a slight hint of sunrise on the horizon. Much to my dismay, not a hint was to be found.There aren't many things worth being up for at that hour but being able to witness the beauty of the sunrise coming up over the horizon is one of those things.

Just five minutes later I looked out again and magically there it was, almost as if it appeared out of no where. Way off in the distance to my left, a thin blood-orange line slowly began to blaze across the horizon. It was spectacular. The sky and land all around it was black still, which further added to its beauty. Unfortunately we were still in our initial ascent and i couldn't sneak a photo. When we were finally high enough up that I could get a shot, the orange morning light had morphed into a soft white.

In general I'd say that I am primarily a sunset person, though that can mostly be attributed to the fact that I am not "morgon pigg," as they say in Sweden about someone who is not a morning person. So I usually miss out on seeing the sunrise. Sunsets are one of the natural phenomenons that I've always felt a strong connection to. I love to be out in nature sitting on a beach or cliff watching as the sun makes it's daily dip over the horizon. So when I consider the fact that I'm not "morgon pigg" and am seldom up early enough to see this spectacular sight, catching the quiet beauty of a sunrise on a clear, cloudless morning like today, when most of the world is still fast asleep, is pretty much a miracle. I can probably count two, possibly three times a year that I get to witness the beauty of a sunrise so this morning felt pretty special.

Day 298: If It's Free, It's For Me

Today I went on a work adventure. The company I work for is participating in a lighting convention that is taking place in an area of Stockholm called Kista (pronounced: Sheesta). My husband just so happens to work in the area, so lucky for me I got to "go to work" with him today. We took the pendeltåg (commuter train) together to and from work AND we even met for lunch. It was really exciting because we haven't had lunch together during a work day since I started my job almost two years ago and even before then it was a rare treat.

The work adventure itself was quite interesting. I always enjoy people watching at these types of events and today proved especially entertaining. There were the stereo-typical electricians with their dusty workman's cargo pants, the light designers with their hip horn-rimmed glasses and the consultants, who were mostly generic, and then everything else in between, and even beyond. Most entertaining however was watching how people reacted to the "give aways." Our small giveaway was individually wrapped miniature Swedish candies, more specifically daim (like heath bar) and kex choklad (similar to a kit kat). The kex choklad were most popular though both bowls of godis (candy) were disappearing at a fast pace.

Back in Texas, I once worked with a guy who's motto was, "If it's free, it's for me!" He loved to "visit" the noon conferences where he would help himself to the lunch buffet nearly every day. I tried to tell him that it wasn't actually free, that each plate used was counted and the department was charged for every single one of them. He still continued to come. Well, let's just say that it was like this guy multiplied today. Some of our booth visitors were polite and took one candy, maybe two with a sly smile. Then there were those who stood there talking to you, casually sneaking one after the other into their mouths every few minutes. One woman ate five all together. But my personal favorite was college student who, after standing there for ten minutes while her friend asked one of my colleagues a million questions, merely scooped up an entire handful and casually dropped it in her bag, pretending all the while like she did nothing. Then five minutes later she made the exact same move. Two handfuls right into the bag. If it's free, it's for me.

The most popular of the give-away candies by far.

On our way to the pendaltåg station this morning. No bicycle today but it was worth it.

Day 297: Checking Off My To-Do Lists

Checking things off to-do lists is one of my greatest pleasures. Especially when it has to do with buying presents for friends and family. I know I've already mentioned before the thrill I get when I discover an awesome gift that I think the receiver will love but it's worth mentioning again. It makes me bubble over with excitement and joy. I wonder if there's a way to bottle and sell this joy? There is no doubt that I could make a million dollars.

So why does it give me such joy to give presents? I don't really know what the tipping point was that caused me like giving gifts more than receiving them. Don't get me wrong, I still love presents but I find myself slightly more excited these days to give a present than the other way around. I love to see a smile light up my loved one's face when they are equally, if not more, excited by their present.

Today I ran out during my lunchbreak to get a few more things checked off of my list. It was a successful mission, thanks to the blue subway line being up and running again. It takes a fraction of the time to take the blue line two stops than it does to take the bus or the green line. So I was a happy camper when the blue line started running again between my work stop and central station yesterday. We are taking a trip on Thursday and I can happily say that as of today I have purchased everything that I need in order to feel good about the presents that will accompany us.

It feels great to now be able to concentrate on other aspects of packing and trip preparing. After work I picked up some almond butter for sandwiches and a few snacks to have for an airplane picnic. You never know what the airplane food is going to be like and it's just always good to be prepared with a few comforts from home. Plus, who doesn't love a picnic? And on the airplane while watching movies? It practically ensures awesomeness for the fourteen plus hours of traveling and layovers. Just one more day until departure!

Day 296: Strange and Wonderful

I was having this crazy dream about my cat early this morning. She was outside on our seventh floor balcony and somehow she managed to sneak through the space at the bottom of the balcony bars and jump down to the neighbor's balcony right below us. But you know how in dreams things can be slightly off from reality? Our neighbor's balcony, which is directly below our balcony in real life, was instead attached to their kitchen windows over to the left. I ran back into the apartment frantically to call my husband and when I returned to the balcony she was sitting right there. She had jumped back up to our balcony. I could see that she was still full of piss and vinegar and was about to try leaping off the front of the balcony so I grabbed her tail and started pulling as hard as I could to keep her from jumping. Right about that time I was suddenly awakened by a tiny wet nose sniffing my face, then there was a rough tongue licking my chin. She was sitting next to my shoulder, purring loudly and kneading dough on my arm.

Did she know I was dreaming about her? Was I making noises in my sleep while dreaming? Really pulling her tail? I guess I will never know for sure but she woke me up and pulled me back to reality, just as I was pulling her tail to keep her from jumping. Kitties are strange and wonderful creatures. I sometimes wonder if they are little angels sent to watch over us. It seems that way sometimes when I look into her eyes. It's as if her eyes are telling me that she understands what I am feeling and she knows what I am thinking. The other day my husband and I were talking over breakfast and I said that when Pina goes to kitty heaven it may be a long time before I want to get another kitty. His response surprised me. He said that he would actually go out and get another kitty right away. He said that having Pina has shown him how important having a kitty in his life is and he wouldn't want to be without one again for very long. Hearing that made my heart melt for him just a little bit more. Nothing sweeter than a boy and his cat.

Looks like dinner time... where's my fresh fish?