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Spring is approaching, I can feel it in the air!  A couple of weeks ago, my mom came to town for a weeklong visit, and we had a fabulous time shopping and eating our way through Stockholm! It was the first week we experienced milder weather in months, and the flower shops in Stockholm had come alive with nature- always pure eye candy!

Mom purchasing her beloved Swedish tea while in town!

A flower shop in my neighborhood

To celebrate the coming of Easter, around mid-March, Swedes traditionally buy feathers on twigs (yes, feathers on twigs) and present them in their flower vases. We buy them in bundles, called påskris, and in different colors, and there is just something so lovely about them!

*Courtesy of Petit Fashion

I wanted to put mine out a bit early, in time for my mom’s visit at the end of February (and to be honest, I was so desperate to celebrate the impending arrival of spring to take the emphasis off of the freezing winter!). I knew this was not customary, but as I’m not a born-and-bred Swede, I figured I could bend the rules a bit, right? (One of my favorite aspects of living abroad: never feeling societal pressure from my environment to follow the herd!) And so, I chose a yellow bundle for this year and happily put them out (much to the amusement and slight disapproval of my Swedish husband), as I knew my mom would love and appreciate them for their originality and quirkiness. I was right: she saw them and just had to have her own to take home! So we stopped in a flower shop where we saw the most unusual color of feathers- a dusty rose/champagne color that was right up my mom’s alley for her living room. I told her, “Heck, you don’t even live in Sweden, you could just have them up all year round!” She bought two bundles and had them wrapped up tightly for the plane ride home.

Just as Advent candles in every window in town symbolize the coming of Christmas, the påskris on display on every street corner and kitchen table in town symbolizes the coming of Easter, and it is always such a nice psychological wake-up call following our period of collective winter hibernation. Swedes also decorate and hang little eggs on the twigs as well, a centuries-old Germanic tradition whose origins may be lost, but perhaps it has to do with eggs representing birth and life.

*Courtesy of Sand

*Courtesy of Living Hours

A bit of (not so jolly) background on where the påskris comes from: in the 17th century, birch twigs were bound to be used for flagellation on Long Friday. I would like to actually go ahead and use this bit of trivia to further my argument that the påskris would be better off being bought by the end of February to brighten up our homes and symbolize the coming of spring, which is much nicer than symbolizing an Easter-related historical act of violence. I know, I know, I cannot change such a deep-rooted cultural tradition…but at least I can tweak it to make up my own!

Ingrid xx

*Featured image courtesy of Expressen

Yes Please to Feathers on Twigs Spring is approaching, I can feel it in the air!  A couple of weeks ago, my mom came to town for a weeklong visit, and we had a fabulous time shopping and eating our way through Stockholm!

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In a country with extreme a climate as Sweden, talk of the weather, usually seen as a conversation filler elsewhere, is a perfectly legitimate topic on a daily basis here. Our plans and activities literally revolve around whether the sun is out or not, especially in the winter time. Schools have even been known to rearrange their schedules to get the kids outside if they can, to catch up on their vitamin D levels.

A typical winter day, overcast, dark, glum….

A brilliant, sunny winter day (where the majority of Swedes can be found in herds standing or sitting somewhere…anywhere… outside, eyes closed, faces up towards the sun, like flowers leaning towards the light…)

Contrary to what people may think, however, the light does return to Sweden quite early in the year. While November to early February can seem to drag on in an endless tunnel of darkness, suddenly, by mid-February, one’s commute to work in the morning has a bit of light and doesn’t feel like a commute in the middle of the night. As well, the sun no longer sets at 3pm but rather closer to 5pm… much closer to normal standards!

This past week has been glorious, with the daylight hours lasting longer and the clouds nowhere in sight. Being so close to the North Pole, when the sun shines here, it almost feels brighter and more intense, as if we are actually closer to it than other parts of the world. Today being Friday (which means tonight being fredagsmys in Sweden!), my two colleagues in my office and I were in a particularly good mood (why does every Friday feel as if we are on the verge of a long holiday, only for it to be Sunday evening before we know it?!). It helped even more that we had a staff fika this morning, with our international staff body bringing in treats from British, Hungarian, and Swedish bakeries. By lunch time, we were in full holiday mode! Longing for a warm beach and feeling like we could ever so slightly feel it with our currently sunny skies, we went ahead and flung open our window, stuck out our heads and breathed in the fresh air. Thanks to a ‘Relaxing Waves Crashing’ playlist on YouTube, we were transported to the Caribbean for all we knew. It really is a gift to live in a country where one can experience so much joy from such simple pleasures!

  This would be me, serotonin fireworks exploding in my brain, thank you sun!

I have said it a thousand times, and I will say it again. Living in a country with such distinct seasons is a spiritual experience. The annual cycle of nature is so visible, so extreme, so palpable here, that you cannot help but experience your own process of personal birth, growth, hibernation, and rebirth again right along with it. As we are now approaching early spring, I cannot help but begin to feel- to remember- those first few whispers of coming alive once again after the sleepy winter months. And before we know it, it will once again be paradise on Earth (more specifically, summer in Sweden).

  Thank you Friday, thank you fika, thank you sun. Today, I am a happy girl.

Ingrid xx

3 Simple Pleasures in Wintery Sweden In a country with extreme a climate as Sweden, talk of the weather, usually seen as a conversation filler elsewhere, is a perfectly legitimate topic on a daily basis here.

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Here we are in Sweden in February, and as usual at this time of  year, all is quiet on the Swedish front (except for the sounds of skis and boots making their rounds through the wintery countryside forests!). Stockholm’s cafes are currently filled with dripping candles, warm pastries (hello, semla!), and happy fika goers cozied up with copious amounts of tea or coffee.

The semla: a cardamom bun filled with real whipped cream and almond paste, topped with powdered sugar

  In addition to skis and fikas, February is known for a little thing called VAB. The wonderful Swedish social benefit known as VAB (Vård av Barn in Swedish, or Care for Child), allows for parents to stay home with their child(ren) if said child(ren) are sick, without losing out on their salary. Working parents who stay home with their sick child(ren) still receive 80% of what they would normally make that day.

With a toddler in her first year at daycare, in a country notorious for its children getting sick in February (the dead of winter, otherwise known here as VABuary), I am very grateful that I have been able to VAB, or stay home with S while she battles her own share of vicious bugs, somewhat frequently in the past few weeks.

We’ve managed to have a bit of fun at home, enjoying Winnie the Pooh, scooping oats into various bowls with measuring spoons (the joys of toddlerhood!) and, for the first time but certainly not the last, making homemade strawberry coconut popsicles (a perfect way to make a sick child feel like they’re getting a treat when they’re actually simply getting more vitamins and nutrients).

These popsicles are perfect for adults as well, so if you’re interested, the quick and easy recipe is:

Ingredients

2 cups hulled and sliced strawberries

1.5 cups full fat coconut milk

2 tbsp.honey

2 tsp vanilla bean paste (which I didn’t have so I simply used 1 tsp powdered sugar and a bit of vanilla flavouring)

Popsicle moulds

Instructions

Heat strawberries and honey up in saucepan until soft and warm. Mash mixture with a fork. Mix coconut milk with vanilla in separate bowl. Pour coconut mixture halfway in popsicle moulds, then top off with strawberry mixture and mix in a bit. Freeze. Done!

February may be a bit of a harsh time of year up here in Scandinavia, with its freezing weather and contagious bugs, but then the beauty in it is how these nuisances act as catalysts for creating a wonderfully cozy world of coffee, candles, pastries, and cuddling our little ones at home! After a good, long workout skiing in the snow, of course. Those darn Swedes really are all about balance.

Ingrid xx

VABuary and Popsicles in Sweden! Here we are in Sweden in February, and as usual at this time of  year, all is quiet on the Swedish front (except for the sounds of skis and boots making their rounds through the wintery countryside forests!).

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After nearly two weeks back in Sweden, life is settling back to normal, but I have to be honest when I say leaving California after the Christmas and New Year’s holidays was more difficult than ever before. S is now a year-and-a-half old… and old enough to know (and love) who her cousins, grandparents, aunties and uncles are. Plus, I miss the sun. The winter darkness in Sweden doesn’t get easier to deal with over time, and after the coziness of Christmas time, the novelty of it wears off pretty quickly. Thankfully, there is one bright side to these winter months… snow!

I can never decide which I prefer more: sun and sand or sun and snow. Right now, I vote sun and snow. When the light does shine down on us up here near the North Pole in the winter, it is absolutely glorious, and last weekend, it did just that.

Beautiful morning at the cabin

  We had just flown in from California on Wednesday and wasted no time heading up to our cabin on Thursday, jet lag and all. Romme Alpin, a ski resort about ten minutes away from us, had opened by then, and we couldn’t wait a day longer to get S on skis. On Saturday, the sky was a brilliant blue, and the resort was the busiest day they say they’ve ever had.

Thankfully, D and I weren’t there to ski for ourselves, we were there for S, and the line to the bunny slope for toddlers was much shorter than the others! After a bit of crying and moaning while we strapped on her new boots and skis because she had no clue what was happening, S soon spotted all the statues of animals that the resort strategically lines up along the ‘magic carpet’ (the escalating strip that takes the children up the slope), and she was instantly content. Genius! D went up with her, and after about five successful runs down the slope, when he was ready for a break, S was already hooked! “Skis! Skiiiiiiiis!” she cried when he tried to sit them down for a breather. D was tired, but he was also overjoyed with her enthusiasm. Of course, we also fit in some quality sledding time.

After S seemed satisfied enough with her newfound sport, we headed in to the lodge for some hot chocolate, lunch and a good seat for the live music at the après ski (just as fun as the skiing, itself). The lodge at Romme is beautiful, cozy and it is always filled with families. S was mesmerized by the music, and D and I watched as she wandered around to the different tables to say hi to everyone around her.

  In the midst of my sadness over having just left my family in CA, Saturday turned out to be one of the happiest days of my life. I am so grateful to have my husband and our daughter and to be able to now share with her one of D’s and my favorite pastimes.

High five to success on the slopes!

  Should you ever visit Sweden during the ski season, I highly recommend Romme Alpin. Located about 2.5 hours northwest of Stockholm, it is the nearest ski resort to the city, perfect for a weekend getaway and with its child-friendly features, perfect for time with the family.

Ingrid x

    Family Friendly Ski Destination After nearly two weeks back in Sweden, life is settling back to normal, but I have to be honest when I say leaving California after the Christmas and New Year's holidays was more difficult than ever before.

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December in Sweden is simply lovely. It’s all of the charming, traditional, whimsical, cozy, and festive that you want any old European city to be! The streets are lined with twinkling trees, strewn with giant baubles, and lined with red carpets, and the air smells of spicy glögg (the Swedish version of mulled wine) and candied almonds.

Image courtesy of Travel Gay 4u

You can also count on nearly every single home to have a glowing star and Advent candles adorning their windows. This creates such a wonderful sense of whimsy and community when strolling through the streets.

Courtesy of The Local

Courtesy of KTH

It’s always a bonus when the sun makes a cameo appearance this far north on the globe in December. The other day offered a brilliant blue sky when I went for a walk with S, and I cannot stress the level of euphoria that courses through one’s veins when light hits your skin for the first time in weeks! I simply did what every other Swede does in a moment of winter sunshine: I closed my eyes and turned my face up to the sun, drinking it all in!

One of my favourite wintertime traditions here is Advent, which Swedes celebrate more as a cultural tradition than a religious one. The four Sundays leading up to Christmas are each spent making pepparkakor (gingerbread cookies), drinking glögg, and lighting each Advent candle, so that by the fourth Sunday, all four candles are lit. Just another one of the millions of ways Swedes love to get cozy in the winter!

Next week, we will be flying to California to spend the holidays with my family, and while I am literally counting the HOURS until we get there, I am also so grateful every year December rolls around that I get to partake in all of the traditional joyous festivities that Sweden has to offer. Should you ever plan a trip to Sweden in the winter time, I highly recommend this month, and with that, don’t even think about missing the country’s famous Christmas markets, most notably in Gamla Stan (Old Town) and Skansen!

Gamla Stan Christmas Market, courtesy of Joie de vivre

  Happy Holidays, everyone!

Ingrid x

December in Sweden December in Sweden is simply lovely. It's all of the charming, traditional, whimsical, cozy, and festive that you want any old European city to be!

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Stockholm is a relatively small city and one that can easily be navigated by foot in a short amount of time, and yet it is still quite easy to get comfortable sticking to one’s own ‘hood. My friend Helen and I often joke that we don’t leave Östermalm, we are just too comfortable where planted. However, we do also have a thing for garlic. And we are more than willing to venture outwards if it means getting our hands on good food. Cue in Garlic and Shots.

Courtesy of nelso.com

Courtesy of Foursquare

Helen had been telling me about Garlic and Shots for quite some time and we finally found an evening we could make it out there. By ‘out there,’ I mean 10 minutes on the tunnelbana (subway) to the SoHo-vibe, bohemian-meets-hipster island of Södermalm, Stockholm’s island south of the city center. Again, Stockholm is a relativity small city… and yet each district is so distinct from the other that we felt like tourists in our own home. We loved it! We strolled over to the restaurant with our mouths already drooling over the prospect of a heavily garlic-infused evening (the restaurant website’s message being, “No dishes are served without garlic. You can always order extra garlic but never less. As you leave the restaurant you should feel like you’ve been garlic marinated. This is our mission from God.” Sold.)

As soon as we entered the restaurant, we chuckled at how out of place we must have looked. Two preppy/bubbly blondes in our tweed coats in a room full of too-cool-for-school hipsters-meets-tatted-up-punk rock-bad asses. But this is precisely the kind of stuff we live for: placing ourselves smack down in the middle of a foreign land. (As well, there is my ‘wild side,’ the side of me pre-motherhood that followed me well into my 30s, whose dedication to late nights out, mingling with fellow free spirits from all walks of life, and who would have probably showed up at a place like this on a regular basis in my 20s, that I could feel deep down was just eating this place up, pun intended.) Props particularly to the bartender for his neon pink Mohawk.

First thing’s first. We had to try the ‘garlic beer’ we’d heard about. What is garlic beer? we had asked ourselves in hushed, excited tones. What does it.. MEAN? Is it beer infused with garlic? Is it beer that’s garlic flavoured? We asked the bartender for two please, and we were promptly served with a chilled pale ale that was… loaded with crushed garlic. Hm. Makes sense. And that was that. I have to say, the combination of the bitter from the beer mixed with the pungent, strong flavour of the raw, crushed garlic was… genius. Delicious. This is all I need to do to take my beer drinking experience to another level? I can do this at home!

Once seated, we ordered a basket of garlic bread, as well as a chicken Caesar salad for the entrée. The salad was delicious, but the bread was other-worldly. I fantasize about it now. The bread was like a sourdough toast fried in butter and drenched in oil and crushed garlic. Ugh, I want some right. now.

We were so full from our beer and bread and chicken salad that we decided to forego dessert. Also, as my husband D says when he has so thoroughly enjoyed a meal that he doesn’t want to lose that lingering flavour by trying a bite of my food, “I have a certain taste in my mouth.” (There’s a foreigner explaining something in English for you.)

Garlic and Shots, you welcomed us and you delivered. Next time, I want to delve into the second half of their namesake, their expansive list of shots (including their famous Blood Shot, made of vodka, tomato, garlic, chile, and spices). I can already taste it now…

Ingrid x

Garlic & Shots (Need There Be Anything Else in Life?) Stockholm is a relatively small city and one that can easily be navigated by foot in a short amount of time, and yet it is still quite easy to get comfortable sticking to one's own 'hood.

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The past month has been a whirlwind, but nothing kicks my behind back into writing gear like the desire to share a delicious recipe! And this one currently tops my list of favorites since it’s a healthy recipe disguised as one of my favorite-but-definitely-not-healthy treats: cookie dough!!! Yes, cookie dough. As in, this recipe is not for baking but simply for those of us who love to indulge in eating cookie dough straight out of the mixing bowl. How genius is that. The recipe is so simple and so quick to make (took me about 3 minutes once I had the ingredients ready) that I feel absolutely compelled to share this, what I believe, untold secret that everyone needs to be told.

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 cups chickpeas, drained and rinsed well 1/8 tsp plus 1/16 tsp salt 1/8 tsp baking sofa 2 tsp pure vanilla extract 1/4 cup peanut butter (or almond butter) 1/4 cup lowfat milk 3 tbsp brown sugar 3 tbsp oats (or ground flax seed) Chocolate chips to add in at the end if you want to

Mix all ingredients together (except chocolate chips) in a good food processor until smooth (not a blender, as it wouldn’t produce the same, smooth texture that cookie dough has). After blended well so dough is really smooth/matches the consistency of real cookie dough, add in the chocolate chips if you want. Eat by the spoonful, or use as dip for fresh fruit, or spread onto graham crackers or rice cakes (or other plain but low sugar, non-savory crackers). I SWEAR THIS LOOKS AND TASTES LIKE REAL COOKIE DOUGH. Is it obvious yet that I can’t get over this? I am so happy.

I formed little dough balls and fed some of this to my 18 month-old daughter S last night for dinner (sans the chocolate chips, of course). Despite the fact that my husband D knew it was ‘healthy,’ he still looked horrified, as the appearance of my feeding our daughter ‘cookie dough’ for dinner was just plain unsettling! I simply chuckled and reassured him, “D, I’m basically feeding her hummus!” God bless those versatile chick peas. And peanut butter. Always God bless peanut butter.

Ingrid x

Healthy Cookie Dough�� For Real, You Guys The past month has been a whirlwind, but nothing kicks my behind back into writing gear like the desire to share a delicious recipe!

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One of my best friends, S, in Sweden is due with her baby in November, and it feels like just yesterday when I travelled to Israel to attend her wedding in 2012. Makes me sentimental! At the time, we were studying in our Master’s program at Stockholm University and when I would share with classmates that I was traveling to Israel on my own, they would shudder with fear. One of them even responded, “Why would you want to go to that war torn country?!” This did nothing to deter me but rather merely made me want to go even more.

Coming from the United States, I am well used to being generalized as part of some big blob consisting of only…one…type of person. “Aren’t Americans like this?” or “Is it true that Americans…?” My universal response tends to be along the lines of, “Well, I’m only from California, and really just Northern California at that. I cannot speak for the other nearly 400 million people in the country, sorry.” Case closed! I can therefore sympathize with a country as complex as Israel when it is commonly judged as just one type of place. I knew from speaking to my friend that while there are indeed places to be avoided, there are also places that are absolutely safe to go. I also learned that Tel Aviv is quite a popular holiday destination for Swedes to visit regularly, as it is right on the beach in the Mediterranean, offering a very cool blend of European and Middle Eastern influences.

In addition to attending my friend’s wedding, I planned to visit my dear friend and only band member (I’m the singer, he’s the guitarist), D, who was born in Israel, lives in Sweden, and takes regular long-term trips back to his home country with his wife and their small children. That year, they had been living on a kibbutz by the Dead Sea, about two hours outside of Jerusalem. To visit them there was a highlight of my life. So surreal, so enlightening, so the reason why I love to travel.

Out in the desert… regular sightings of an ancient nomadic tribe on the side of the highways, who I believe are part of the Bedouins

I had five days in between leaving work and flying home to CA for two of my sisters’ weddings that same summer. That gave me four full days in which to explore Israel on my own. It was truly a trip of quality over quantity! Thankfully, Israel is teeny tiny, and so I was able to pack in loads for the time I had.

I arrived on a balmy June evening in Tel Aviv, where I was picked up by D and he promptly drove us the several hours out to his kibbutz, from the incredibly humid air of Tel Aviv to the incredibly dry air of the desert mountains. Driving down and down and down towards the Dead Sea (which has the lowest land elevation on Earth), my ears popped uncontrollably and I couldn’t be more excited. The kibbutz was quiet upon arrival, and D and I quickly situated ourselves on his little front patio for a catch-up, wine in hand.

Witnessing D’s daily reality in a place so foreign to my own brought me such joy. During the day, we visited the community swimming pool to cool off. We would walk home with a giant grocery cart in which D’s three boys rode with glee. On Friday night, we celebrated Shabbat after D and his wife took turns reciting poetry or song lyrics from their favorite writers (a genius take on a personalized Shabbat, in my opinion!).

Our excursion to Jerusalem was eye-opening and awe-inspiring. It all began with a stop at a local gas station and a photo op with a camel (and after a little prodding, the camel’s owner)!

Despite the fact that I am not religious, I can still appreciate the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I had to visit Jerusalem- the walled Old City, where I witnessed the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian quarters, the Tomb of Jesus, and the Via Dolorosa (or the Route of Suffering), where Jesus was carried to his crucifixion.

We then visited the ancient Western Wall (or Wailing Wall, the holiest place on Earth at which Jews are allowed to pray). After passing through security and soaking up the view of the Dome of the Rock, D’s wife and I made our way into the women’s section while D headed for the men’s. I was merely an observer, taking in all of the women who prayed so intently, their backs never facing the wall. I touched the wall, myself, and said a little prayer within my own spiritual belief system.

For lunch, we visited a market (Israel is rich with the freshest produce!) where we purchased a selection of olives, nuts, and other goodies for a hilltop picnic with a direct view of the Mount of Olives (where Judas betrayed Jesus).

My time in Jerusalem was surreal. We could walk down one street but didn’t dare turn left for fear of being stoned down that one. We visited a shopping mall whose entrances all included metal detectors but which looked somewhat abandoned anyway. I wore shorts and a tank top on this day (which I now realize was quite risky), only to be lightly whipped with a stick by an old woman in the Christian Quarter who vigorously shook her finger at my legs. The general commercial architecture looked to be from a developing country even though I wasn’t in one. And everywhere I went, including Tel Aviv, there was at least one soldier among the crowd, armed to the teeth with ammunition, a massive rifle across his back, in case of, well, any situation occurring. Israel is known for being under constant threat and because of this, security is at a maximum, leading to it being incredibly safe for the most part. It never ceases to amaze me how reality can vary so greatly depending on one’s location on the planet.

We eventually made our way back to the kibbutz and ended the day with singing songs on D’s couch. It was one day only that left me with a lifetime of experiences.

I was tired and grateful, and I was ready to hit the road to Tel Aviv the following morning.

Leaving the kibbutz

Arriving to Tel Aviv was like re-entering Europe. The white sand beach is lined with luxury hotels, and the streets are filled with trendy shops and cool cafes and restaurants. It’s hard to articulate the vibe, as I had never before been to the Middle East and so had no point of reference or something similar with which to associate it. I had booked myself a bed in an all-female room of one of Tel Aviv’s top-rated hostels, Hayarkon 48. While I love me a fancy hotel, I have also always preferred to stay in hostels when traveling on my own, as this allows for meeting fellow travellers, making new friends, and experiencing a place on a much more ‘local’ level. Situated very centrally and just a couple of blocks from the beach, it was truly a steal!

A Tel Aviv highlight was when I met this lovely couple, who Told me to sit with them while I waited for my take-away sandwich. The Mrs., who hailed from Morocco promptly made it clear that she loves to learn, and her education is what she values most. “The only thing they can’t take from me! I studied literature and philosophy!” She said that she has made so many mistakes in her life, to which I said, well, mistakes are good lessons, to which she replied, well, she keeps making the same ones! I said, “Well, you’re a good person and that’s what matters,” and she said, “I am! I don’t know why! But I am who I am. They can’t change me- my husband, my lover!” I received my lunch order, we said our goodbyes, and they gave me giant cherries from their plate to take to the beach.

Tel Aviv is a magnetic city. Like Jerusalem, the infrastructure there is mostly in dire need of updating, and yet, the general vibe of the city is upscale. There is a slight buzz in the air, like that of Manhattan, where one can feel that just… cool stuff is going on. There are movers and shakers here, this is a glamorous city. And while every city has its less desirable pockets, as a young female adult traveling alone, I felt much safer��in Tel Aviv than Jerusalem (not to take away at all from Jerusalem, which is magnificent in its own right). Tel Aviv’s location on the Mediterranean, though, seems to bring it more into the European circle in terms of modernity and culture.

I awoke on my second morning in Tel Aviv and headed for the train station. It was time to head north for S’s wedding in the historic Caesarea National Park.

Caesarea, an ancient city built by Herod the Great for Caesar Augustus over 2,000 years ago, is now rich with ruins that took my breath away. Situated on a harbor overlooking the Mediterranean, Caesarea is hands down one of the most exotic settings I have ever seen. I couldn’t believe where I was and that I had somehow gotten myself there.

I knew no one at the wedding, but it was one of the most magical evenings of my life. As I sat down amongst incredibly warm and friendly Israeli guests, who made me laugh for hours with their witty senses of humor and their outrageous personalities (that felt comfortingly familiar to me, reminiscent of Americans) , I could not feel more free… and more at home. Out on the tip of a harbor in northern Israel, sitting with strangers, connecting as humans, my heart soaring.

After the wedding, I hitched a ride with a fellow wedding guest back to Tel Aviv, where I stayed my final night at Hayarkon 48.

The following morning, D met me once again for a final goodbye and a lift to the airport. While I was previously told that waiting in line to get through customs in to Israel wouldn’t be a problem, I was warned that it was a little trickier to get out. For this reason, we got to the airport four hours ahead of my flight, and we still waited in a line that seemed to stretch on for miles. I could see how standing there as a young blonde in line with my slightly older and hippy-looking friend made us an odd pair, as I was approached by a female guard who first interrogated us regarding how long and well we’d known each other and then requested to look in my bag because she just wanted to make sure that the man I was standing with “had not snuck a bomb in it.” I’m tellin’ ya… surreal.

I was so nöjd, as we say in Swedish, so content and satisfied with this trip for so many reasons. I love visiting places that I never would have considered before but that suddenly pop up on my radar and I suddenly think, Oh, yes, please! I am so happy to say that I have visited the Middle East, on my own as a young female from the Western world, just to defy the naysayers’ perceptions and comments about my going. No, I would never go just anywhere in the Middle East, but people sure do tend to generalize it without considering how diverse it actually is. I am so happy that I was introduced to a country so foreign from anywhere I’d ever been before that it was like visiting a different planet. From the culture to the natural landscapes, I didn’t want to miss one second of my time there.

Goodbye, Israel!

I boarded my flight and arrived back in Stockholm at 11pm that night. I then went straight home, repacked my bags, and turned right back around for the airport seven hours later to fly in the opposite direction: to California and then on to Hawaii for my twin sister’s wedding. I couldn’t possibly imagine any other way to feel more truly free than to dart around the globe according to my own personal priorities. I also couldn’t imagine anything more fulfilling than criss-crossing our planet to create more life-changing experiences with people I love more than anything… and people I don’t know at all.

Israel, thank you for having me, even if only for four days, and thank you for furthering my belief that in travel, as in life, it’s all about quality over quantity.

Ingrid x

4 Days in Israel & A Lifetime of Memories One of my best friends, S, in Sweden is due with her baby in November, and it feels like just yesterday when I travelled to Israel to attend her wedding in 2012.

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I have regretfully held off on posting for over a week due to life getting in the way! Heading back to work after my 16 months on maternity leave has indeed filled up every extra minute of my day. Life as a working mom is truly a juggling act, but I find sincere joy in organizing every aspect of it so that D and I can still feel balanced and things can run smoothly. (I have realized through it all that I am a true busy body!)

One of my greatest joys since giving birth to my daughter S is that I no longer have any concept of time. Waking up to get ready for work is, despite what I had expected (and feared!), easier than before I had her. This, I believe, is due to two reasons: 1.) After waking up all night for over a year straight, 6am now means nothing to me, and 2.) There is nothing like having a child that turns ‘going to work’ into ‘having a break!’ I am obsessed with my daughter (in a healthy way, of course), and yet I relish returning to my own life that I had before her. Getting ready in the morning, dressing professionally, and heading out the door into the early morning city air is rejuvenating.

In addition to my joy over returning to work, my love for walking and taking the train around the beautiful city of Stockholm has made my commute to work one of my favourite parts of the day. While I can appreciate the idealism behind the automobile as man’s key to freedom, I personally have found the automobile to be confining. I find more freedom in simply walking or hopping on the train to… wherever. There is something so romantic and almost haunting about the ability to head to a train station, step onto a carriage and into an anonymous crowd, and simply… slip away. I feel alive, like I can go anywhere with no one to stop me. I am a citizen of nowhere and everywhere. It’s a miniature travel experience on a daily basis, and I can’t get enough.

By 7am on weekdays, I am out the door and on my way. In this early morning hour, I feel like the city is sitting quietly in the palm of my hand, with no obstructions to keep me from enjoying my view. The streets are quiet and empty, and I am free to gaze in awe at the architecture looming before me. It hits me every morning on this walk: I live here. Any remaining fatigue from the morning dissipates as this simple acknowledgement refuels me with energy.

The train I take to work is always quiet and nearly empty, as it heads out of the city and so thankfully goes against traffic. The Scandinavian outdoor scenery never ceases to bring me a sense of peace and gratitude. I travel over water, horse-filled pastures, fields of emerald green, and beautiful traditional Swedish houses.

The passing train stations are so old, built almost entirely from wood, that when we pass by them, I get the sensation I am living in history. I often wonder about all the lives who have passed here before me, who have sat on these trains and entered these stations, and how the passing of time is such a haunting concept.

I always carry a book in my bag to read on the train, but I can never quite bring myself to read it. I am too distracted by the train, itself, and by all of the subsequent dreaming I do in regards to this foreign country, this planet, this universe, and who we all are in it. I know that one’s commute to work is typically not the most favoured part of one’s day, and so I am deeply grateful for the joy that I experience on my ride in. While living in Los Angeles, I did my best to enjoy my drive by belting out Adele and Broadway tunes to block out the traffic noise. Now in Sweden, I sit in silence, with nothing but the clacking of the train wheels as music to my ears.

Ingrid x

  My Morning Commute I have regretfully held off on posting for over a week due to life getting in the way!

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The other evening, I went to my friend’s place for a movie night. We decided on the film The Meddler, with Susan Sarandon and Rose Byrne, a “dramedy” based on a widowed mother, Marni (Sarandon), who constantly meddles in her adult daughter Lori’s (Byrne’s) life. It was funny, it was sad, it was poignant, and, for me, it was quite relatable.

Not that I related to Lori at all. On the contrary! I related to Marni.

Love you, girl!

Life is like a movie in that there is often a background story to explain the present day. For me, it all started with “the loop.” From a young age, every morning before school, I walked with my mom the 3-mile route consisting of our street and the one behind us, which formed a loop, and which also formed my obsessive need to pull from my mom the answers to all of my life’s most burning questions while we had this special one-on-one time in the quiet early hours of the day. My mom is intuitive and she’s always known how to walk that fine line between being my mom and being my best friend. On those morning walks, I could simply launch at her whatever teen angst or existential dilemma I was experiencing, and I knew it had a safe place to land, if without answers, then at least without judgment.

Once I left home for college and I couldn’t count on the loop anymore to facilitate my daily therapy sessions, I instead took advantage of the still relatively-new cell phone. I have vivid memories of calling my mom while walking to class…while walking to my next class… while walking home from class… while ditching class… and especially on the days I had no class. Her genuine openness and curiosity about, well, everything makes her incredibly easy to talk to. (Not that this translates to her being the best listener, which she tries to cover up by giving a universal signature response to whatever you say that has become infamous in my family: a slight nod of the head, a mild squint of the eyes, and an expression that says, “Hm…interesting…” On the phone, it’s a long pause followed by the same phrase. Dead giveaway every time). Still, in college and throughout my 20s, I called her religiously, and if she didn’t answer, I would get genuinely annoyed. Wasn’t she supposed to be sitting by the phone waiting for my calls? I am your daughter, mom, what could be more important than this call?!

Now that she is retired, you can imagine how much my mom’s social life has taken off… This does not work in my favor. Dominoes, Garage Girls (a women’s group where I believe they work on art projects?), Junior League (a national charity organization), traveling (I’m not allowed to ship my Amazon packages to the house anymore because no one is ever home to get them), book club, the theatre – you name the golden ager’s activity, my mom is doing it. She puts my own social life to complete shame, and her increased inaccessibility since my younger years has at times caused me slight panic. I’m nine hours ahead of her now in Sweden, and so getting a hold of her exactly when I need to is tricky. Luckily, I leave work at 4pm, which is 7am her time. Perfect hour to get in there before she starts her day, as I know she’s still drinking her coffee in bed and so she’s reachable. That is, if one of my sisters hasn’t gotten to her own phone first. I hate when that happens.

What can I say? We’re meddlers. My mom is trying to live her life, and we are incessantly meddling. “What are you doing now, mom? Where are you? Why didn’t you answer your phone last time I called?” I tell my mom she should be grateful she has daughters, all in their 30s with their own families, who still feel the need to be a part of her daily life. It’s one of my life’s dreams that S will be doing the exact same thing to me when she’s my age.

I know this post began with the topic of a movie. So I will conclude it with my amateur review: while at times darker than I had expected it to be, The Meddler is still enjoyable. Susan Sarandon as Marni is brilliant as always, knowing just how to pull the audience in with her raw, emotional journey so that the viewer wants to reach through the screen and give her a big hug, Rose Byrne as Lori is great at playing the annoyed but still-loving daughter, and the writing is good. It’s a touching film that sparks reflection on oneself and one’s own family relationships. But mostly, it’s worth watching simply because it is so relatable. Lori, I didn’t connect with at all. Didn’t get it. But Marni… I felt very represented by her, and it was so nice to finally feel understood. Here’s hoping that one day, in the not-so-distant-future, my mom will want to meddle in my life for a change.

We love you, mom!

Ingrid x

The Meddler: A Mother-Daughter Film I Could Relate To The other evening, I went to my friend's place for a movie night. We decided on the film The Meddler, with Susan Sarandon and Rose Byrne, a "dramedy" based on a widowed mother, Marni (Sarandon), who constantly meddles in her adult daughter Lori's (Byrne's) life.

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Last weekend was bittersweet. I felt a bit funny Sunday evening, with conflicting happy and sad emotions, and it took me a moment to figure out why. I soon realized that three events occurred last weekend that formed a precise crossroads, a distinct point, at which the main elements of my life abroad meet.

The first event occurred in California on Saturday: the spectacular wedding of one of my oldest and best friends in the whole wide world. I knew it would be incredibly hard for me to miss it, and when the day arrived, I proved myself right. It was not an easy day for me, to say the least. However, my heart was simultaneously bursting with joy for my sweet friend, who has clearly met her match in a wonderful man who gives just as much love as she does. Saturday was a day I would have given anything to be home.

My mom and twin sister at the wedding!

The second event occurred on Sunday: the remembrance of 9/11. No matter what people’s opinions are regarding the United States, one cannot take away from the fact that completely innocent lives were lost in the name of hate and ignorance. The victims, as well as the heroes who gave up their lives to save complete strangers, should be remembered and honored. It is a day that brings our country together in consciousness and reflection, and it is a day to remember who we are and who we hope to be. It is a day I wish I could not only be home, but simply in my home country.

9/11 Memorial in New York

The third event occurred on Sunday afternoon: a baby shower I hosted for one of my closest friends I’ve made since living in Sweden. It was such a lovely afternoon, and like most social gatherings that are a part of normal life in a foreign country, I had the opportunity to meet other women from all over the world who are friends with the Canadian mama-to-be. The shower lasted for hours as we delved into deep conversations about motherhood and raising children in Sweden, in between playing silly games and opening gifts. I was so beyond overjoyed that I could host this occasion, as I’ve learned in adulthood – and especially adulthood in a foreign country! – that forming close friends with new people is hard to come by! In that way, throwing my ‘new’ close friend whom I am so grateful to have met here her baby shower helped me feel right at home.

 One’s sense of identity is incredibly intricate, with personal and societal factors swirling together to influence who we feel we are. My best friend’s wedding and my country’s memorial of 9/11 together raised my awareness of my own identity, personally and as a citizen of a home country and culture. The two events made me remember who I am and they made me want to hop on the next flight home. Then, however, as the weekend was coming to a close, out sprang a new flower: the opportunity to celebrate a meaningful relationship I have forged here, and it helped not only redeem my homesickness but remember the beauty of my situation. I don’t have to long for one place because I’ve chosen one over the other; I can have both. I am so grateful that my friend’s baby shower happened to fall on this very weekend so that it could trigger a shift in how I perceive the choice I’ve made to live abroad.

With that being said, I cannot wait to get home for Christmas and to revel in a belated celebration of the beautiful bride and her handsome groom and their much-missed wedding day.

Ingrid x

3 Events, 2 Days, 1 Self Last weekend was bittersweet. I felt a bit funny Sunday evening, with conflicting happy and sad emotions, and it took me a moment to figure out why.

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It’s Friday! And what better way to celebrate the weekend’s arrival than to head out for a lovely meal and drinks with friends in the city? Thankfully, one of the most delicious eateries in town, Babette, in Stockholm’s Vasastan neighbourhood, is partly owned by my friend’s husband, and so this tiny, super trendy, often-fully booked hotspot always manages to save a little space for us.

Image courtesy of Metro.se

Image courtesy of krogguiden.se

  The restaurant’s shining star is its impeccable wine selection, carefully curated by the venue’s personal sommelier who travels regularly to Italy and France to bring back only nature’s finest. Babette’s food menu is mainly Southern European influenced with incredibly fresh and flavorful seafood dishes and the most divine thin-crusted pizzas, followed by perfectly portioned and rich desserts. The food is served on small plates, much like traditional tapas, and we often order a variety of dishes to be shared around the table. My go-to favorite dishes are the steak tartar and the thinly cut toast strips, dressed with a buttery pesto spread, and topped with fresh sardines. I wish it was possible to taste a food’s description through the computer because everyone deserves to try this one. Hea. Ven. The combination of ingredients is innovative and I always leave happily full but without guilt because the dishes are actually, for the most part, incredibly healthy.

Should you wish to treat yourself to a meal out in Stockholm, this is a great choice where you will no doubt enjoy the cozy atmosphere, beautiful people-watching, and an impeccable dinner and drinks you are unlikely to forget.

TGIF, everyone!

Ingrid x

*Feature image courtesy of Krogguiden.se

Dinner in Southern Europe at Babette It's Friday! And what better way to celebrate the weekend's arrival than to head out for a lovely meal and drinks with friends in the city?

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I once asked a fellow American friend what she thought she’d like to take home with her from Sweden should she ever move back to the United States. After several moments in quiet contemplation, she answered, “The fika.” Of course. 

Every country has its perks and charms. This is one of the beauties of traveling the world, so that we can realize there is not one right way to live, but different ways to live, and we are actually free to adopt any ways we choose. While it’s easy to become stuck in the ways of our own society because they are what we are surrounded by 24/7, traveling opens our eyes to an entirely new universe of lifestyles, and it is just so much fun to take home with us those we connect with the most.

Sweden is a small country, but it is mighty in its rituals and traditions. From celebrating holidays like Lucia and Midsummer (one in the winter, one in the summer, both celebrating light), to continuing to get daily exercise outdoors even in -20 degree January weather (“There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing!”), to there being just one payday (the 25th of every month) for the whole of the country so that you can guarantee the weekend after payday sees Stockholm’s streets filled with party-goers, shoppers, and families treating their children to a day out in the city, living here feels like belonging to one giant club whose members move in a joyful, collective flow of events from one year to the next.

While it’s difficult to say which Swedish traditions I’d take home with me if I ever moved back to California, I managed to break it down to five, just off the top of my head. And so, I present to you my five top reasons why Swedes do it better:

Bread & Butter

This may not just be a Swedish thing, but a European thing (hello, France!), but unlike at home in the U.S. where we dress our sandwiches with mustard and mayonnaise, the Swedes dress theirs with butter. Yes, butter, even when making a turkey and cheese sandwich. I remember when I was young, and my Norwegian grandmother would make me and my sisters sandwiches with butter. I thought it was the most disgusting thing I’d ever seen when I pulled my bread slices apart to see butter on them, but now after becoming an adult (AKA enlightened), I get it. Honestly, a fresh baguette with ham and cheese, topped with dollops of butter, is heaven on a plate. The key, though, is to having fresh bread and good quality butter (again, a European thing).

2. The Swedish Fika

The Swedish fika may just be the greatest thing since sliced bread (with butter on it). I like to call this the Swedish version of the Spanish siesta, which is a nationally-recognized-and-justified reason to take a pause from the day to catch one’s breath, unwind, and indulge a little. The fika (which literally translates to “coffee and conversation”) consists of a hot cup of coffee or tea (fun fact: the Swedes are the world’s highest consumers of coffee, and Swedish coffee is deeeelicious), paired with a perfectly not-to-sweet-but-just-sweet-enough pastry. My favorites include the waffle or crepes with fresh cream and jam or fruit, the semla, and the kanelbulle (cinnamon bun). A Swedish fika can occur one time a day or ten times a day, it can last from 5 minutes to many hours. It can take place in the home or at one of Sweden’s thousands of charming, old cafes. It is up to you! It is simply a way to step back and become conscious of the day, to catch up with a friend, to treat yourself to a little something, or to take part in life’s little pleasures. It is genius, and the whole world needs to catch on. Everyone would be better off for it!

3. Fredagsmys

One of my favorite aspects of the Swedish language is that it includes a verb for “cozy.” Mysa literally translates to “to get cozy.” How brilliant is that?! Fredag means “Friday” in Swedish, and so Fredagsmys means “Friday cozy.” I’m in. By the end of the week, who isn’t tired from working for five long days and just wants to get cozy at home? The tradition began when Swedes picked up on this collective desire and, due in part to a string of commercials made by snack-giant OWL as an advertising ploy to indulge in their chips and treats on Friday nights, the Fredagsmys tradition was born. Come Friday, you can guarantee that the majority of Swedish families are in their PJ’s, snacks and drinks on the coffee table, and the TV is on with shows for the family to enjoy together. Before having my daughter S, Fredagsmys wasn’t as much of a thing to us, but now having her, it may just be the highlight of my week.

4. Lördagsgodis

Like Fredagsmys, lördagsgodis consists of: a day of the week (Lördag means “Saturday”) and a word that means a lot to the Swedes (godis means “candy”). Thus, lördagsgodis translates to “Saturday candy.” Again, I’m in. Life in Sweden is all about balance: work and life, summer and winter, so why not healthy and indulgent? We’ve all heard of fitness gurus who say they’re healthy all week and allow themselves one cheat day. Swedes do this on a national scale. While generally very healthy and active, Swedes on a Saturday treat themselves and their families to the joys of Swedish bin candy (every grocery store here dedicates an aisle to it, and it’s the best). While I can’t really say that I limit myself to only Saturdays to eat godis, I can say that I don’t feel guilty about it on Saturdays. Everyone else is doing it so…

5. An Unwavering Connection to Nature

I think it’s safe to say that when people think of Scandinavia, they think “cold” and “dark.” With about six months of the year soaked in winter weather, why would anyone want to go outside? And yet, the Swedes’ consistent devotion to nature is one of their most glaring collective traits. Come rain, snow, darkness or shine, they will enjoy the outdoors. Even S’s daycare (as all daycares here) take the children outdoors for at least one entire day of the week, whether it’s above or below zero degrees outside. In the winter, life is about skiing, sledding, ice skating, and playing in the snow. In the summer, life is about escaping to the countryside, picnicking, BBQ’ing, swimming, running, hiking, boating, you name the outdoor activity, the Swedes are doing it. In a world that is becoming more and more technological and human-produced, living here is incredibly refreshing, rejuvenating, and therapeutic. As connecting with nature is a priority here, and nature embodies balance, it’s no wonder that since living here, I have felt more and more balanced in my own life, and that’s a wonderful feeling.

What are five aspects of your current environment that you love? It helps to think of them, acknowledge them, and be conscious of living with them. It makes life more fun, and perhaps they’re worth sharing with others so that we can all learn of the endless ways in which we can make our lives more full of joy.

Ingrid x

5 Ways the Swedes Do It Better I once asked a fellow American friend what she thought she'd like to take home with her from Sweden should she ever move back to the United States.

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Sunday Sensibility

There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. – Martha Graham Hey you! I was thinking about you today, about what a beautiful individual you are and how, as Dr. Seuss so…

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I have visited Copenhagen several times since living in Sweden, and it is the perfect destination for a long weekend (especially if you live in Scandinavia and want to feed your travel bug but don’t have much free time to do it! It’s conveniently just a 55 minute flight from Stockholm).

Copenhagen is the capital city of Denmark, and it reminds me greatly of Amsterdam for its charming cobblestone streets and centrally-located canals. If Stockholm is the historical and cultural “capital of Scandinavia,” as it’s often called, Copenhagen is like its artsy, hip younger brother. It’s not as grand as Stockholm, but it sure is cool with its art galleries, its fashion, and its super innovative Michelin star restaurants. The city center is quite small and easy to get around by foot, with its main pedestrian street Strøget (one of the longest pedestrian streets in Europe) running right down the middle. Strøget is filled with retail shops, bars, and restaurants, and while it can be a tourist trap, it’s a great street to hit if you have just a few days to spend in this bustling, little city.

On my last trip to Denmark with D, we decided to venture outside of the city to explore what we’d heard were other attractions not to be missed, and we were even more impressed with those than with Copenhagen, itself! This is truly one of the best aspects of traveling- discovering new places that feel like new worlds unto themselves, that leave your mind bursting with inspiration and a whole new appreciation for the world in which you live.

Below, I’ve broken down my personal recommendations for Copenhagen, as well a few spots outside the city (easily accessible, however, by car or public transportation).

Nyhavn: First thing’s first. The obligatory visit to Copenhagen’s famous harbor Nyhavn. Originally a major international port, Nyhavn now offers a plethora of chic restaurants in a beautiful setting. The oldest house dates back to 1681, and the famous Danish children’s author Hans Christian Anderson once lived in House No. 20. During my first trip to Copenhagen in 2010, I met up with my friends, B & B, both Americans who were living in London at the time (I had met B, the girl, on La Concha Beach in San Sebastian, Spain, in 2006, where we learned when introducing ourselves that we had grown up 15 minutes apart from each other in California and our schools competed against each other in sports! It’s a small world after all…). Our first day together in Copenhagen called for lunch at Nyhavn! Bliss!

2. Oh, did I mention I was a foodie? (Yes, I know, a thousand times.) One can imagine my delight at the abundance of pastries then! And the waffles with cream and jam, hello! I can die happy now.

3. Design Museum Denmark: One cannot visit Denmark (or Scandinavia, for that matter) without visiting a design museum. The Design Museum Denmark is a center for contemporary developments within industrial design and applied arts in Scandinavia. Design in this part of the world celebrates minimalism and functional art. How can we make the best use out of our daily necessities in the most creative way? I so love the philosophy behind Scandinavian design, to appreciate quality over quantity, and to create art out of every day life.

4. Christiania: This self-proclaimed autonomous ‘hippie commune,’ established in 1971, hosts about 900 residents and claims to be its own domain outside of, not only Denmark, but the EU. It consists of abandoned WWII military barracks (for housing) and ramparts that were established in 1617. It was originally meant to be a haven, or an idealistic place for peace-seeking individuals, and while it is impressive that Christiania’s residents have worked hard to self-sustain, to raise their own children within the boundaries of their confines and philosophies, I must admit that walking through here was a bit… jarring. My friends and I were not entirely comfortable with the energy here and while this is one of Copenhagen’s biggest tourist attractions, we felt we were constantly being watched by slightly menacing-looking men whose blurry eyes gave the impression they were high on something. Thus, I have no great-quality photos from our visit here, as I honestly was not comfortable enough to take any without making someone angry. Still, I am always up for an adventure, and while this commune is by no means the happiest place on earth, it is definitely worth a visit simply because it is such an otherworldly, trippy place to see. Upon entering, you will walk under a sign that says, “You are now leaving the EU,” and upon exiting, “You are now entering the EU.” We enjoyed our sojourn outside the European Union, and we enjoyed our re-entry all the same!

5. Church of Our Savior: Construction on this Dutch baroque style church began in 1682 under King Christian IV, and it was inaugurated 14 years later, in 1695. It is known for its spiral helix on the outside which offers a winding staircase all the way to the top (and a fabulous view of the city). After climbing the outside, we thought we’d try climbing up the inside… a very cool experience with its super narrow stairways but an exhausting one as well! Worth every step, though! I know that after a certain point, once you’ve seen one church in Europe, you’ve seen ’em all, but this one is definitely worth a visit simply for its originality and the way it sort of takes your breath away when you see it in person.

6. Simply strolling around town: Copenhagen is one of those cities where you can research it to death and hit up specific places, or you can simply stroll around and enjoy what it has to offer at first sight. It’s beautiful, it’s charming, it’s small, and it’s fun (including Tivoli!). My kind of European getaway.

7. Kronborg Castle: This castle, along with Neuschwanstein Castle, has been my favorite castle visited so far in Europe. Perhaps because I had no expectations for Kronborg, it blew me away all the more. Dating back to a fortress from 1420, Kronborg sits on the narrowest point of Øresund, the sound between Denmark and Sweden, on the tip of the island Zealand. The Danish King Eric of Pomerania used Kronborg as the headquarters at which any passing ships were forced to pay sound dues, otherwise they would meet a fatal end. The medieval fortress was transformed into one of Northern Europe’s most significant Renaissance castles and was used as the setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Visitors can still watch Hamlet here today in the castle courtyard during the summer months. This castle has such a rich history, from barely surviving a fire in the 1600s, to holding a queen under house arrest by her insane husband after being accused of having an affair, to being used as a prison from the 1700s-1900s, where prisoners were forced to maintain the grounds and sleep in the dungeons. My visit to this castle will forever be one of my favorite European experiences.

8. Louisiana Museum of Modern Art: About 35 km (22 mi) north of Copenhagen lies the most-visited art museum in Denmark, which celebrated modern and contemporary art from WWII-today. Located on the shore of the Øresund Sound, its setting is just as worthy of a visit as the art, itself. In fact, D and I were most taken with its natural surroundings and so I apologize for the lack of photos of the interior! This museum is well worth a visit, and after your art-browsing, you can enjoy a nice lunch or coffee in the adjoining cafe, as well as a stroll on the grounds. Such a fun excursion outside the city of Copenhagen!

I am grateful to live in Europe where the opportunity to visit other cities soaked in history and culture are just a short plane or train ride away. Copenhagen (and its surrounding areas) never ceases to disappoint, and should you travel to (or live in!) Scandinavia, it is a wonderful getaway spot for a few days away from reality.

Ingrid x

Copenhagen: A Great Spot for a Long Weekend Away I have visited Copenhagen several times since living in Sweden, and it is the perfect destination for a long weekend (especially if you live in Scandinavia and want to feed your travel bug but don't have much free time to do it!

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Your Dream Playlist for a Fireside Evening

Your Dream Playlist for a Fireside Evening

From a very young age, I made a point to turn on music whenever my family and I were all together in our kitchen (the heart of the home, of course). I come from a very musical family where music has always been given significant attention and respect, and I have always believed in having music playing- even merely in the background- to create whatever ambience I believe the situation calls for.…

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It’s a bit off the beaten track of the city, but it’s worth the longer T-bana ride (and how big is Stockholm, really?). Piren (or The Pier in English) is one of D’s and my favorite restaurants in the city for its location – literally on a giant pier on the waterfront – and its insanely fresh and delicious food.

Located on the island of Kungsholmen, at the T-bana’s Kristineberg stop on the green line, Piren feels like an escape from the buzzing city… despite the fact that it’s still in the city. Its minimalist but bright and poppy decor provides a great accent to the otherwise serene, subdued backdrop of the water and sky. When the weather warms up, the walls come down and the restaurant is like a giant open space that is one with nature. You really do get a million dollar view with your mouth watering meal.

As far as hidden jewels go, Piren is a true gem. Highly recommended for lunch in the afternoon sunshine or dinner with a sunset view.

Ingrid x

A Meal With a View at Piren It's a bit off the beaten track of the city, but it's worth the longer T-bana…