Coming Home

We are writing this “Coming Home” blog some weeks after we actually said, “hej do” (good-bye) to Stockholm.  With unpacking, renewing old friendships, attending church events, doing yard work and generally re-engaging in our suburban life, time simply slipped away and a final blog entry never found life.

Assembling final Nordic thoughts was also challenged by Jay’s return to Scandinavia. Thanksgiving week was spent in Oslo wrapping up sales work he started before we departed. An Oslo customer asked Jay to resume the Transition Director role he had turned over to another manager in June. Jay spent most of December in Oslo (he's home for the holidays now), but will return until February or March.  

Natalia Brzezinski in pink and
 Carmen Eriksson, AWC President

Our departure from Sweden was equally packed with events and good-byes. 

The evening before departing, we attended a reception sponsored by the American Woman’s Club (AWC) at the US Ambassador’s residence. The reception included the ambassador’s wife Natalia Brzezinski participating in the award of an AWC scholarship to a young and aspiring American student.  For the recipient it was the start of new journey. For us it was an opportunity to say good-bye to friends who had become so dear in such a short time.  

Nina Lagergren in red jacket

A few days earlier, we attended our last American Club of Sweden (ACS) cultural forum that commemorated the 100^th anniversary of Raoul Wallenberg’s birth.  Wallenberg was a Swedish humanitarian known worldwide for his tireless efforts to save Hungarian Jews in the closing years for WW II.  We met Raoul’s sister Nina Lagergren and her extended family who continue to carry on Wallenberg’s unselfish spirit of service.  

L-R: Sam Cooley, ACS President,
Gunnar Rasmussen and Jay

Another good-bye was a luncheon with the current ACS president and good friend Sam Cooley and one of his predecessors from the 1960’s, Gunnar Rasmussen.  As club historian, Jay had read much of Gunnar’s efforts to expand the club’s social and business presence. As club president, Gunnar hosted visits with notables such as US Vice President Lyndon Johnson, Sweden’s Prime Minister Olof Palme and banking tycoon David Rockefeller.  Gunnar, despite his 90 years, recalled these events as though days, not decades, had past.  We should all be so lucky.

Seared filet of turbot

The start of our departure from Sweden was a stay at Stockholm’s famed Grand Hotel. Beginning in the 1920’s and for 40 years, the ACS had permanent quarters at the hotel when men (only) drank whiskey and generally carried on as captains of industry do. The hotel also hosts today’s Nobel Laureates during their visit to Stockholm. Our names, too, are now on the hotel’s registry of guests.  

Salad at the Grand Hotel

Our visit also included an eight-course meal in the very upscale Mathias Dahlgren restaurant. We took time to look back on our lives in Sweden as well as celebrate our eighth wedding anniversary. We are so thankful for the life we share. 

Thank you, Sweden, for all the wonderful friends and adventures you provided. We are sure another adventure awaits us somewhere down the road…