“A Moment in Time” – EEG

And just like that my two and a half month long Sweden adventure with Rågsveds IF has come to an end.  It has been an incredible and enriching experience, not without its challenging times, of course, which have positively created a fulfilling time of personal growth.  I am proud of myself to say I have confidently mastered how to navigate living on my own in a foreign country and to feel a part of a team that had been together for so long (even after coming in mid season nonetheless!).

SO I leave you with some reflections/realizations on my exploration of Sweden and myself. 

Life Lessons Learned in Sverige

1.  Don’t wait around for something to happen or someone to make plans, you need to take initiative, go for it and make it happen yourself.  

2.  Soccer, football, futboll or whatever else you want to call it, can bring people together from all ends of the world and can also bring joy, a sense of power, challenges, hope and above all fun.  And it will forever be a huge part of who I am.

3.  Laughter is contagious and universal.  Even when I had no idea what my Swedish teammates were saying, laughter is one thing I could definitely understand in Swedish :)   Just laugh, it makes everything better.

4.  It’s refreshing to have absolutely no plans and let your sense of wonder lead you.  And sometimes exploring on your own can be the best way to do this. Be independent- go out on your own, explore, meet people, observe nature, learn in museums, and discover culture.  Sometimes taking the path least traveled is the most rewarding choice; 

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference."

-Robert Frost 

5.  It’s the little things in life that are important and thus that you miss the most when you are away from home…  Like driving with the windows down while blasting country music, running on the beach, being silly with my friends... 

Side note- Not having an iphone at all times of the day is not the worst thing in the world, but you sure do miss it when you can’t contact loved ones from home at all hours of the day.

6. Take time out of the day for yourself and from the stresses of everyday life.  For example, I have caught on to the Swedish culture fairly quickly by learning to appreciate fika- just going to a café and sitting with a café latte for hours with a friend, and to appreciate the sun (which has a hard time coming out lately) hitting your face in a local park.

7.  No matter where you are in the world, helping others and working for the common good makes you feel better about yourself.  I am so thankful that I got involeved with PLAN international and was able to make a difference in the world through this wonderful organization.  And now I realize I want to do something in life where I am giving back and helping others.

8.  I saw this saying and couldn’t agree more— "Travel is the only thing you buy, that makes you richer."

9.   Live in the moment. My mom would always describe beautiful and special events as  “a moment in time” and I always think about that as I am hiking in a national park in Sweden, playing on a pitch for a Swedish club, or on a misadventure with my family in Finland.  Live in the moment and realize the beauty of that moment.   How much I would love my mom to be enjoying this moment in time with me, but I know she is always with me and I also know I was given the strength and passion to do something like this because of her.  She is forever my inspiration and it is hard to believe it is almost three years without her.  Never Give Up :) 

  

10. Appreciate the love and support you get from family and friends and realize that you wouldn’t be where you are today without them.

Thanks for following and sharing in my experiences.

Hej då Sverige, see you again someday.

Now onto traveling through Europe!!!

Espana, Italy, Switzerland, France and England Here I Come!

See you December 3^rd America!  (I’m expecting a welcoming party upon my return, so you can start planning now) ;)  

Love,

Ellery