Editor’s Note: Ben is busy. Like… We can’t quite describe how busy Ben is, with this whole “Master’s Program” aside from pointing to the lack of updates, hiking, climbing, and even gym time. In short – Thank you, dear readers, for bearing with him while he get’s his world in order.
I live in Europe!
And, if you haven’t heard, Europe has a tendency to be a bit beautiful.
From fancy dinners with farmers market mushrooms, to the River Liffey at night, to brunch dates with friends, and everything in between… Europe has been lovely, and is treating me quite well. I haven’t had as much time for pure photography, throughout this MBA program, but I’ve taken what time I can to appreciate these amazing new views as best I can.
Tuesday through Sunday, 21-May-2024 to 26-May-2026
I didn’t get a great first introduction to Stockholm, I’ve got to admit. I was a bit woozy, coming off the train, and I couldn’t find a cab or scooter to help me get to the apartment where I was staying, since it was too close and there weren’t any scooters left at the train station.
I ended up walking, through crowds and construction, up and down and back up more flights of stairs than I care to recollect, trying to batter my way through a seemingly endless maze of detours and redirects.
I made it, though, and once that odyssey was completed the city opened up in an amazing way. A good lesson to be had, here – first impressions matter, but it’s important to keep in mind that we’re not automatons, and that we can overlook a rough initial glimpse after learning new data points.
For me, Stockholm ranks easily up with Paris and London in terms of cities that “Feel” European. It was eminently walkable, packed with old buildings and statues, with countless museums and small cobblestone alleyways. It was very clean, though obviously lived in, and had distinct separations between “city” and “park” areas – notably different from Oslo or Portland, where the two tended to blend together a bit.
I was able to orient myself surprisingly quickly in Stockholm as well – Maybe it was the multiple islands that helped, but for one reason or another I found myself quickly leaving my phone in my pocket in favor of navigating by memory.
I liked Stockholm, no doubt about it. People spoke quite a bit of English, and many signs were in both Swedish and English… and every museum placard had both languages included. People were friendly, and very Nordic – Follow the street signs, be polite, but don’t get in peoples way. I adored that part of Stockholm, the simple agreement that everyone seemed to hold to; walk when the light goes green, stay on the correct side of the road while biking, give right of way, and don’t be weird.
What else… well, the food was good! It wasn’t great, I’m sorry to report, but it wasn’t bad either. It was interesting and fun, but didn’t quite stand out in terms of amazing or unique.
Places I ate:
Blå Doren (Blue Door) – Right near my apartment, was lovely in a “small neighborhood / tourist bar” sort of way
Under Kastajen – Excellent breakfast! Very atmospheric with the large tree outside, and perfect “coffee and a pastry” breakfast.
Miss Clara – I found this spot while wandering, and was a bit too hungry to be too picky. It was a hotel restaurant, effectively, and… was okay. Not great, but okay.
Skeppsbro Bageri – Similar to Under Kastajen, an excellent light French-style breakfast spot!
Mr. French – Ironically, I just had a Caesar salad here, nothing French since their menu had just switched over… it was okay. Good food, but I just didn’t like the atmosphere for some reason.
Pelikan – Holy crap this place was loud. Had some traditional Swedish fare, but… It was just kind of unpleasantly crowded and loud.
Bröd and Salt – Note the theme here; Good breakfast place, tasty pastries, and good coffee. Simple and delicious.
Greasy Spoon – Now this was an American-ish style breakfast. Eggs Benedict, good coffee… Yes please.
Bastard’s Burgers – Simple and elegant hamburger and milkshake. What more could an American ask for?
Panem – Best breakfast in Stockholm, in my opinion. Actually, by far the best restaurant I went to in Stockholm as a whole, now that I think about it. Friendly staff, amazing eggs Benedict, probably the second or third best meatballs I’ve ever eaten, and great coffee. Absolutely recommend!
Aifur – This was a “dinner and a show” sort of place. Think Renaissance faire, or “Medieval Times” for those of us who may recall it. No big floor shows, but the same atmosphere. It was… good. Worth visiting, but not going back.
Closing out the store is almost like a ritual. Shut off the lights, shut down the equipment, sweep the floors and clean the counters, and lock the doors.
Closing out my apartment was a bit less of a ritual, but it felt a bit more somber.
I took it slow and steady, as I’ve done with pretty much everything else in preparation for this trip. I packed my things. I cleaned as I went. The international movers came, and took my most important things with them. My friend and I rented a uHaul, and took everything that I was going to sell out from the apartment. I brought the remaining middle-ground things to the storage unit. Lastly, the disposal folks came by and we threw out everything remaining.
I went through each utility, line by line. I called, cancelled, and told them that I was moving internationally and wouldn’t be able to transfer service. It went smoothly, and kept me busy enough that (for the most part) I was able to focus on the tasks at hand.
It was emotional in between the tasks.
I’ve mentioned, but seeing my home turn into a generic apartment was really tough on me. The photos coming down was the hardest part, and lasted the longest, but that didn’t mean the rest were any easier. I rode the emotions as best I could, keeping my to-do list in mind and making sure to grind through it as best I could… while liberally reaching out to friends and family when I started to sink into deep sadness.
Friends and family helped a lot – when going through emotionally tumultuous times, I absolutely reach out to the life rafts around me.
What else to say about this?
I cancelled the utilities one by one. I worked with the apartment management company to ensure everything went smoothly, thanking everyone profusely for the amazing home they’d helped me maintain for these 3 years and 11 months. I was friendly and grateful, and in turn they helped me make sure everything went smoothly… and even helped me ensure I didn’t get caught in a few common traps that they knew people oft-times would.
I’m sure I missed one or two things, but I’m cautiously optimistic that they won’t be too challenging to fix on the road. Time will tell, but I can cleanly say that I felt a strong wave of closure and loss when I locked that door and gave away the key for the last time… but that sadness was strongly flavored with optimism and hope for the next grand adventure.
