i went for a hike about a week after i arrived and stood on top of a forgotten stump at the mouth of a valley. 'the Fountain" soundtrack was playing on my iPod. i can't just listen to that music...it has to be a special occasion. so i'm standing there and mogwai and the kronos quartet are kicking my ass with pure bliss and i realize, "a month ago i was in abilene. i was sitting on my couch, doing nothing. the days were overlapping each other and i was completely immobile. now i'm here." completely alone in sweden, i realized i could do anything. at any time, i can go anywhere. we can all be completely free whenever we want. just start walking somewhere.

so i've been here for five weeks and tomorrow morning at 8:50AM i leave. board some trains, sit in a plane, sit on a bus. exit at Gloucester Green in wonderful oxford and sift through the faces and find lara girlfriend. oh boy. i can't wait. when i look back on my time at sweden, i will likely think of things like this:

black slugs. moss. dandelion wine. siddhartha. generation X. the five minute bell. vegetarian gravy. the metric system. candy. bike paths. canoes. clear lakes. swimming. falling deeper in love with MSTRKRFT, digitalism, justice, and all paris-based DJ's and electro-bands. illegally watching movies since that isn't really allowed here. solitude. hikes that ended too quickly. wild blueberries.

just when it starts to really sink in...that i actually AM living in sweden, that i have a job here, that i cook food for dozens of people at a time...its time to leave. hang it all! but O, what joy awaits this time tomorrow...