Thank you to the Skovde Saints

Dear Skovde Saints family,

As I reflect on these past four months, my mind is flooded with amazing memories, and I am overwhelmed with so many positive emotions. I vividly remember getting off the plane in May and meeting Malin and Lina at the airport, giving them a hug and having no idea what was in store for me. Now, I can say that without a doubt this was one of the best experiences of my life, and I have all of you to thank for that.

Tess wrote to me before I arrived that playing softball in Sweden makes you love the sport even more. I didn’t understand this back then, but I get it now. Despite rainy weather, having to fight the town to give you a proper dirt field and sparse crowds at the games, (at least compared to handball, haha), you all show such strong dedication and commitment to this team and the game. You were all eager to learn, to work hard and to get better at practices. Special shout out to Lisa, Vanessa and Nathalie for coming early to so many practices to work on pitching—I’m so proud of all of your efforts, and you have all gotten so much better! (And I know many of you would have come early if your work schedules allowed). All of your hard work paid off, and celebrating our TWO championships in Ostrava and Skovde were perhaps my favorite two nights of the summer.

The memories of the games and practices were great, but most of my favorite moments of the summer took place off the field. You were all so incredibly welcoming, and you opened your hearts and homes to make room for Diane and myself. Despite the language barrier, I never felt excluded and your translations kept me involved at all times. And, this team was FUN! Dancing, singing, acting goofy, making “the face,” haha, there was never a dull moment with the Saints. I laughed so much and enjoyed every moment of team time.

Angelica said on my last day that she is so happy she started playing softball, and I couldn’t help but think the same thing. Softball has given me so many wonderful opportunities, this one included. I have loved this time so much, and I feel soooo incredibly lucky to have met you all. The places I saw and the things I did were incredible, but the people I met were simply the best. Sweden has a place in my heart now, and the memories and relationships I made during my time here will stay with me forever. I know I will be back at some point, (and I’ll try to get back next summer!), but I hope you all know that you have a huge Saints fan for life in the States, and you all have a home with me if you ever come visit. I only hope I can return the favor someday and show you my neck of the woods.

Thank you from the very bottom of my heart for absolutely everything. I will remember this summer for the rest of my life and look back on it with a smile on my face.

Love,

Rachel (Rakel)

The Recap

Exactly 4 months ago today, (the day after my college graduation), I left Boston bound for a town called Skovde carrying 1 suitcase, 1 duffel bag, a backpack and a purse. The rest of my things were headed home to San Diego where they would stay until I figured out my next life destination. At that moment in time, I had the next 4 months somewhat planned, (although there is no way I could have predicted what was in store for me), and the time after that was a great mystery that I hoped to crack while abroad.
The travel to Sweden was mostly uneventful, except for a potential crisis at the Iceland passport control checkpoint, and I was met at the Stockholm airport by two of my teammates, Lina and Malin. I immediately hugged them, (perhaps breaking my first Swedish social norm), and I felt slightly reassured since everything had gone according to plan so far.

The next several days ticked by slowly as I grew accustomed to my new setting, but Diane’s arrival seemed to speed things up. Practices began and we played games within the first week and a half. Diane and I adjusted to the different style of play, and we began to help coach the team. Several weeks into the season, I started going early to practice to work with the pitchers, and that quickly became my favorite part of practices. There were 2-3 regulars, and it was so absolutely rewarding to work with them. Overall, the competition was vastly different than what I had experienced in college, although it was still competitive. I didn’t think it would be after we run-ruled the team in our first games, but the other regular season games were no cake walk. I really enjoyed getting to hit after 6 hitless years, and hitting got me more involved in the games. The Saints finished the regular season with a 7-9 record, and luckily we just slipped into the top 4 teams to advance to the playoffs.

Before the playoffs, though, we headed to Ostrava, Czech Republic to compete in the European B Cup. I had low expectations for our performance based on what others had said, but that changed when we won our first game. We went 8-1 during the week, and I pitched every game. We won the championship by avenging our one loss to the French team, reclaiming a spot in the European A Cup for the next summer. Other highlights from that week included 2-3 hour long dinners with the team, strobe light dance parties in the hotel, going to the nearby restaurant for wifi, and going into downtown with our extremely friendly and slightly random tour guide.

After Ostrava, we returned for the semi-final games against Sundsvall, our biggest rival. We had split our 4 games during the season, so I was anxious about the games. However, there was no need for nerves since we easily won the semi final games, using the momentum of our Ostrava tournament. That meant we were headed to the ‘ship! We hosted Leksand for the first two games of the championship series and pulled out two nail-biter wins, including a come-from-behind win in the second game. That put us in a great position heading into the final weekend. On a 40 degree day, we dropped the first game in the last inning, giving me the chance to pitch once more. And what a last game—winning the Swedish league championship! The bus ride home was so much fun, dancing and celebrating, and our gold party in downtown was one of the most fun nights of my summer. I loved celebrating with my teammates because they so deserved this win after all of their hard work. It was a great ending to my softball career.
 
And now for some of the non-softball aspects…
 
Early in the summer, I had made arrangements with a relative I had never really heard of before, (my grandma’s cousin, Anders), to spend 2 ½ days at his house. I hopped in his van after several softball games and made my first trip of many to Alingsas. The first trip is probably the most memorable because I had no clue of what to expect. Anders took me fishing, fed me delicious rhubarb pudding, showed me Gothenburg and a few nearby sights with another relative, and taught me to make Swedish meatballs. Little did I know then that his role in my summer would make my Swedish trip even greater. Later trips with him included ones to Marstrand, a picturesque harbor island, the Gota Canal and several lock systems, the Gothenburg Botanical Gardens, and Karlsborg, a fortress city. He also provided me with some very unique experiences like horseback riding, hambo/polka dancing, mushroom hunting, and sleeping in my very own cottage. He fed me well and provided a taste of Sweden with the aforementioned rhubarb, brandied plums, fresh fruits/veggies from his garden, Swedish pancakes and chocolate, and berries with vanilla sauce. He became a good friend over the summer as we spent more and more time together. He became a fan of softball and took an avid interest in my life as I was figuring out the next steps. I loved hearing about his life and sailing adventures, and I really hope I see him again and can return the favor by showing him around the States.
 
Another great family experience was when my grandma, aunt and sister came to visit for a week. We began by touring downtown Skovde and getting dinner together, and they were softball super fans the next day at games. There was a wonderful family reunion in Alingsas and I got to meet Anders’s daughter, and we visited many sights the next day including a Swedish Castle and ceramic museum. The Brown/Marienau crew made the long trip on a night train up to Sundsvall to see other relatives including Barbro, Ove and Berit—three of the most cheerful people I’ve ever met. With them, we toured downtown Sundsvall, visited the house where my great grandmother grew up, ate a traditional Swedish lunch on the North Mountain and enjoyed a musical event in the evening. The next day we met ~10 more relatives and we had my favorite meal of the summer. It reminded me of a Thanksgiving meal, and I will never forget singing around the table and enjoying the company. The American girls finished our visit together in Stockholm, and I loved walking around the Old Town. My grandma had made these plans to visit me when I found out I would be going to Sweden, (while visiting her in Iowa over winter break), and the trip was so amazing.

Thanks to Anders, my family members and my team, I felt like I got the true Swedish experience and learned about the culture and lifestyle. I celebrated holidays, (Midsummer and graduation), watched Swedish sports, (Brannboll and Handball), ate the foods, (pancakes, pickled herring, salmon, boiled potatoes, etc.), enjoyed fika and typical treats like chocolate balls, heard and learned some of the language, appreciated Swedish style, (leather jackets and converse), and also saw hundreds of miles of the countryside as we drove to softball games. I feel like I know Sweden now, and it has definitely wedged its way into my heart.

And finally, some of my best memories come from times spent with my teammates. We played card games at parties, danced in downtown Skovde, learned Scottish dancing, attended Malin’s graduation party, celebrated victories at parties while wearing our medals, went to the water park, spa and zoo, played “Would You Rather” while traveling to and from games, surprised Lina with a going-away party, mini-golfed in Mariestad, ate ice cream in Hjo, sang ridiculous songs, (“Hey cakalaka, hey cakalaka, hey!”), and just had a ridiculous amount of fun. These girls were my best friends in Sweden, and I loved spending time with them at practices and off the field. We developed inside jokes, (“The Face,” “Paty, paty, paty,” leg hugs, “anyone, anywhere, anytime,” etc), laughed a lot and had great team chemistry. I was also incredibly lucky to have an awesome roommate. Diane and I spent almost every waking hour for 4 months together, and we had zero problems. We spent countless hours together in the Dungeon, trolling Pinterest, watching movies, walking to Maxi/Prima/downtown, and so you can imagine that we really got to know each other. It was great to have a partner in all of this as we navigated the social scene of Sweden and also as we traveled through Europe. All in all, I think the last day with my friends will stand out the most. We had a nice final lunch at Prima and then the team threw a surprise going away dinner for Diane and me, and the girls gave us souvenirs of Sweden including a Sweden jersey that they all signed.

I was told by Anders that it was the rainiest summer since 1901, but the gloomy weather hardly made a difference in my summer that was filled with bright and happy moments. I will never forget sitting on the boat with Anders, surrounded by an expansive lake and thousands of trees, when he said “This is Sweden, where you belong.” I do feel like I partially belong there, and I am so incredibly grateful to everyone who positively impacted this experience. Now off to the next adventure!

Final Day

Today was my final full day in Skovde, Sweden. Diane and I woke early since Lisa would be driving Diane to the airport in Gothenburg for her to fly home. We took a few last photos in front of the Dungeon, and I got artsy with the flowers Anders gave me.

We dropped off Diane at the airport, and I said goodbye. Diane and I have been partners in crime for the past 4 months, and we have been great roommates and friends. We have spent practically every day and almost every waking hour together, and we had absolutely 0 problems--pretty amazing. We had a lot of great movie nights, deep talks walking to Prima/practice/Maxi/etc., and we spent countless hours sitting together in our common room surfing the web. I couldn't have asked for a better roommate, and I'll miss her.

After dropping off Diane, Lisa drove us to a Thai restaurant for lunch. The landscape of Sweden never ceases to amaze me, and everywhere we drove was so beautiful. The sun was shining, there was water everywhere, and I took tons of landscape photos to try to remember as best as I can.

 Don't we look cute in the hats we found at the store? I didn't buy anything, but Lisa got several scarves to prepare for the winter.

 This was my favorite thing I saw at the store--seems like a perfect combination for me!

When Lisa dropped me off at the Dungeon to finish packing, we made plans to get ice cream later. It was the last thing on my bucket list, and Angelica and Priya joined us around 5:30. It was so delicious. I sure am going to miss Swedish mjokglass along with everything else I've loved here! Great final day.

Good food, good company, good times

After one of the most fun nights of the entire year celebrating gold, (seriously), I slept in to make up for the previous morning's wake up call. After a slow-paced morning, Diane and I met 4 other teammates at Prima for one last meal there. It was so weird since we had eaten there almost every day for the past 4 months. We both opted for some pretty unhealthy choices. I got pizza with french fries on top, and Diane went with her typical kebab plate, (kebab on top of fries with kebab sauce).

Side note--when I asked for writing suggestions for the blog, my mom requested that I write about the most famous Swedish person I met. Slejman, (Vanessa's dad and owner of Prima), is my celebrity. He was on Sweden's version of "The Biggest Loser," and so he was filmed at a Swedish castle. Vanessa, (our 13 year old teammate), said she got to visit him there, and she was on TV. There are several newspaper articles on the walls in the restaurant. He got third place! He was such a big Saints fan, and he was so friendly. It was great to see him every day! Here he is below.

After we finished lunch, Diane and I said several goodbyes and headed back to the Dungeon to do some packing. We packed for an hour or so and then did some cleaning in the apartment since the club is getting rid of the space. Sweeping, scrubbing, wiping, we did it all!

I had arranged one last visit with Anders, so he was coming to Skovde to take Diane and me to dinner. (The original deal was that he would drive to Leksand on Sunday if we were still playing, or else he would come to Skovde. When I emailed him the result of the day, he responded, "I know, Rachel. I called the Skovde news to find out. I was nervous all day!") Anyway, he showed up right on time, dressed to the t in a very nice gray suit, bearing several presents and flowers, including a red rose. We went into town around 5:00 and got dinner at a Chinese/Thai restaurant. I started to get sad toward the end of dinner since this was the last time of the summer that I would spend time with Anders. He has made such a positive impact on my time here, and he has been a great friend. When we returned to the Dungeon, I gave him a gold hat from our party and a softball since he is a new fan of the sport. And the presents he brought: chocolates for the team and also for me. How sweet of him! I love these pictures of us.

Shortly after Anders left, Angelica and Alec came to pick us up for a surprise. They took us to O'Leary's, a sports restaurant where we watched the Olympic handball match. The whole team was there! Because we had already eaten dinner, Diane and I got strawberry daiquiris. It was a fun team dinner, per usual, but there was a nostalgic feeling in the atmosphere since we knew it was the last. Nathalie and Angelica got up at the end and said a very thoughtful thank you to Diane and me, and then they whipped out goody bags with presents for us. They did a great demo and explained each gift. First was a floppy hat since it had been such a rainy summer. Next was a Pippi Longstocking towel and sunglasses so we can lay out when we get home in the sun. They included a mixed CD with our favorite songs from the summer, and there was also a cushy heart with the Swedish word for love, karlek, (also Diane's tattoo!). Finally, there was a Swedish soccer jersey that I had been eye-ing all summer. The girls had all signed the back of it, and I was so touched.

I got up to give an impromptu thank you speech. I led off with the story of when I found out I would be going to Sweden. I got the acceptance email when I was at my grandma's house and I ran out of my room screaming. She thought I was scared, but my mom knew I was excited. My grandma then whipped out the maps and we began to look everything over. I then talked about how I was very excited to see Sweden, but that I could not have predicted just how welcoming and wonderful my teammates would be. I made some great friends here and this was the summer of a lifetime. I thanked them for allowing me to continue playing the sport I love, and for including Diane and me in so many fun activities. I got a little emotional giving the speech as I realized just how lucky I was to have had this experience and so I teared up a little, and I realized when I looked around the table the I MUST come back soon to see these girls. I love the Skovde Saints! Yesterday was so wonderful spending time with all my Swedish friends and family.

GOLDDDD!!!!

The team and the loyal fans departed at 5:30 yesterday morning from the field to make the ~5 hour drive to Leksand. I luckily slept most of the way, but when I was awake, I couldn't help but notice how wet it was outside and how there was a constant drizzle. The temperature read 6 degrees outside, which is about 43 degrees Fahrenheit--BRRRR. We arrived at the fields with just about an hour until the game time, so we quickly "warmed up" and got ready for the game.

Tess started as pitcher the first game, despite her hurt shoulder, and Leksand quickly added a run to the board. They extended their lead to 4-0 over the next two innings, but I had two RBIs to bring us within 1 run to 4-3 in the fourth. Unfortunately, I was not as clutch in the sixth inning when the score was tied 6-6 and I flied out with bases loaded to end the inning. Leksand scored in the bottom of the seventh to break the tie, win the game, and force a fourth game in the series.

This meant it was my turn to pitch. I was excited to pitching what would hopefully be my final game, but I was also not thrilled about pitching with numb fingers. I warmed them up under a sink during the game break, tried my best to warm up, and we began the next game. I had an RBI single in the first inning to score Diane (who ripped a shot to lead off the game!), and I somehow managed to retire the first three batters in the first inning. We ran into some trouble in the bottom of the third when two misplayed bunts put runners on base and I intentionally walked the leadoff hitter, but a force out at home and a K ended the Leksand threat. We extended our lead by a few runs in the fourth inning, bringing the score to 3-0. We added even more of a cushion when the Leksand pitcher struggled and walked in 2 runs, and going into the bottom of the sixth, we were up 8-0. It was a comfortable lead, but after I had to run bases in the previous inning, my fingers were pretty numb and Leksand managed to score one run off of several hits. We got out of the inning, failed to score and then entered the bottom of the seventh with the chance to win the series. Another not-so-pretty inning resulted in 1 more run for Leksand, but a pop up out sealed our victory!

One great thing about playing for a team that has won in the past is that the girls really know how to celebrate! Gold hats materialized out of nowhere and we were all given black shirts with gold lettering. We lined up to receive our medals and took the obligatory photos with the trophy. We enjoyed the feeling of the win, but we hustled back to the bus to get home to really celebrate, (and to get out of the cold).

The bus ride was one of the most fun rides ever since it turned into a dance party after we stopped for dinner. All of the girls were toward the back, and we blasted music and just danced while traveling home. It was a blast! We got back to Skovde around 11:30 and rushed to get ready to hit the bar by midnight. The bar sponsored a Gold Party for us, complete with more gold hats, champagne, fruit and chocolate. We entered the bar to the song, "The Wobble," (our team's favorite!), so we all did the dance and the people at the bar cheered for us. We spent the night dancing, guarding our gold hats, (people really liked to try to take them), and singing out "SM GULD, SM GULD, SM GULD!" What a fantastic end to this fantastic summer!

Here is the story on the Skovde news site: http://www.skovdenyheter.se/nyhet/18861/tog-sjunde-raka-guldet

Swedish Celebrities

The culmination of our season has finally arrived. We play our final game(s) tomorrow in the last matches of the championship series. For those just tuning in, we are currently 2-0 in the best of 5 series against Leksand, and so we need to win 1 of the next 3 games. It is our ideal plan to win the first game at noon so we can drive home and celebrate! We are leaving really early (5:30!) to get to the games, but I plan on sleeping on the way up. I am not allowed to pitch the first game, so I think Tess will pitch, (if she isn't too hurt). No matter who pitches, I hope we come out and score at least 5 runs in the first inning! If we should happen to lose the first game, I will be allowed to pitch the next one and hopefully we can win it then. Can't wait!

Another exciting update--today, the local news channel came to our practice, (despite the rain!), and filmed us to put together a segment. I even got to do an interview! It was definitely fun to watch the clip, and I can honestly say I've never been sub-titled before! Diane looked fierce hitting. Check it out below:

Me being interviewed

Gardens in Gothenburg

Diane and I departed the Dungeon early this morning to go to Alingsas one last time to see Anders. We arrived at 10:30 and made a few stops on our way into Gothenburg. We spent about a half hour at the house of a friend of Anders's, and we enjoyed morning fika. After that, Anders took us to the Masthuggskyrkan, a church that has a great view of Gothenburg. The colors of the buildings splayed before us were amazing, but my favorite thing on the skyline was a statue of a woman, looking out over the harbor, waiting for her sailor husband to return.

At this point, it was already 12:30, so we went hunting for lunch. And we ended up at a McDonald's, haha. I don't think I've commented on European McDonald's before, but they are way classier here, and a lot more expensive! It's hard to spend less than $10 at a fast food restaurant, perhaps explaining the American obesity epidemic?
We then headed to the main destination of the day: the Botanic Gardens. I didn't have very high hopes for the place, but I really wanted to see them and they definitely surpassed my expectations. There was a really awesome green house at the beginning that housed more than 4000 species too delicate for cultivation outside. Other attractions in the garden included the Perennial Borders, which was a strip of lots of different kinds of flowers and plants, the Rhododendron Valley, the Rock Garden, (funniest part of the trip was when Diane asked Anders, "How do you saw rock in Swedish?" and his response was simply, "Rock."), and the Japanese Glade. The whole botanic garden had more of an amusement park feel because of how many things there were to see, but obviously there was more of an emphasis on nature.

To follow up this trip to the garden, we went to another garden in the middle of town. This was the Tradgardsforeningen, and the main attraction there was a gorgeous green house that comprised on a main section with several wings. There was a tropical room that was so humid that my camera lens instantly fogged over. It was also very beautiful.

At this point, it started to rain, so Anders drove us through a few other parts of Gothenburg to show us around and then we went back to Alingsas. There, he treated us to the canned plums that I loved so much from last time, (turns out they are soaking in brandy!), and then he made us Swedish pancakes for dessert. He really knows that the way to my heart is through my stomach, haha! We concluded the night with some polka dancing so I could show Diane what I learned, and she got a few lessons of her own. Anders revealed the dancing shoes that he found for me, but I left them there with the promise to return one day to dance again, (and also because I know I'll have very little space in my luggage!).