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!