Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Autumn in Stockholm

Suddenly it’s fall. It kind of snuck up on me this year. I looked out my window around 8 in the pm and it was completely dark. It seemed like just recently it was still light at 11. There’s that bite in the air, it’s getting cold enough that I don’t venture out in the evenings without a jacket and maybe even a pair of gloves. Sleeping with my window open is becoming more and more perilous. I risk waking up with some part of skin exposed to the elements in the middle of the night.

I don’t really know what happened. Last year I was very conscious of the change. Maybe because it was still kind of new and exciting. This year I know what’s going on. The daily loss of five minutes of daylight isn’t as cool as it was last year. I guess I have adapted to the changes in season, daylight, and weather. The benefits of having stuck around as long as I have I suppose.

At the same time I see the same events popping up as last year. I remember discussing with a couple of visiting friends last year around this time about checking out the beer festival. Which we did not, due to the ridiculous price, but anyway. It’s back. The exact same ads are driving by on the busses in town and staring back at me on the subway. I even saw an ad for the fall market at Skansen, which my friends and I checked out while they were here.

Despite having made a conscious decision to move here, it still seems strange that I am here to some extent. Maybe seeing all of these happenings for a second time is really hammering that home. Last year wasn’t just a little vacation. It was a big happening in my own little world.

Now the question is just what the next big happening in my little world will be.

Welcome to Sweden. Where even business majors can turn philosophical in the face of the impending winter darkness.

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16 comments:

  1. When you live here all year arround its always the inbetween season that gets you, cuz its gray in transision. Horrible! Thats why I always tell ppl that if they wanna go here, o in the extrem time like mid December or mid june... the rest is just awful! :P

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  2. I have to admit, I'm rather a big fan of autumn; but, just like you, somehow it snuck up on me too.

    I had my head down for three days, busy doing work, and then one late afternoon I look up and a majority of the trees have half their leaves turned. They went from green-green, to a rustic colored rainbow within seventy-two hours.

    Well, I hope "the next big happening in [your] own little world" will be just as interesting and gratifying as this one!

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  3. Singing ice cream bus just passed by...

    I haven't been here long enough to notice the big difference between summer and fall, just came here about one month ago. But still got surprised when I can see my breath when it was just beginning of Semptember.

    Autumn shows up so early here.

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  4. I live in NYC and our leaves haven't started to change. It just started getting cooler. But soon we will be into winter. Im enjoying the last couple weeks of warm weather. I just found a new travel site - baraaza.com. I think you might like it.

    Melissa

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  5. I'm a little further north then you, Melissa.. southern Ontario and our leaves have begun their change already. Cold mornings and frost on the windshields; the sun just barely up when I leave for work at 7 am. I'm just praying that we don't have snowstorm after snowstorm for 5 months straight like last year.. it must be almost time to hibernate...

    Sheila

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  6. @sassa - the extremes are the cool seasons if youre not used to them really. coming from colorado it was the complete darkness in the winter and the complete light in the summer that really hit me.

    @PhDR - yeah for some reason it really came out of nowhere. not really sure what happened. but thats alright by me. keeps you on your toes right?

    @ljus - it does come pretty early sometimes. just a prelude to the winter. gearing up and warning everyone that the darkness is on the way. but you're right... the ice cream trucks are still out and about.

    @anonymous (melissa) - yeah our leaves are changing already. but we are a bit more north than New York.

    @anonymous (shelia) - its getting close to hibernation isnt it. and its impressive hoe just being a bit more north can make such a difference. from new york to ontario to stockholm. I love it.

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  7. i prefer the autumn. the air is feels better, i can sleep better at night and the darkness doesnt bother me at all. i love all the colors... red, green, yellow.. during the summer everthing is just green (but that's kinda nice too).

    .. in november it can be a bit to dark to be honest, when the christmas lights isnt up yet and its only bright outside between 0800 and 1600.. :)

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  8. I visited Stockholm for the first time this time last year and I fell in love. It was amazing and I can't wait to go back in the deep of winter and the light of summer to get a better feel for the city.

    Love this blog!

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  9. Sheila, I cant believe you are already getting frost on your windshield. Thats crazy hopefully no crazy ice storms this year.

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  10. Same here. But for some reason I'm enjoying it a bit. Maybe because it's now inevitable that I'll be pounding nails during the winter. Not sure how that happened...

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  11. @john - agreed. I quite like the fall. and you're right... it's not long until those chritmas lights come out and light up the streets.

    @doghigh - you really do need to hit the extremes I think to get a feel for stockholm. it really hammers home what the country goes through every year.

    @melissa - Im just pumped that people have conversations here.

    @isle dance - sounds like youve got some stuff to keep you busy.

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  12. @Melissa - I almost missed your comment, re-reading our favourite swede's blog lol please Please PLEASE no ice storms this year.. and no weekly snowfalls of 20+ cms... and yes, already getting frost on the windshield and noticed after a cruise past the lake yesterday that the Canadian Geese are gathering in abundance for the long flight south.. autumn has just begun and already the signs of winter are here... *sigh*

    Sheila

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  13. its been quite a good autumn so far, but now the chills are coming, and everyone seems to already surround themselves with a cloud of darkened thoughts.

    I really like your SEO / affiliate marketing strategy. Gave me lots of good tips. Cheers.

    Rami

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  14. its interesting how that works isn't it. winter is always right around the corner once it gets a bit colder.

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  15. It seems to me that this year, fall came earlier than usual. I remember how I had to wear a jacket even the first week after school started. Usually I can wear T-shirts and shorts by then.

    I don't think fall is so bad. You have the bright summer days in fresh memory and when the darkness arriwes and the leaves turn into beautiful colors, it feels somewhat... cozy. For me this is the time to spend inside in the warmth with your friends and loved ones. And you always have christmas to look forward to.

    The time after crhistmas is awfull though. Then i'm really tired of the darkness and the cold, i've had enough of it.

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  16. yeah autumn is quite nice. but I think november is probably the worst month here. after christmas I feel like the spring is just around the corner and the days are already getting longer.

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