I could get used to this.

So life is pretty good right now.

Yesterday, after walking along the edge of the island a bit, I took the bus into town to see an old friend. I met her three years ago (but what feels like yesterday) through a friend of my aunt's (obscure connection) and we've been in intermittent contact since. We walked from T-Centralen along Strandvägen and all the way to Djurgåden and Gröna Lund, stopping along the way to sit and chat while we dangled our feet over the edge of the harbor. It was a beautiful day, and I actually got a touch sunburned. Hard to do in Sweden.

Hannah eating a typical Swedish korv

Strange how much can happen in three years. Of course my friend and I still get along well, but it's different now that I've met people at school that feel like family, in addition to my friends at home. My standards for friendship have been raised, perhaps unreasonably so. But I realize that all people have a time and place in your life. These two weeks in Sweden are not the life-changing experience that my month in 2009 was for me. I know my family. I know the city. I know Swedish. Of course, you learn more about yourself and the world every day, but I feel that Paris will be the real time for me to grow.

Speaking of which, I got my host family! Their names are Sophie and Vincent and they have offered to bring me to an art installation where I can meet all of their friends. Ça sera fantastique, je pense. My only reservation is that I'm going to be more Swedish than Parisian when I get there... My hair has lightened in the sun, and my brain is more used to "Ja" than "Oui." Yikes. I've warned my family that there may be some linguistic interbreeding the first couple of days, but I'm sure I'll assimilate soon enough.

I definitely felt Swedish last night. Eva-Mi and Henrik both had meetings to go to, so I watched Hannah while they were away. Can you guess which movies we watched? Pippi Långstrump and Emil, till och med. Now that brought back childhood memories, seeing Pippi lift her spotted horse above her head. I'm glad my dad was so good about me having a typical Swedish childhood.

This really is a beautiful country. Off to soak it up again today.