Rättvik, Sweden has captured our Hearts

Blake and I in Rattvik, Sweden

Every year for 3-5 months in the summer my boyfriend, Blake, leaves to coach baseball in Sweden and because I am a loving and supportive girlfriend, I bid him adieu.  However, I have also been fortunate enough to visit him on several occasions and this summer was by far my favorite.  Our overseas home is located on the 7^th largest lake in Sweden, in a city called Rättvik.  It is a picturesque countryside town consisting of roughly 5,000 people (11,000 if you include the two closest parishes).  The summer weather is gorgeous.  70-80 degree weather, slight humidity and light summer showers; a breath of fresh air when compared to Tucson’s unrelenting heat.  The sky beams bright for nearly 21 hours before the sun dips below the horizon leaving the sky in a light purplish-blue twilight.  Everything is green and the forest is full of life, the people are wonderful, blblueberries and raspberries grow wild, and there is a sense of peacefulness.  It truly is my Heaven on Earth.

This summer was an exceptionally strange one for Rättvik.  The entire five weeks I had the pleasure of visiting, it only rained three days.  THREE days! According to our Swede friends, it was one of the driest summers they’ve experienced in approximately 20 years and they LOVED it.  Long remarkably sunny days meant countless locals out and about; from morning walks, to afternoons spent at the beach, and evening dinners on the porch.  The Swedish community spends every waking moment outside with their families.  There is even a day dedicated to fun – rightfully named “Tuesday Funday”.  Tuesday Funday consists of downtown Rättvik becoming an outdoor fair.  Market tents line the main street, live bands play everything from traditional Swedish folk music to hard rock, the ice cream stands boast lines stretching twenty people deep, and barefoot kids splash in the fountain located in the main square.  It is quite an exciting afternoon and it takes place every Tuesday the entire summer.  Oh, and a little tidbit of information – unless you ride your bike, avoid doing your grocery shopping on Tuesday as parking is hard to come by!We spent a lot of our afternoons at the baseball field; Blake coaching and me watering, mowing, and helping in any way I could.  His athletes are all great kids but I couldn’t help but see that many needed additional guidance and support and it was their coaches that provided the inspiration, discipline and confirmation many needed.  I have seen boys grow from tears of frustration to individuals who have experienced that crucial moment that made them a better player, whether it is hitting a homerun, striking out a batter, or simply catching a fly ball.  It was truly a great experience and I am honored to have had the opportunity to be a part of it and create my own relationships with each player.

However, not everything consisted of hard work day in and day out.  We always managed to find ourselves having fun outside of baseball.  We gathered at the lake for beach volleyball, played fungo golf, and had quite the experience driving 40mph go-carts.  One night, we had permission to use a lecture hall classroom at the high school.  We hooked up a computer and watched the All-Star baseball game on a projector screen.  This may seem silly but there is a seven hour time difference between Sweden and the east coast, meaning the All-Star game didn’t start until 2am for us.  We hung out with a classroom of teenage boys drinking soda and eating candy, popcorn and other various junk food items only to laugh, cheer and eventually fall asleep.  It was amazing.

Some of my fondest memories in Sweden come from moments like these and I now know why Blake cares so deeply for the kids he coaches, not just as baseball players, but as family.