A walk with Joacim

   

I woke up yesterday to the sun coming through the living room windows. We had left the patio door open overnight, probably from an intoxicated want for fresh air.  Joacim’s apartment faces a forest on that side, so birdsongs are a constant background noise.  Even during the short night time I can hear at least one or two call for attention.  Whether it is a love song or a hope for food I am never sure.  

The sunshine lit my temporary bedroom, and the birds played a ballad of natural music along with the wind. I yearned to be outside.  My morning routine sped up. I started a pot of coffee and began eating while it brewed.  Joacim, with the sense of a true Swede, awoke immediately after I started the coffee.  I told him my plan to get outside, and told him he could join if he’d like.  He agreed to follow, so we finished our coffee and left.

Joacim has a specific way of speaking.  There are the normal sayings and inflections that Swedes use often, but his voice also holds something unique.  Maybe it comes from his years in South Korea, or his particular group of friends.  Wherever it originates, the sound is notable.  Lately I have been asking his friends if Joacim sounds different speaking in english.  They don’t seem to think so, but I hear a change.  Speaking english or swedish though, he has a distinct voice, and I am sure I would recognize it anywhere.

    He is a travelled man, and understands the pull to leave home and wander with unknown peoples.  We started our walk through the bright green paths around Södra Bergandusjön (a lake) and spoke of what we wanted in the next years of life.  Our lives have gone on paths unknown to the other person in many ways.  The shared experiences helped us discuss what and why we do what we do.  The differences gave a new perspective on our aspirations and beliefs.  Joacim is a great friend for this. His relaxed demeanor and open minded conversation let me speak with no worries. But he doesn’t just act as a soundboard, bouncing my thoughts back to me word for word.  He gives what he believes is correct in a way that doesn’t disregard my view for being different.

I consistently contemplate the reasons I have for travelling. It was nice to have the chance to share these thoughts with Joacim. Maybe they are different from other people’s reasons; Joacim definitely has his own.  In all likelihood I travel for dissimilar reasons than many people, but I think in some ways we all yearn for similar feelings.  

Seeing how Swedes live, I have learned to appreciate certain aspects of life.  Lighting candles in the evenings (especially in the winter); sitting on a park bench soaking up sunlight;  drinking a cup of coffee with coworkers, sharing conversation.  I feel an attachment to the details of Swedish life in a way I think many Swedes can easily miss.  To them, life is just this way.  The peculiarities of what makes Swedish culture what it is can be difficult to see from the inside, as is the same with any culture.  Until you can step out of the box that is normal life, the intricate details are lost in the normalcy of it all.

Being able to see my own life practices is one reason for travelling. It is nice to further understand what helps define me.  More than that though, I travel to realize what type of life I want to live.  

If I were to stay in Longmont, Colorado for my entire life I already know what life I would live.  Even with the offered opportunities of the local area, the lifestyle has well defined lines.  To never venture outside of that box would mean never understanding the different options available.  

My happiness can be defined in an infinite amount of ways.  So maybe that happiness doesn’t follow the guidelines set in place by Colorado’s society.  The more types of people I can understand, with their philosophies and societal pressures; with their built in worries and lack thereof;  with their own histories and context of communication;  the more I understand what makes other people truly happy, the better informed decision I can make about what will make me happy as well.

It is a concept of information, a want for understanding, and I can’t imagine building my life without it.  

Joacim and I spoke for a long time about this on our walk.  We wandered down miles of lakeshore under sunlight broken by trees. A breeze pushed the lake surface into ripples, and shook leaves lightly all around us. I could see that he appreciated the beauty of this natural sanctuary.  But I repeatedly found myself staring off across the lake, lost in the wonder of this lush forest and shining water feature.  The sheer amount of life encompassing us was magnificent.  Where Colorado has forest fires to break down dead plants, Sweden has bright green mold that paints every surface.  Mushrooms sprout everywhere, and grow enormous on the sides of tall trees. Life consumes life very openly here, and it paints a beautiful picture

We passed by a small cabin colored in the traditional red and white fashion. It was placed in one of the forest’s few openings.  The thick packed underbrush built a natural fence around it.  We walked by and I smiled; thinking about how common these sights were in Sweden, and how captivating they were to me.