Sweden (July 29 - August 2) - Final Thoughts

The final leg of my trip brought me to Sweden, the country where my great, great grandfather, Andrew Eliason left 148 years earlier along with his parents Erick Eliason and Anna Hansson, his uncle and aunt and their several children.  Visiting Alingsås, which was home to my ancestors, was the reason I chose Sweden as my final destination. 


I arrived on the evening of Friday, July 29^th and made my way downtown to a large hostel.  From what I could see,  Stockholm was a beautiful mix of old and new set along miles of waterways.  

Exploration of the city would have to wait until after my trip to Alingsås.  On Saturday, July 30^th, I caught the early-morning train for the four hour ride to Alingsås.

Given that I had no contacts in the city and no references, other than some pages from a family journal, my expectations were quite low.  I figured that it would be enough simply to see the town and countryside where my ancestors had once farmed.  Alingsås turned out to be a charming town, well worth a visit on its own.  I managed to rent a bicycle from the friendly shop owner and spent the afternoon getting to know the area.   Alingsås sits between two lakes which are connected by a quiet river. 

Consequently, there are lovely paths and trails throughout the area.  The town square is home to some of Sweden’s oldest wood paneled buildings. 

Sunday morning started with a peaceful  run around Gerdsken Lake, the smaller of the two.  It was one of those exceptional mornings where you feel as if you have the world to yourself and could run forever.  The sky was gray with fog and the lake was a colorless mirror held still by the mist. 

Gradually, the fog started to lift and by the time I finished my run, a beautiful, blue sky emerged.  Midway during the run, however,  I did manage to take advantage of one of the piers and launched myself into the refreshing water.  I was joined by a couple of Swedes who mentioned the extraordinary heat (mid 70s) … “Who could get used to this”? Thinking of my poor friends in Houston, I tried not to laugh too loudly.

Later that morning, I made my way to the local LDS church where I thought it would be nice to attend a Swedish service.  At the doorway, my plans were happily hijacked.  There I met an enthusiastic couple, Olle and Pia. 

Olle, Thomas and Pia.

Upon finding out why I was in Alingsås, they immediately took charge of the situation.  They asked for my family history and began scouring it for place names and thus began a two-hour, mad-cap race around the countryside where they pointed out many of the sites and places mentioned in the history. 

We first visited the Landskyrkan (Country church) in Alingsås.  This church was supposedly built in the 14^th century, but may be as old as 1293.  The Eliason family attended this church prior to their conversion to Mormonism.

Then we were off to Vikaryd, which is currently the site of an organic farm.  This area was previously known as Enerkullen and was the location of a large farm owned by one of the Eliasons.  The farm would eventually be sold to pay for the passage to America, not only for the Eliasons, but also for many of the early Swedish converts to Mormonism.

The biggest thrill, however was the quick side trip to Lindås where the Eliasons also had property.  It was there that the early LDS missionaries preached the message of a new American religion to the local population.  Because the missionaries were not frequently well-received, they welcomed the chance to preach at the relative peace of the Eliason farm.  A large rock in the center of the farm is believed to have been an early gathering site. 

Local members of the LDS church continue to hold devotional meetings there, remembering their religious ancestors who left Sweden in 1863 for the deserts of Utah.  

I had no idea how touching it would be for me to visit these sites where my ancestors made decisions that would ultimately shape my life so distinctly.  And to think that I could have missed all of it, were it not for the kindness and enthusiasm of two strangers who were willing to extend a hand to a middle-aged bicyclist from America who just happened to peddle up to the church that day. 

I barely caught the train back to Stockholm that afternoon. 

Train station in Alingsås, likely the Eliasons' last view of their home.

 So how do you see Stockholm in a day?   Much walking, much boating and much eating.  Sweden was the only country I visited without a travel guide so I quickly pasted together an itinerary based on what I could read online or from one of the extra travel books laying around the hostel.  As you would suspect, Stockholm is clean, orderly and full of polite, pretty people.   Some cities offer “Hop-on, Hop-off” bus tours, Stockholm offers the same with its ferries. 

My first stop was the Vasa Museum. 

The Vasa is a gorgeous, almost perfectly preserved war ship from the 17^th Century.  A poor design and an impatient King Gustavus Adolphus, coupled with a slight breeze, caused the massive, top-heavy ship to sink on August 10, 1628, barely a mile into its maiden voyage.  There it remained until it was raised in 1961.  The entire ship is now preserved in a wonderful museum that documents life in Sweden in the 1600s. 

I made my way to Sodermalm which I understand is now the hip part of Stockholm and also serves as the backdrop for some of the action in the Swedish thriller, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”.  It looked like it would be a fun area of town to live in. 

I then made my way to the Gamla Stan which is the old quarter of Stockholm and home of the Royal Palace.  The streets in this area are narrow and full of cute tourist shops.  More importantly, there are a lot of ice cream and other dessert parlors. 

 

I was pretty tired by the time I made it back in the evening.  I knew that the next morning would mean an early bus ride to the airport where I would catch the plane to New York and finally Houston. 

While I was sad about concluding my trip, I was also tired and anxiously looking forward to seeing my family and friends.   But more than anything, I felt completely at peace.  I was satiated, grateful, content, fulfilled … enlightened?


Final thoughts ...

As I flew across the Atlantic, I tried to reflect upon what I had experienced.  Had I learned anything about the world, myself or my beliefs?  Ideas swirled in my mind, but ultimately, the only things that seemed to stick were things that had occurred to me during the trip.  I offer them here, not because they represent any profound insights, but more as a reminder to myself that life, everyday life, should be and can be different. 

First:  Live each day as if it were your last.  For almost three months, each day felt like it was my last because, in many ways, it was.  I didn't know if I would ever make it back to that street, temple, train, park, restaurant, ruin, beach, stupa, or village again.  I didn’t have the luxury of letting a day slip by unlived.  I can’t think of any time in my life when every day was lived so fully, to the max, without any regrets.  No wasted time, no bitterness, no complaints.  What a gift!  The goal then becomes trying to live my daily life like this. 

Second:  Slowly looking, no problem.   This phase which Nirmal and I heard on our trek is the Tibetan trinket seller version of “take time to smell the roses”.  Open your eyes, smell the flowers, swim in the river, feel the wind, dash through the fountain, listen to the earth, play with the kids, and breathe the air.  It’s not arriving at Muktinath that matters so much as the path we take to get there. 

Third:  Be open to discovery.  Really take the less-traveled road.  Become comfortable with change.  Seek it out.  Accept delays and discomfort as part of the journey.  Risk embarrassment.  It’s easy to convince ourselves that we need familiarity, safety and routine, but all of these are the enemies of discovery and growth.   Find your true self.  Let the universe have its say.   

Fourth:  What really matters is how we treat others.  We are all connected.  How we live really does matter.  How we treat others really does matter.  So take someone else along for the ride.  Drive someone around a Swedish village.  Hike with them up Doi Suthep to visit a Buddhist temple.  Carry their overstuffed backpack as you climb mountains together.  Invite someone over for mo mo and let them help you in the kitchen.  Talk business plans and life goals with a new friend as you bicycle around the country.  Share what you have.  Share what you are.  Open your eyes.  Breathe.  Live.