New Blog - New Beginnings

What, those guys have another blog? Well, yes. Pretty soon, traffic from JohnikainSweden is going to be redirected here to our new blog, http://thisthatandthebrothers.blogspot.com That's because Johnika in Sweden are moving back there. That's right, back over there. We can't really call our blog 'johnikainsweden' if we no longer live in Sweden.

As some know and some may be just finding out, our family is heading back to the States next spring. Not for vacation this time. For the time being we haven't posted about it on our current blog. That will happen once we have a clearer time of departure and when we are ready to make a universal announcement. We are thinking once the boys are done or nearly done with the current school year and the situation is relatively stable on the other side for a soft landing, it will be time to go. That way we can get set up over the summer before the next school year starts.

A number of deciding factors have contributed to our decision for going back. This is all framed within the premise that we were originally looking at giving Sweden a try for at least 3-5 years. Thus, this list of factors for moving back must start with the reverse logic, 'if we were going to stay in Sweden, then...'

-If we were going to stay in Sweden...the job situations would need to change for the grown ups in our family. John is best suited to work in downtown Stockholm at a job utilizing his American native English. [Remind me to use the spell checker, honey.] Mon wants to make a job change too. Pay and benefits are good at her current job, but she wants to go in a different direction professionally. Thankfully she has more flexibility being a native speaker and opportunities.

-If we were going to stay we would want to get our own place. We need our own place. We love mormor and mormor loves us. She has been an awesome host and a fifth member to our family and we will always have a place for her. The reality is that grown ups - I'm talking about us -really need their own space. How much more two active, adventurous boys? Buying a house in Sweden is not only a big cost to count as far as whether we want to stay, it's a big cost. Cost of living here is very high and housing is about double what we are used to in the Midwest, not to mention house values are dropping. A mortgage you took today might be worth a lot more than your house in a year. Also, a lot of families take out a 60 year mortgage so they can simply afford a house. Wow. On top of that the house we'd get would likely lead to changing schools for the boys in order to cut down the commutes to work. After the last two years of transition to get here, the boys are just starting to settle in to Sweden and flower a bit, building friends and memories. If we were to move schools it would be starting over again and we don't want to do that.

The above factors are all pretty tangible. Then there are intangible ones that can't be ignored either, like how are we feeling about the overall experience? Are we settling in, i.e. making friends, building community - basic human need type stuff? Do we feel at home? Have we satisfied our curiosity of what it would be like to live in Sweden? Do we want to continue living here for the for the next 5 years or more? If we had the ideal set up - closer to town, new jobs, new schools, our own place - would it make a difference how we feel about that overall experience?

I think all this was rolling around in our heads when we took our first trip back to Ohio this past summer since being here. The trip was a real eye opener. We were overwhelmed at the community of friends and family who fought to get time with us while we were there. Before we returned to Sweden, Mon probably vocalized what we were both thinking - she asked if we could move back to the US. Wow. I hadn't allowed myself to consider it. And she was serious. It would be her homeland we'd be leaving and I know she wouldn't throw it out there unless she meant it. Somehow I felt like my tourist visa had run out, though in reality I have Swedish permanent residency. After weighing it out upon return and discussing it through the rest of the summer, we concluded at this early juncture to move back to the US. Initially I was holding out hope that we'd stay at least one more year in Sweden just to flush it out, but considering where we are (figuratively) and where we need to be (literally), it is better to perhaps cut the adventure a little short than end up regretting it later.

We knew starting up here in Sweden would be an investment of time, money, sweat, emotions and getting oriented. We feel we've done that from the start. But bottom line, overall, we feel more at home back in the States, especially after living here. Sweden has many, many noble and high minded things about it. When they do something, they strive to do it the best way it can be done; after all, it's only logical. They lead the world or are near the top in so many positive categories at the U.N. it's not even funny. I can't say enough positive things about Sweden and it's highly disciplined culture. I conclude we are better for having lived here. We have learned a lot about so many things.

In closing, I am so thankful that we gave it a shot. We could have given in to fear and been asking ourselves 'what if?' for the next ten years and learned to regret not trying. Now I can say we have no regrets. Even though life here hasn't been quite what life there was before we left, I can honestly say we have nothing to be ashamed of. Many questions and issues we would never have figured out had we not come. I am so glad we tried, that we followed the dream, those prayers, sold the house, the car, the junk, bought the tickets and came. In a big sense, it seemed like we were suppose to be here.

Life is funny. Along this journey, never once did we feel not taken care of. Of course we were extremely fortunate to have the opportunity and for that we will always be very grateful. I think this will be one of those chapters in our lives that we look back upon and say, that was 'life to the full.'

And so it is.