Category: Sabbatical
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Our year in review
We’ve been back in California for almost a week now and it’s been really interesting to think back on the year. It was a truly incredible year. We covered so much ground and also managed to stay in places long enough to really get a feel for life there. We lived in Christchurch, New Zealand,…
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Sweden wrapped
We have spent the last 4.5 months and the final leg of our sabbatical year in Gothenburg, Sweden. Similar to New Zealand, we didn’t quite know what to expect. We were given warnings about a few things – the weather is tough, people keep to themselves, food might be weird to us, things can feel…
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The perfect end to an unbelievable year
Our last sabbatical trip has come and gone. And what a perfect way to go out it was – with family, new friends, daily adventures, and the peaceful chaos of a summer home full of kids in Northern Sweden. Wylie’s sister, Marie, brother-in-law, Israel, and their kids Emiliano and Benicio, arrived in Sweden on July…
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Preparing for the next/last big move
Wow is this real? All year time has felt so weird, confusing, slow, nonlinear. All of the time zones, multiple winters and springs, daylight all day and night, getting settled and resettled so many times, adjusting to new cultures… all have messed with our sense of time this year. And now, it feels like all…
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Four days of sunlight in Umeå
We have been looking forward to Swedish midsommar since we arrived and it’s finally here! It’s the celebration of summer and a national holiday in Sweden. We were so fortunate that a colleague and friend of Wylie’s invited us to their home in Umeå, in northern Sweden, to celebrate the holiday. We first took the…
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June in Sweden: Holidays and Pride!
June is a big month for holidays and celebrations in Sweden! One morning I had the windows of the apartment open while I was working from home and started to hear the beginnings of a huge day party – cars honking, music blasting, dancing, people wearing flags of various countries, etc. At first I saw…
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Grandpa’s in Sweden!
My dad and his girlfriend, Susan, made the long trip from Southern California to visit us in Sweden! As seems to be the typical experience now, their first flight was delayed so they missed their connection and arrived in Gothenburg at 3am as opposed to the originally scheduled 7pm. Luckily they made it to their…
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A whole week of Mama-Mara time
For the first time in a year, Wylie had work travel. He went to Spain for a week for a conference hosted by the PI he’s visiting here in Gothenburg. And that of course meant a week of solo Mara care for me. The day before Wylie left, I took some solo time to go…
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The McMahon’s in Sweden
We are so lucky that we got to see our friends, the McMahon’s, one more time during this sabbatical year. Their sabbatical year is also coming to a close soon, but somehow we found dates that worked for both families for a visit. They arrived in Gothenburg after midnight due to flight cancellations and delays…
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A pretty awesome preview of summer in Sweden
Ok so now I get it! Spring and summer in Sweden are/will be amazing! We’ve had a 2 week heat wave that filled Gothenburg with sunny skies and temps in the mid 20s Celsius (70s Fahrenheit). Plus all the green is back on all of the trees and plants, seemingly overnight! It’s been an incredible…
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Wander & Nest 