Just arrived

I made it to Sweden! And so far, Stockholm is easily walkable, with tons of people out with me, on the street. My AirBnB hosts pointed out that only a few days before my arrival, there was snow on the ground. They said that I shouldn't be surprised to see Stockholmers just sitting out, with their backs against the wall, facing the sun. They've been correct. I seem people everywhere just soaking in the rays.

Of course, as a new arrival, I'm amazed by so much. It took me a couple of days to try the buses and trains. But once I did, I found them frequent and easy to navigate. The bus stops are well marked with which buses stop there and when to expect them. And the train maps are easy to understand, even if all the announcements are only in Swedish.

I will only be here for four months, so I won't even approach being an expert on what I am seeing. But I plan to use this blog to share pictures of transportation vehicles, infrastructure...and pastries. Ah, the pastries! This seems to be a country that loves cardamom, and I am so grateful.

But back to transportation. So far, I can't get over how every time I step into the road, motorized vehicles stop for me! And bikes, scooters and other pedestrians simply navigate around me, as I move through space. I'm still an American, so I won't be stepping into any streets without fully checking, first, for traffic. But it already feels a lot less stressful to walk this city, knowing that the car drivers see me and are actively working to keep the pedestrians safe.

So, hello from Stockholm. I hope you'll check back here to read about my adventures in transportation...and cardamom buns.