Oh hiiiiiii!!!
Did you miss me? I missed it here - although our trip was so unbelievably worth it it's not even funny!
I'm just now jumping back into the swing of things...after a crazy first day back at work yesterday, five loads of laundry, and phoning it in and ordering takeout for dinner (oops), it's starting to look and feel a little more human around here. That said, I'm still wide awake at 4:40am...so there's that.
When we decided to go to Iceland, Sweden and Norway, I don't think any of us really knew what we were in for. It was a part of the world we had collectively not experienced, and we were all a bit apprehensive...would the trip live up to the gorgeous photos we'd seen online and the rave reviews we'd heard from friends? I'm so happy to say it completely did, and I've now proudly joined the legions of people who will declare Scandinavia a must-do trip to anyone and everyone who asks.
We went from exploring the rugged, untamed beauty of Iceland's interior...
...to enjoying champagne in Stockholm's Old Town.
We enjoyed sailing excursions on Lake Mälaren in Sweden...
...and the stunning fjords of Norway.
We ate moose and reindeer, but also a lot of Swedish meatballs and a shocking amount of pizza, Scandinavia's true favorite food, in the most beautiful settings...
And most significantly, we had the best time as a Schwegfam unit of five for the first time in nearly a decade! From Dad's jokes and Mom's superior organizational skills to Emily's fantastic eye with a camera and Jonny's gift for making us all laugh with his affinity for Scandinavian women, the entire trip was a delight. Enjoying this much concentrated time with my four favorite people felt so special and just added to the already transcendent experience of the trip.
To quote "Aida," though...while I've "been away cavorting, matters here have moved apace." At the office, our interns started while I was gone, and that will consume my workdays for the rest of the summer. I moved before we left, and saying goodbye to the Chateau de Liz and settling in with Hal after nearly a month is finally happening. I have events coming up nearly every night for the next three weeks, along with a quick out-of-town this weekend in addition to a bridal shower and a fabulous black-tie gala coming up. And somehow the Fourth of July is right around the corner?!
Expect to hear plenty from me over the next several weeks, both about our time in Scandinavia and on a variety of my usual topics...it's good to be home!