Small town living

When we moved here, we not only moved from one country to another, but also from a city (Washington, DC) to a small village. Eventually we’ll probably end up moving to a slightly larger town in Sweden, but for now we’re enjoying the peace and quiet out here in the countryside. Hopefully when we move we’ll still be able to make frequent trips up here.

On my way "downtown".

We jokingly call the nearby town of Furudal “the city” or “downtown”. There’s a small restaurant, a café/bakery/pub, a gas station and grocery store, and a small convenience store. Everybody knows everybody in a town this size, so you’re almost guaranteed to find somebody you know at the café.

Downtown in the big city.

“Downtown” Furudal sits right on a little bridge between two lakes. The lakes are clean, clear, cold, and calm. When the sky is blue, the lake reflects the sky like a mirror. It’s a nice change from urban rivers where you feel like you might get hepatitis if you fall in.

Big, clean, clear (and cold) lake.

The village is surrounded by logging roads and trails that wind through the forest. North of the village the public road ends, and there’s literally nothing but logging roads. Next to town is a series of tracks through the woods for skiing in the winter and walking or running in the summer. There’s a long hiking trail that passes near the village called Siljansleden (Siljan is the biggest lake in the area and “leden” means “the trail”), along with some smaller trails. A friend from town and I have started running regularly on the trails in the area, along with his dog Spikey.

One of my running partners.

It's really nice to get away from the city for a while. It's a lot easier to put things in perspective when you're out in nature on a daily basis and away from the stress of a city where everybody is trying to seem important. I think living out here for a bit is just what I needed.