Lounging Around in Philadelphia

I find myself in cloudy and dank Philadelphia. One more leg and I'm almost home. Good thing too. My check-in luggage is breathing its last. One of my wheels has lost its tread entirely and the other is halfway there. The handle has lost half of itself on the flight from Amsterdam as well. I can still telescope the handle out, thankfully. It just looks funny. My brand new boots look like they've been through three winters as well. But it's all good. You know why? I'm in the US Airways lounge. I had a free pass and was determined to use it. I finally have the chance. I'm currently sitting in the peace and quiet of the lounge with a nice view and comfy furniture and free food (my favorite part!). I could get used to this.

Slightly industrial Philadelphia seen from concourse A.

The food court in the main terminal.

Philly has an exhibit on The Surpremes on display.

US Airways lounge at concourse A. Nice and quiet!

The view from the lounge. 

Another area of the lounge.

 And the free food! Am nom nom nom nom!

Did you know Philadelphia used to belong to Sweden? In 1638, Swedish settlers colonized a portion of the East Coast and even had a fort called Korsholm in what is now the southwest side of Philly. The Dutch took over the colony in 1655 and many of the Swedes who settled there stayed in town. The English took it over from the Dutch in 1664. There's even a Swedish American Museum in the city because of the area's history, although I've never been there. Maybe another day. For now, I'm enjoying the lounge before my flight to Houston. I think it's time for some hot chocolate. See you in Houston!

Swedish American Center in Karlstad

I'm currently sitting in the hostel kitchen while I cook up some midnight pasta. The Emigration House in Växjö opens tomorrow morning, so I will head that direction in the morning before taking off for Stockholm in the afternoon.

I realized I missed the opportunity to talk about the my time at the Swedish American Center in Karlstad, so while I cook up my pasta with ketchup, I'll take you back for a short visit to the center.

The Swedish American Center started in the early 60's as an educational and research institution. The center continues to fulfill the same role today, often hosting guest lecturers from all over and holding international conferences at the site. During my visit, a gentleman from Sweden was lecturing on Swedish Immigration to Oregon.

The current exhibit on display teaches about the gold rush in the Alaskan Klondike. It is geared toward high school students and makes extensive use of a graphic novel style in its delivery.

The "Three Lucky Swedes" who traveled to the Klondie to search out their fortunes. They were some of the few to strike it rich. Most men who attempted it came back empty handed. The Swedes had a reputation in the Klondike for panning for gold in areas that were thought to already be exhausted of gold. People would see them prospecting, shake their head, and say, "leave it to the Swedes". Sometimes the Swede's persistence paid off when they struck gold at these abandoned sites.

Andreas was my host for the  Klondike exhibit. He also and spent the better part of an hour with me explaining the intricacies of genealogy research and Swedish databases, such as EmiWeb. He's been working with the center for ten years and knows his subject well.

A peek into the genealogy research center. Andreas showed me a paragraph of information he had been working on. It took him three hours to collect the info. The work is time consuming but rewarding.

Sara, the wannabe Swede

I have no ancestry no heritage, no relatives in Sweden. Most Americans have some type of connection whether it be family, or work, or history. I found a different type of connection instead. A connection to the country through my headphones. In 1994, Swedish music was all over the radio, much as it still is today. And it was this interest in Swedish music (and Ace of Base in particular) that caught my attention. It sparked my interest in Sweden and made me want to learn more, so I signed up as an exchange student for a year-long adventure. I picked up my luggage and moved out. I came back with a new language, a new outlook, and an enduring love for the country.

My exchange year is long over, but it established connections that will never end. I still take an active interest in all things Sweden and Swedish American. I help out at Swedish events in Texas. I take trips to see Swedish sights in America (Museums, towns, significant places). I subscribe to Nordstjernan, a Swedish newspaper in America publishing since 1872! I (im)patiently wait for the print version to arrive in my mailbox at home and read every page in every issue.

When I decided I would finally see Melodifestivalen in person, I contacted Nordstjernan about writing a blog for their site and newspaper. They were just as excited about the concept as I am. So, thank you to Nordstjernan for highlighting the blog and assisting along the way!