Movement
Week 24/25
Lost the cadence last week of posting once-a-week. I wrote a bit, but I did not get anywhere substantial with it and did not feel attached enough to the process to post anything. It’s been a strange week of stasis, occupied largely with work and errands and healthchecks. I even forgot a movie for this week, though I did cover Mountainhead last week which was nothing to write home about unfortunately. With the weekly series as well, what started out as a project to create a compendium of thought-essays has morphed quite a bit away from the initial idea. Not sure I really like what it is at the moment, and lately it’s not been feeling as inviting. I realise now that it was also kind of doomed from the get-go itself with the idea being too ambitious in my head for the limited time I had to devote to it. An essay a week is a solid time commitment of studying and research and writing and then allowing enough space and time to edit. I think it was inevitable that it would devolve into what it has become - journal-style self-reflection/updates. It’s also just as likely that it’s a phase that will pass as the last few weeks have been a lot in general.
A couple of firsts have happened in the past few weeks so it feels like a good moment to mark them. Near the end of last week I (finally) got and signed a förstahand (first-hand) contract for an apartment just outside of the city (can’t complain in this economy!). This is a big, big deal, both in Stockholm and for me in general. I’ve written in the past about how having to constantly move creates an underlying feeling of not being settled anywhere. A sort of dissociation with your surroundings that can seep into other areas of your life as well if you’re not careful about it. In some cases, I’ve been careful about managing it (get the couch because you need it) but in other areas I’ve let it seep in (why hang up nice art when you’re moving soon anyway?). So, I am pretty pumped about not having to move at all anymore. I hope this final move settles it for a while. Ha. I still get to deal with the micro-annoyances of moving costs and double rents and expenses through the roof one more time, but at least now there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Two weeks back, I acquired a new road bike that I’ve since been mildly obsessed with. This past Thursday, I did my first bike ride to work in Sweden (I have done them before in Philly) which was exciting (it helps that we have a shower at work). Then, on Friday, I did a 15 km loop around Söder where I took breaks to take in the city from different view points. I’m hoping to do a loop around Stockholm inner city of about 30 km either the next weekend or the one after that. It was also good to feel a noticable improvement in the knee from the physio and strength training. There is definitely some wisdom in the advice of lifting heavy things.
Met a friend again after ~17/18 years at the Google Cloud Summit?! Basically right after high school. I have had a few of these (sort of) chance encounters with people from a different part/time of your life and to then reconnect with them in a new part/time of your life. Always so much to learn and be inspired by in these “catch-ups”!