Leaving Havana was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I didn't quite understand what was going on and that I was actually leaving for good. Often when you know what you want to do in life you just see it so clear in front of you that you don't actually stop and think of the real facts, you just follow the path you've chosen blindly, kind of. Flying away from my home, seeing the lights further and further away, and my family with them, that can't compare to anything I've experienced before.
We flew directly to Amsterdam. I started getting a "taste of Sweden" already on the plane. The meal was meatballs (köttbullar) and mashed potatoes, which is one of the most traditional foods in Sweden.
When we arrived to Schiphol (the airport in Amsterdam) I understood inmediately I was not in Havana anymore, 'cause it was so freakin cold! It was only 7 celsius degrees though. It was a sunny day and the sky was blue. I thought I was gonna have more waiting time at the airport, but I got lost in the stores and all the Christmas decorations that were already in place, despite it still being November. I had to literally run to catch the plane to Stockholm! Once I found my seat and relaxed I started recognizing the sound of the language. Yes, it was the right plane =)
We started flying in a blue and beautiful sky. It was a lovely view from above despite how cold I knew it was. The flight was only one hour and thirty minutes, it was 2 o'clock.
As time started passing by and we started approaching Scandinavia, the sky started turning orange and the blue tone just disappeared, like the sunset was on its way.. it was only 3:30 pm! We started descending when we were about to land, but there were heavy clouds that blocked the view. No land at sight, just a heavy fog and a darkness that got thicker and thicker.
We were already in the landing process when we finally could spot some land and there came the first shock, the sky was pitch black though it was only 4 o'clock! "Oh my, what on Earth is this place?" I remember having thought. There was snow on the ground and the temperature was 0 degrees, according to the flight information screen on the plane. I felt literally like a child, I looked through the window and couldn't believe my eyes. I had of course read about the darkness in winter but experiencing it was a complete different story. I honestly felt I had arrived to the end of the world! Despite the shock it was super exciting reading the sign "Stockholm Arlanda", because believe it or not, I had arrived to Sweden.
After waiting for about one hour at the airport and then at the train station, we catched the train we were waiting for. Thus, we never actually knew it, since there was no sign, nobody to ask, just people walking towards it like us, without even looking to the side. How did we know it was the right one? Well, because of the time it was and the track it was on. Needless to say, I was nervous all the way until I saw a sign through the window that read how many kilometers left to Karlstad. Naive as I was for not trusting how in time europeans usually are.
The train trip was a little depressing. We were passing by small towns, and the only thing we could see was some light here and there in the middle of the darkness, and of course, snow everywhere. There I was, sitting and wondering if this was what Sweden actually looked like, or if somewhere the landscape was going to change..and yes it did indeed. Luckily! Arriving to Karlstad was relieving 'cause the first thing I saw were the lights and sign of a mall which is in front of the train station in Karlstad. Yay! A real city! Finally.
Despite the cold I felt as I stepped out of the train, and the constant snow falling, I looked around me and I liked what I saw. I sighed as a sign of relief, took off my gloves and felt the snow in my hands. Some minutes later I would arrive to a warm and welcoming home, exactly what I needed to feel safe and sound after the long trip towards the unknown.
We flew directly to Amsterdam. I started getting a "taste of Sweden" already on the plane. The meal was meatballs (köttbullar) and mashed potatoes, which is one of the most traditional foods in Sweden.
When we arrived to Schiphol (the airport in Amsterdam) I understood inmediately I was not in Havana anymore, 'cause it was so freakin cold! It was only 7 celsius degrees though. It was a sunny day and the sky was blue. I thought I was gonna have more waiting time at the airport, but I got lost in the stores and all the Christmas decorations that were already in place, despite it still being November. I had to literally run to catch the plane to Stockholm! Once I found my seat and relaxed I started recognizing the sound of the language. Yes, it was the right plane =)
We started flying in a blue and beautiful sky. It was a lovely view from above despite how cold I knew it was. The flight was only one hour and thirty minutes, it was 2 o'clock.
As time started passing by and we started approaching Scandinavia, the sky started turning orange and the blue tone just disappeared, like the sunset was on its way.. it was only 3:30 pm! We started descending when we were about to land, but there were heavy clouds that blocked the view. No land at sight, just a heavy fog and a darkness that got thicker and thicker.
We were already in the landing process when we finally could spot some land and there came the first shock, the sky was pitch black though it was only 4 o'clock! "Oh my, what on Earth is this place?" I remember having thought. There was snow on the ground and the temperature was 0 degrees, according to the flight information screen on the plane. I felt literally like a child, I looked through the window and couldn't believe my eyes. I had of course read about the darkness in winter but experiencing it was a complete different story. I honestly felt I had arrived to the end of the world! Despite the shock it was super exciting reading the sign "Stockholm Arlanda", because believe it or not, I had arrived to Sweden.
After waiting for about one hour at the airport and then at the train station, we catched the train we were waiting for. Thus, we never actually knew it, since there was no sign, nobody to ask, just people walking towards it like us, without even looking to the side. How did we know it was the right one? Well, because of the time it was and the track it was on. Needless to say, I was nervous all the way until I saw a sign through the window that read how many kilometers left to Karlstad. Naive as I was for not trusting how in time europeans usually are.
The train trip was a little depressing. We were passing by small towns, and the only thing we could see was some light here and there in the middle of the darkness, and of course, snow everywhere. There I was, sitting and wondering if this was what Sweden actually looked like, or if somewhere the landscape was going to change..and yes it did indeed. Luckily! Arriving to Karlstad was relieving 'cause the first thing I saw were the lights and sign of a mall which is in front of the train station in Karlstad. Yay! A real city! Finally.
Despite the cold I felt as I stepped out of the train, and the constant snow falling, I looked around me and I liked what I saw. I sighed as a sign of relief, took off my gloves and felt the snow in my hands. Some minutes later I would arrive to a warm and welcoming home, exactly what I needed to feel safe and sound after the long trip towards the unknown.
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