Em & Tola's Travel Blog

As our plane was about to land at Arlanda Airport (outside of Uppsala and Stockholm) I looked outside and felt shocked. Tola and I had our faces pressed against the airplane window and both of us we surprised by the vast green land below. I suddenly wondered where we were going because Sweden seemed to be the middle of nowhere! :)


Yim, Nil, and Tonya welcomed us to Sweden as we arrived at Arlanda. It was wonderful to see familiar and welcoming faces. As the car drove towards Uppsala, there were not hundreds of motorbikes, cows in the middle of the road, or palm trees everywhere. Immediately I felt that everything was so clean and “perfectly” placed.


Now it has been a few weeks and things in Uppsala are beginning to feel more familiar. At first, Tola and I both had to recover from food poisoning. Tola has started working on gaining the 15 pounds he lost in India, and I have been trying to cleanse my body of all the germs, so I can get back to eating normal food. I am so thankful for our good health because during the past 6 months we have been really healthy. We have so much to be thankful for after our travels. I do feel incredibly blessed.



Uppsala is a beautiful little city. There are so many opportunities for photos and everything is so old yet well kept. I have enjoyed slowly exploring Uppsala’s gems, and I often have a hard time believing that I am in Sweden. The weather in Sweden has been outstanding since we have arrived. I honestly didn’t think I would be able to soak up so much sun in Uppsala, but we have spent a few wonderful days at different lakes and I try to be outside as much as I can. I don’t think Sweden could have been any more welcoming because it has been beautiful so far.


Since arriving in Uppsala I am also learning how to ride a bike with pedal breaks again. I haven’t fallen yet, but I am sure I give people a good chuckle when I stop on my bicycle. I would also not say I stop my bike gracefully. :) As I explore a new place, it is wonderful being active and pondering the past 6 months. There is still so much to think about and so much to take in.



There are many things I miss about the U.S., and there are many things I miss about Asia. I have learned that there are always things to be missed, but where I am at present is where I am supposed to be. If I left Uppsala tomorrow, I can say that I would already miss Uppsala’s beautiful silhouette; however, I am not ready to leave just yet. :) In fact, I think it is going to be time to stay in one place for a little while.