We get by with a little help from our friends

The journey has begun! It all started with packing up the apartment. Becky and Rob came about a week and a half ago and took all of our large furniture, leaving our apartment looking like this:

Then we had to pack the rest into boxes with the intent of moving it all to the Saeger household. It soon became evident, though, that despite giving lots away, we had too much for one house. So we rented a storage locker for the year.
 

(We eventually did fill it up!)

  On Monday, after a fantastic dinner at Al Wadi, Mom and Dad drive us to the airport and super friend Neil picked us up from the Sotckholm Airport in the traditional Swedish Volvo (Irish style)

And he drove us to pick up our keys and then to our new home!

 We arrived at our very empty, unfurnished apartment!

Living Room

Kitchen

Bedroom

Bathroom

Balcony

After dragging everything inside, Neil revealed that he also had maps for the place right outside our door. We changed into orienteering gear and headed out, each doing our own thing. The woods here are so different than home, and Sam was quite proud of herself for finding her "controls" when there were no streamers out. Of course, she was mostly walking and taking circuitous routes. Neil eventually bumped into her and forced her to run faster. 

After a quick shower, it was time for dinner and Mari, the other super fantastic friend of the day, showed up with kanelbulle, which Sam loves.

She also loaned us her wireless usb thingy for the evening and following day, which is fantastic. She even said we could probably borrow it again when she returns from O-Ringen. We can keep this blog going! The four of us headed out to dinner at a local Ethiopian restaurant to eat with our fingers. Lots of sharing and yumminess.

We chatted about Swedish life and joining OK Linné. Multitalented Mari showed us a mini o-top that she made for a new family member!

After dinner we made a quick stop at the grocery store to pick up breakfast and toilet paper, and headed back to the apartment. Now, very tired, we are setting up our "beds." Unfortunately, Ross's thermarest received irreversible damage while flying and has a chunk taken out of it. Extra padding and lack of sleep will get him through the night. Tomorrow we plan to buy important things like trash bags and a shower curtain (we essentially washed the entire bathroom today) and will go for round two on Nåsten, our local map.