Some of you may be wondering what happened to me, I have not written this past week. I did not have much to report, and honestly, it went by quicker than I expected. So I am back in your inbox again! Happy 2023. What a year!

I have started studying for my Swedish drivers license. Thankfully, I can take the written test in English. It is set for the 30th, so need to get busy. The driving portion will be the 10th of February, and I hear many have had to take it more than once. Malmö is one of the hardest places to get licensed. There are a lot of new things to learn, and I have practiced the best I can when I drive. I am relearning a different style of driving called eco-driving. It involves shifting quicker, letting the car roll as you approach crosswalks and lights to save gas. It takes a bit to remember after so many years.

I treated myself to a pedicure and experienced my first traffic jam coming into the mall. It took 30 minutes to go a quarter mile. Thankfully, they saved my appointment for me. Afterwards, I was shopping when the fire alarm went off. Everyone had to evacuate the building. Throngs of people pressed out the two exits. Good thing it wasn’t a serious fire. I couldn’t retrieve my car, so I walked by my old place to a supermarket I used to go to and then decided to visit some friends nearby. Turned out to be a blessing. I did not get my errands taken care of, but nothing urgent.

I started a 90-day challenge this past Monday. I am looking forward to losing weight but also getting better eating habits. My friends are doing something similar, so we can be extra support for each other. Also, Monday, my ex-husband Dan, took my cat Olive to a very nice retired couple I know. They have reported she’s eating well and loves watching the birds and squirrels. That makes me happy. It has been difficult not having her, and Dan has been traveling a lot, so she has been alone.

One of my goals is to incorporate more exercise and movement daily. I struggle to get outside every day, especially when it is raining, but I did it. Today I took a walk with my friend and did weight training. Tomorrow, I need to plan my activity, and I picked up another class on Thursday, so I have to be there to train! I feel energized, optimistic, and ready to go. Hopefully, I can keep the momentum going.

I have been doing a lot of reflection on this past year. I acknowledge my accomplishments, as well as my mistakes, which I can learn from. It has often been difficult but also amazing. Now, I have the difficult task of deciding what comes next. Advice from a couple of friends has been to dream about my life in both places and focus on what I want, how it feels in my heart, and be curious about the resistance I feel. No small task. I will keep you posted. Love to you!