This past week, I was up in Värnamo. A small town in the province of Småland, which is the province or county I was born in. It has about 20,000 people from the 2019 census. My cat Nala has moved up already, but I still have my apartment in Malmö until the end of the month.

While I was there, Sorin had a day off, so we went to Mosse National Park. It was 14 km outside of town. It was a sunny but cold day. It had recently snowed, and some remained in the shady parts, but that did not stop people from coming out. There was a group grilling and many people out and about.

There was a nature center where they had an interactive center for children and what an amazing view! The land in front has water in the spring and the first part of summer. The viewing platform had commanding views of what would have been the lake.

After we walked around a bit, we drove a little further to a small village with an old wooden church. The door handle says 1775, but we were unable to get inside. It was well maintained. The graveyard surrounding the church was well kept and a sweet little village just a couple kilometers away from the national park. We continued our drive along the country roads before heading back to Värnamo.

We also took a walk downtown. It was quiet because it was Sunday. It was cold and clear. I find the people here very friendly. I will enjoy exploring this part of Sweden. My childhood friend Nathalie lives 45 minutes away and my friend Malin comes from around these parts as well. Lots more adventures to come. Good things are just around the corner.

Sorin also invited me to ride along as he drove his double-decker bus to Jönköping, which was a little more than one hour each way. He was a careful and thoughtful driver. He enjoyed showing me how well he drives, and I also got a feel for how it is for him at work. He is good at going to work, arriving early to his shift. He works early in the morning and at times late into the night. It is good to have a job and have a sense of purpose but some long hours.