Well, we have arrived safe and sound in Mora. The folk high school is very nice and we're settling in just fine. The sauna is better than the one in Jokkmokk and we have a fitness center, music studios, and a ceramic studio several of us are itching to try out. The city of Mora is a good bit bigger than Jokkmokk. (not hard to do) Sadly I spent yesterday writing my final paper for our Sami class so I was unable to do a whole lot of exploring. It seems to be very similar to home- Sunday for homework. Some things don't change across an ocean...
Today we begin classes. We will have a Swedish politics class and some formal Swedish instruction later. As someone who has not been practicing Swedish enough, I'm quite excited.
Though I am glad to be in a new place and start this new leg of the journey, I realize that I left a piece of my heart in Jokkmokk, and I don't seem to be quite ready to leave the Sami culture behind, though it is time to do so for now. We were told while we were there that the rest of Sweden knows little to nothing about the Sami people and now that we have moved farther south, I am quickly realizing how very true this seems to be. No one I have yet talked to here in Mora has been as far north as we have, eaten reindeer, met a Sami person, or seen Sami handicrafts. When we were given a tour of the school and were brought to the hand craft room, my first excited thought was "Oh, is this where the Sami handicrafts are made?!" Of course, this is not the case.
We have been so very lucky to learn so much. Last weekend, some of us even got the chance to go to the Sami dance at the school. There were maybe ten of us total who were not wearing traditional Sami dress. We were told by our friends that this was good because now we knew what it felt like to be in a minority.
To end the Jokkmokk section of my blog, here are some pictures of the place that became my home for three weeks that didn't seem to fit with the rest of my previous posts. Included are pictures of me with Niklas and Johan, a couple of the Sami students we met and spent a lot of time with.
"You and I will meet again, when we're least expecting it. One day in some far off place I will recognize your face. I won't say goodbye, my friend, for you and I will meet again." - Tom Petty
"Don't be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or a lifetime, is certain for those who are friends."- Richard Bach
Friends always find ways to meet, somewhere, somehow.
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