First Impressions: Welcome to Aland

Welcome
Hello, everyone. I'd like to begin my first experience in blogging with the very poignant words of my former teammate and trailblazer Annette Kent:

Now What?

A thick piece of paper--the kind with deep ridges and abrupt edges--says that I have completed the requirements for my Master's degree. A stack of loan confirmations does the same. At this point in time, young people get jobs, sit behind desks, and strap up for the long haul. In essence, they grow up.

Me? I'm still 12 years-old, running around the playgroud, chasing a feeling that can only be described as unapologetic joy.

So, I'll board this plane and put my "career" on hold for this one last time. Because it's important. Not important like life and death. But important like regret and opportunity. I'll play this last season and even if I never score, never do anything noteworthy, I'll sleep better at night. Because nothing haunts you like knowing you could play with the best and didn't.


Okay, so there are some obvious differences between Annette, who played for many seasons in the highest league in Sweden, and me. I don't have my Master's and I'm not sure if I'm playing among the best (I'll let you know after my first practice on Monday). What I do share with Annette is a deep passion for the sport of soccer and the "unapologetic joy" I feel when I strap on my boots and step onto the field. Only those who have lived it can understand how it feels to crack a shot, or sell a defender with a move practiced hundreds of times, or play the perfectly-timed through-ball, or win a header over a taller opponent...
Those of you who have been there understand that the list goes on. That is why I am here, on this small island in the middle of the Bothnian Gulf, where the people speak Swedish and are excited to introduce an American to their culture.

This blog will tell you about my life in Aland. It is not meant to be self-indulgent but simply a way to keep you all updated. Feel free to read it or not read it. I'll try to keep verbosity to a minimum.

Where the hell is Aland?
Since you asked...Aland, which should actually be written with an "Ångström sign" over the 'A' (it's the little circle over the 'A' in the word "Ångström," itself...savvy?), is located off the west coast of Finland. I'll spare you the history lesson but though it is officially a part of Finland, the island is actually closer to Sweden and has the official language of Swedish. Most people here do not even speak Finnish and many have commented on the difficulty of that language. When I previously read about the island before coming here, it was described as a peaceful and beautiful place. My first impression agrees. Though it is cold and windy, the first day was sunny. The island is covered in gently sloping hills where cows and horses graze between evergreen woods. The roads are red and wind into the capital city, Mariehamn, between pastel-colored homes and shops. On the wide sidewalks you'll see bikers, people walking dogs, and many emo teenagers rocking Chuck Taylors, skinny jeans, choppy haircuts, and piercings. Yes, it's so Euro. And, as expected, the people have fine, straight, light-colored hair and blue eyes. Since all the guys back home were wondering, I'll go ahead and confirm that Scandinavian girls are as pretty as their reputation claims.

I am here to play for the local women's professional soccer team, Aland United.

My Arrival
Forgive me if this entry grows too long, but some of you may be interested to hear about my arrival in Aland and what I have done here so far.

I landed in Stockholm yesterday around 11 am (which is 5 am Indiana time. As of tomorrow, when the time changes here for daylight savings, there will be a 7-hour difference instead of 6). I was picked up by the owner of our team, Mr. Jan-Ove Fellman. He is a very pleasant but quiet man that speaks English quite well. We drove an hour to a port where we could drive the car directly onto the large boat that would take us to Aland. Mr. Fellman took me to meet the captain, which, I discovered, was a privelege that not many are granted. It was very pretty to see Stockholm from the windows in the captain's ward. The boat ride took about 2 1/2 hours. What's hilarious is that apprently the press from Aland was waiting for me on my arrival. Some passengers walk off the boat, while others drive. We were driving, but the press expected me to walk. I later received a call from my coach saying that the press had been waiting and were disappointed not to catch me on my arrival. Really? Thanks, but someone should tell them that my being here is not as exciting as they may think. I guess my presence is interesting to the people of Aland mainly because I am the only American currently living here. Plus, I'm a futboler. That helps.

After the boat ride, Mr. Fellman took me to my apartment. It is on the 4th floor (which is as high as buildings go) and does not have an elevator. This is not a big deal unless you have to lug up two 70-lb suitcases. After we managed to get them to my apartment, I was greeted by my assisstant coach, Ubbe, and Monika, a mother of one of the players. I guess she is considered the "team mom." My apartment is far better than I expected and I am thankful that they are so willing to take care of me. It is a one-bedroom, one-bathroom place with a nice kitchen and sitting room. There is a balcony that extends the length of the apartment, from which I have a fantastc view of the Baltic. Monika decorated place with cute curtains, flowers on the window sill, and a nice welcome-card signed by the team. I have Internet access and about 8 channels on the TV--including channels in English like CNN, Animal Planet, and MTV. So, don't worry, I'll still be able to catch up on the presidential campaign and the tumultuous life of Lauren Conrad. Monika also put a little food in the fridge to hold me over. The food, by the way, seems pretty similar to the type of things we eat. Fresh meat, fish, fruit, cheese, yogurt, and salad--to name a few items. Tomorrow we are going to a Thai restaurant.

After meeting my coach and Monika (both incredibly personable, by the way. Ubbe is excellent in English as he has lived in the US for two short stints in his life), they left me to unpack and get some sleep. I was exhausted!

Day 2
I'll try to keep this short. Three girls from my team met me at 12:45 to take me to lunch and to meet with some reporters. Carro, Sarah, and Becci (ages 18, 21, and 17) were incredibly friendly, just as everyone else I have met so far. Carro is the best with English, though the others do fine. They generally spoke Swedish while I was around but did their best to include me in their conversations. They took me to a crowded cafe where I had an excellent shrimp salad while we waited for the scheduled reporter and photographer to arrive. Once they did, the photographer began snapping pictures of me right there as I sat at the table. Needless to say, I felt a little uncomfortable, espcially when the photographer asked me to stand up, walk away from him, then walk toward him as he snapped pictures. You try doing that with tons of people watching. I am sure that the final product cannot be good.

The girls then took me to our home field. It is a very modest setup with no signs or scoreboard, few bleachers, and a small lockerroom. I don't care, though. I am just happy to have a field again.

A Quick Reflection
So, how do I feel about living in Aland? I'm not sure I could explain all that I am feeling. I am excited to start practice on Monday. Sometimes, I am nervous--with all the attention I am getting as the American player, I am afraid that I will not be able to meet their expectations. Other times, I feel confident and restless, eager to begin. I am also afraid that I may be lonely in Aland. Though the girls do understand a lot of basic English, it may be difficult not to be able to make jokes or have in-depth conversations with people because of the barrier (Kira, this is where you come in). I forgot to mention that the coaches would like to sign me up for classes in Swedish, which I would be more than happy to pursue. I also worry that I may be bored in Aland. There is not much to do besides play soccer for a few hours a day. In the summer there are water sports (yay, I will not be without wakeboarding or water skiing this year!), but this sort of encompassses the activities. Luckily, I brought a lot of books and there is a library on the island with selections in English. I am sure that once I make friends boredom will not be as big of an issue. I also asked the coaches if I should get a second job, and they thought that would be a good idea. They suggested picking fruit. Haha. I'm down.

Being here alone is a bit scary, but Annette was right. It's about regret and opporunity. One thing I know for sure is that this is going to be the experience of a lifetime. I traveled alone to live on a small island in the Baltic Sea as the only American where they speak Swedish to play professional soccer and pick fruit...
Not bad.