Johnika in Sweden

So we've been in Sweden three weeks now. Haven't put much to the page yet waiting upon internet for the laptop. We've been able to email and use internet from mormors computer until now but wanted to wait for our laptop to post to the blog. This is John writing if you haven't guessed.
First impressions: the country couldn't be more beautiful. Ocean, pine, birch & ash trees and mossy forest floors. Granite rock face everywhere - on the islands, along the highways, even close to downtown Stockholm. For as old as the country is it blows me away how pristine things are today.
-People who seem to be very disciplined, happy go lucky and authentic - what you see is what you get.
-A population that is eager and able to drop into English when asked with few exceptions (though I'm clumsily trying to learn Swedish at fortyone.)
-Efficient & diverse public transportation including busses, trains, subways and ferries. In planning the road system they've tried to do away with as many traffic lights and stop signs as possible with roundabouts. Once you get the timing down it's kind of fun.
-A well regarded cultural truth to recycle everything under the sun. I thought we did a lot back on Lawndale in Cincy to fill our green box every week with plastic milk jugs. We got nothing on these guys. Not to soap box, but if the US took resource stewardship as seriously as Sweden it really would change the world.
-High taxes in the neighborhood of... gulp, 50%(a shoe that has not completely dropped yet for me). Of course taxes pay for substantial benefits including free medical care, subsidized daycare, good roads and efficient public transportation, free college, etc. I'm a little nervous about this one not having much experience in this area.
-Gasoline, that at last calculation was nearly $6 per gallon. We have not purchased a car yet but obviously we are thinking euro and family friendly, though we will use public transportation when possible. We are not alone in our pursuit to consider space and gas economy so there seems to be a pretty good selection, though there are a number of ugly little cars here justified in the name of fuel efficiency. In my mind they've become lumped under the title of 'Fiat' or 'euro car'.
-A great Swedish family who has made us feel welcome. Mormor has served us continually since we got here with cooking and letting us use her car. Swedish aunts and uncles and cousins dropping in to say hello and making our kids feel part of the gang.

Overall we couldn't be more happy we came.

Hej då!