So... yesterday Henrietta Adamsson Eryd, Sofia Tingsell and I hit the road. Or maybe we hit the air. From Göteborgs Landvetter Airport via Schiphol Amsterdam to Minneapolis St Paul, we had some quite turbulent hours with Delta Airlines, and now we are back in Minnesota.
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| Henrietta and Sofia |
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| And Henrietta and Sofia once more |
Our first trip to Minnesota was in 2011, and then we were five. It was Ida Larsson, Jenny Nilsson, Ben Lyngfelt, Sofia and I who made the very first field trip of the project Svenskan i Amerika (SVAM). On that trip we spent ten wonderful, but also literally exhausting, days meeting with so many nice and friendly American Swedes all over Minnesota that we did not have time to interview them all.
Ida, Jenny and Sofia went to Karlstad in the north of the state in 2011, and we decided to return there this year for a quick trip to see if we could meet with some of the guys that we didn't have time to interview when we were there last. And this time we have brought Henrietta, the first PhD student that is going to work with the new Swedish American material.
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| "Colleagues? Hm... How long have you known each-other?" |
We spent a lot of time waiting in line yesterday. In Sweden things were easy enough, but when leaving Europe there's a lot of questions to be answered. For instance did we get the question how long we had known each-other on several occasions during the same interview. That's a tough question when you are not prepared.
And then there was the security check. We brought out all the electronic devices, videocameras, sound recording devices, computers, iPads, cameras, phones, liquids, hair bands, jewelry and stuff, and I even presented my ongoing knitting to the security people to make sure that the pins did not look funny and dangerous in the screening. There was some discussion, but they decided they weren't a threat.
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| We experienced a bit of sea legs after all the turbulence. |
At Minneapolis StPaul we got a really nice rental car with only some scratches. With our GPS and some maps we are ready to hit the road!
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| Henrietta checking for scratches |
/Maia Andréasson
Saw this on the Swedish Teacher Facebook Page. I am an American living in Minnesota. My Grandparents were Swedes, my father spoke fluent Swedish. I have taught myself to read, speak and write Swedish fairly well. If you are ever in Duluth or near there during your visit, I am in Two Harbors, MN. I used books and CDs from Sweden to teach myself the language. I learned a little when I was young from family, but have now studied seriously to learn Swedish. My email: lightnsv@yahoo.com Facebook: search name Robert Bengtsson. I live in Two Harbors on Lake Superiors North Shore. 20 minutes North of Duluth. During you Minnesota trip, you are welcome to contact me and arrange a visit. I built my house to a Swedish cottage design and have a guest room with space for 4, I also rent this room to tourists in summer. I would like to welcome you here if you have a chance to come north. Robert Bengtsson 218-834-4515
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