....
A Mixed Bag.
Tons of things have been on my mind aswell, I just haven't been able to sit down and write about them. So here I am writing about how I can't write about stuff. Ironic? I barely know the meaning of the word.
Today I've finally found the je ne sais quoi to get writing! (I hate French)
So here goes:
It's been over a YEAR since I made the move to Sweden, crazy how time flies right? I can still remember how I felt around this time last year...all the memories. Lisa, her dad and I packing the car, saying farewell to my family, getting on the boat...It's cliché to say it but, it feels like yesterday. 8-9 weeks of planning and it culminated in me leaving the UK forever. It's hard to look back and not feel accomplishment, because it was the biggest gamble of my life and it paid off big time. It was all arranged by Lisa and her dad - the boats, the bridges, the hotels, the car, the trailer. I can't thank them enough for that.
If I didn't have this condition I'd have been able to get on a plane and have my belongings delivered by cargo. Ah well, if only life were that simple, we all have our downfalls so I know I'm not alone when the shit hits the fan - which is why it was a good job that Lisa's dad was so willing to help us out like he did.
I still can't believe how long it's been, I knew it would take me a while to get used to things and settle in, but everything still feels so new to me. It isn't paradise where I live, I've discovered many flaws to being on such a remote island, not to mention in a completely different country in itself, but I tend to ignore them and look at the positives. Life isn't worth living if you focus on bad things all the time, which is, admittedly, what I usually end up doing most of the time anyway.
That brings me to a conversation that Lisa and I had maybe a couple of months back. She asked me whether I thought I was a pessimist or an optimist. It was a difficult one to answer because I think there were a few points against me by default, which were:
- The Autism doesn't exactly make me want to reach for the stars.
- My dry sense of humour can't help.
- I'm British.
In other news, I can't believe how the democrats in the USA had such a weak election! I obviously keep up with these things because, let's face it, the USA is probably the most powerful country in the world...according to most Americans. Anyway, the democrats lost the House of Representatives and only just held onto the Senate, I'm not gonna get into detail on what this means because I, myself, barely understand it.
What I can say is this...it doesn't look good for Obama or the Democrats. I side towards the Left when it comes to politics and I was especially a massive Obama supporter when his election campaign was at it's strongest, so I'm left feeling a bit of disappointment for him. I don't know if he's done a good or bad job really...Americans haven't really taken to him as much I thought they would, but I've heard alot about how he's not lived up to alot of promises he made when his election campaign rolled out.
As far as I know though, 3 of his main points that he established back in '08 have come to fruition:
- Getting out of Iraq
- Putting a stronger focus on Afghanistan
- Healthcare reforms
I don't know HOW successful those have been OR what other things he's done. You tell me?
Swedish and British politics have also been a bit...meh. It seems the Right winged are gaining alot of support over the globe, particularly in Europe. I'm not a big fan of that direction but who can argue with the majority? To my surprise, Lisa and I differ on who we support in Sweden, but over here the policies aren't as opposite as they are in America and the UK. From what I've seen, it's easier for the parties in the Swedish Riksdag to reach agreements. Infact most recently the two main opponent parties have come to terms on the Swedish presence in Afghanistan. This kind of thing is quite rare, especially since neither party went against their own believes to come to such an agreement.
OK, enough of politics...I know I could talk for days on end about it but even I know it's boring.
My mum and sister Jenny came for a visit about a month ago, it was great seeing them and we had a brilliant time together. Jenny got me some Jack Daniels whisky so I got some use out of that so to speak. Lisa and I took them to see the wonderful sights of Gotland, since there was 4 of us I could manage getting in a car so far away from home, we even stopped at a drive-thru. I think Jenny was a bit miffed at the traffic...there was none. Jenny lives in London and is used to the rat-race mentality, so coming to Gotland might have been a bit of a culture shock for her. The speed limit on Gotland is also very low, much lower than England and even the rest of Sweden, but it's nice to relax and with the lower speeds I think she could enjoy seeing more of the sights from the car. My mum had a nice time, I think it was a massive change to what she's used to, which is a good thing because where she comes from is a shithole (LOL!). It's true though, I'd sooner walk through a field of cow shit than go back to Sutton.
Moving on, Lisa's still in University and I never hear the end of it. Christ Almighty does she go on about it! So that's all I'm gonna say about that.
I...haven't been up to much. I walk out everyday, familiar places that are quiet though. I think I've gotten a bit complacent and perhaps need to branch out a bit to places that are less quiet. If I'm honest though I don't think it'll do any good (PESSIMIST!). I honestly can't see my ability to interact with people getting better unless I'm prescribed some sort of medication. A lot of my American friends are often shocked that I'm not on any kind of meds, I guess over there things are different. It has now come to a point that I need something to happen because, I've had quite enough of cognitive therapy. It hasn't worked and I doubt it ever will, if anything, I've got worse. I think in the new year things will be changing...hopefully for the best.
Anyway, I don't have much else to talk about...I know it seems like I'm on some sort of downer but I'm not. The positive stuff that happens in my life isn't so interesting to put into a blog, but it does happen so don't worry. I'll catch you all in a zillion years when I decide to put another post together. Lol.
'Till next time...
