Thank you for the memories

“You never really leave a place or person you love, part of them you take with you, leaving a part of yourself behind.”

The perfect lines to begin my ode to Stockholm, the city where I spent the most amazing eighteen months of my life. I have loved Stockholm in all its moods, maybe sometimes a little less and at other times a little more, but have loved it nonetheless.

Work took me to Stockholm in late autumn of 2011. The fall colours were still there, the red, brown, gold leaves on the trees and in colourful carpets on the ground, a very pleasant and welcoming sight.

The beauty of Stockholm lies in its proximity to Nature. Undoubtedly, it is one of the most stunning capital cities in the world in this aspect. On a bright,sunny day the city might well be a painter’s lessons in different shades of blue and green.

A year in Stockholm reveals the grandeur of the four seasons; spring, summer, autumn, winter parade in all its glory before one’s eyes. And how can I forget the waters, the bluest and the cleanest that you will ever find, and the piercing cries of the seagulls circling overhead. Stockholm is a city built on the waters and made of islands. The pride of every true-blue Stockholmer is the archipelago, dotted with red, wooden houses and boat piers- the magical retreat of glorious summertimes.

It's a bit difficult for me to put down in words how much I have enjoyed my times here, this post might well be the first of many to follow! When you have never been out of home, and have led a sheltered, cocooned life (which was not entirely of your own making), the prospect of being alone in a foreign land can be intimidating or even frightening. Thankfully, these words never appeared in my Stockholm diaries. On the contrary, it has been an exhilarating experience! And the two major role-players – places and people. Stockholm has been the perfect combination of some of the most beautiful places and some of the friendliest people, and I consider myself very lucky to have had this experience.

And speaking of friendly people, the very special ones in my long list have to be my landlord and his adorable family - the Helanders. They gave me a home away from home for these eighteen months and have been the sweetest, the kindest and the most amiable family one can ever meet.

‘Wandering in weekends’ – that’s the thing I miss most about living in Stockholm. Armed with ‘my precious’, my travel elixir – the monthly travel card, which allows one unlimited travel on buses, metro (T-bana), commuter trains (Pendeltåg), trams and even ferries; I have been out exploring the length and breadth of the city whenever I could. And the prizes have been immense. To top it,an awesome gang of friends made sure that the weekends were never without a spark of fun and took me back to my college days.

Recently, the New York Daily News ran an article titled ‘Stockholm is a city made to be in pictures’. I agree with it cent per cent and then some more. Rarely has there been a day in these past eighteen months when I have left home without my camera in tow. There is always some sight to grab your attention and invoke the urge to capture it. You don’t have to be a great photographer to take great pictures in Stockholm. This spectacular city makes even an amateur’s photos look brilliant. Trust me; I have quite a few samples!
My favorite hour of the day in Stockholm was twilight, when the sky was awash with colours beyond one's imagination. It was just the perfect moment to pause, ponder and marvel.

Well, I have rambled on and on about everything under the sun except that very important bit which brought me to Stockholm – my work. Without an iota of doubt, this has to be my most cherished work experience ever. And it has also ruined me for upcoming days, as any project I join henceforth, I will always compare to this one and ‘frankly my dear’, there’s not even a contest!
I have grown a lot both professionally and personally; worked with some of the most incredible persons who have helped me immensely all along; learnt a lot, more importantly, unlearnt quite a few things; was exposed to the most positive, healthy, happy, symbiotic work environment with an amazing team spirit and camaraderie. It comes as no surprise then that H&M is a regular on the ‘Best Companies to Work For’ list, this is one organization which actually lives by its values and just doesn’t use them merely as conversation-fillers during appraisals. I have absolutely loved working here, and I take back with me a lot of invaluable learning, countless happy memories and some great friendships, which I will always cherish.

I owe a lot to Stockholm. It made me get over my homesickness; taught me to live without the taken-for-granted comforts and familiarities of home; to be more social, outgoing and make an impression on people; to embrace new experiences; to venture down unknown roads without a travel plan; to talk to strangers for sometimes they have the most interesting stories to share (at the end of which they are strangers no more) ; to always have a ready smile, people remember that the most; to pause to listen to a street musician, or look at the streets all lighted up in Christmas decor; to love my work, make it interesting, be dedicated, to help others and be ready to listen, and to always maintain that crucial balance between work and family; Stockholm really did open my eyes and heart to a lot of things and simplified many equations.

After eighteen months of being away, it feels good to be back home to my family. Every place, every lifestyle has its pros and cons. It’s not always about the money or the allure of living abroad, sometimes it’s simply the matter of connecting more to a certain place, a certain set of people, a certain chain of thoughts. And somewhere deep down, in my heart of hearts, I might be a wanderer forever, thanks to Stockholm, which was the portal to my childhood dream – visiting Europe!

 Vi ses Stockholm! Tack så mycket! You did set me free!