September was a blur. It seems odd that since moving to Sweden, I’ve spent an inordinate amount of my time outside of Sweden. This was partly intentional: Unsure of when Ash would start working (and knowing full well how notoriously fickle chef’s work schedules can be) we wanted to make the most of our free time and explore our surroundings. Sundays were used for trips to Copenhagen, (I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that we were more excited to see the IMAX theater than any of the other cultural and/or historical attractions the city had to offer, but its supposed to be the largest in Scandinavia, okay!) and seaside town of Lomma, where we enjoy a sunset picnic on the beach.

In no time at all, Ash was settling into his new job in Malmö, and I was headed off to Bornholm (a small Danish island in the middle of the Baltic) for the department’s semester kick-off retreat. Besides the thrilling ferry journey (and no, that’s not sarcasm, I actually think ferries are something to get excited about), I was treated to a historical tour of the island and an assortment of fish, prepared in more ways than imaginable for every meal (being an island, they unsurprisingly have a steady supply of fish and not much else).

I spent the second last week of September in Belgium for a conference hosted by Leuven University. The weather was unseasonably warm and the conference was a triumph. However, note to self for future travel: budget airlines often fly to smaller outlying airports. I learned that one the hard way. Thanks Ryan Air – I’ve always wanted to see Brussels Charleroi! (and yes, that was sarcasm).

They’re forecasting rain this weekend so the plan is to spend the entire time firmly indoors. I couldn’t be happier about it.