A Season in Pictures // Year 2

Nick and I are home safe and sound in Minneapolis! We had an interesting travel experience (more on that to come!), but have been enjoying our brief time at home here. Now that the season is well over and we have settled in here, it is time to take a look back at this previous year! One of my most popular and personal favorite posts from last year is my end of year post, where I looked at our 2013-2014 season in pictures. Now that this season is wrapped up and completed, let's take a look back at the 2014-2015 season!

August

Nick and I happy at home in Västerås

We landed in Stockholm on August 2, and from there headed straight to the hockey rink (of course!) to unpack Nick's gear, pick up our car, and be shown to our apartment. One of the things that really surprised me this year was the feeling of relief I had the second our plane touched down in Sweden- I felt like I was home again. Despite never having been to Västerås, and not knowing where exactly we would be living, returning to Sweden felt like home, and this feeling has stayed with me for the season. Beyond feeling at home, the month of August was spent getting settled in our new place and getting back into the swing of the hockey season. We took a few trips to Stockholm, and also spent the day at Arboga's Medeltidsfestival. 

September

We spent our anniversary in Stockholm

September was another pretty relaxed month for us. I was fully in the swing of my MBA classes and blogging, and Nick was of course busy with the hockey season starting. We did manage to escape to Stockholm for the weekend to celebrate our anniversary. Other than that, our days were filled at the hockey rink or spending time with our new friends! 

October

with my Aunt, Mom, & Brother in Norway

October was a very busy month for me! My family was visiting for the first two weeks, and we spent time in Germany, Sweden, and Norway. While in Germany we stayed in Munich for Oktoberfest, and took a day trip to Füssen. After Germany, we came back to Sweden for a couple of days to relax with Nick and catch a few hockey games before heading to Norway. In Norway, we hiked in Bergen and got to see the Norwegian fjords- stunning! Afterwards, it was back to Sweden for another couple days to catch more hockey games and visit Stockholm. It was so great to show my family around, and I loved exploring new places with them. Once they left, Nick and I took the rest of the month easy as we had been so busy the first few weeks with visitors. 

November

church steeple in Västerås

The month of November flew by for me. I began the month by going down to Karlskrona to visit friends and watch the VIK-KHK game, and then my classes were in full swing again. At the end of the month, Nick and I hosted our American Thanksgiving celebration (about 25 people attended and participated!) After having a busy October, it was nice to relax for awhile and really settle into daily life in Västerås. 

December

Christmas Markets in Berlin, Germany 

The first week of December I got to spend at home in Minnesota and enjoy some early Christmas celebrations with family and friends. After this, it was back to Sweden for a couple more hockey games and then a Christmas trip to Berlin with Nick! We had such a great time at the Christmas markets and wandering the city. It was nice to visit a city that Nick had previously played in and had first-hand knowledge of. Our Christmas Eve was spent with some of the other families on the team, and then we had a leisurely Christmas Day. New Years Eve we just relaxed at home and got prepared for an exciting 2015!

January

my hockey team

January was another relaxing month. Winter had hit Sweden, and the guys were on the road quite a bit. I spent my time either at the rink watching Nick, practicing, or playing in games with my team. Really, there isn't too much to say on this cold month!

February

Quick weekend getaway to Riga, Latvia

February was another busy month! I started the month out with a wonderful visit with a relative who was visiting in Stockholm. After this, Nick and I took a quick weekend trip to spend time in Riga, Latvia. The rest of the month was spent wrapping up the regular season for both Nick and I. At the end of the month, I had the chance to be an extra on the TV show Welcome to Sweden, which was a blast! 

March

most of the VIK hockey wives

March was pretty much spent at the hockey rink, or watching playoff hockey games somewhere with the other wives. While playoffs didn't end quite as well as we hoped, the guys still had a great year overall. Watching the games and hanging out with the other wives and girlfriends is always a good time!

April

at the end-of-year dinner

watching playoff hockey

Although the season was technically over in April, I still have two of my favorite pictures from the year to share. These gals are a couple of the other import wives, and I greatly enjoyed spending time with them this year. One of the things about this hockey lifestyle is how your friends become your family, and these ladies are definitely that!

And that is a great month-by-month look back at this previous season! So many great friends were made and memories created, it is difficult to believe how quickly the year flew by. I'm already looking forward to what the future will contain!