When Friends Become Family

Västerås Hockey Family at the themed Christmas Party

One of the things I've noticed over the past two years, both as a hockey wife and as an expat, is that your friends really do become your family. This is a sensation that I've talked about and shared with the other wives at various points throughout the season, and something that I've also discussed with other expats. It's definitely difficult to explain, but it's something that is so true.

In the hockey world, I think this rings true for everybody because you experience so many highs and lows together. This year, the team went from being in dead last place (ouch) to finishing the regular season in first place. Off the ice, there were various team get togethers and dinners, both formal and informal. And while friends becoming family can ring true for everybody, over here in Europe I feel like it is especially true for the "import players".

See, more time than not is spent over here (Sweden), thousands of miles from family. This season, Nick and I will have missed every major holiday back home- from both of our birthdays, to Thanksgiving, to Christmas & New Years, and now most recently Easter. And because these holidays can't be spent with our families back home, they are spent with the friends here who become family.

And it's not just about holidays either. Its being able to discuss all of the highs and lows that this lifestyle comes with- and there are a lot of them- from people who truly, 100% understand it. Sure, there are some things that people back home can recognize and sympathize with. But at the same time, there are other things- such as not being able to talk to your husband between 1:30-3:30 PM game days- that seem crazy to people back home. (1:30-3:30 is nap time, and you do not interrupt that!)

There are some people that you connect with straight away, while other relationships take a little bit longer to develop. But as the year goes on, I've grown so incredibly close to many of these people, and this past week has been very sad to say good-bye to them. Because most of us are in the boat where we don't know where we will be next year. After sharing everything over the course of the year, it is difficult to leave and not have any idea of when you will see each other again, or if you will be playing for the same team again. But in any case, I know that these people will always be on "my team", because after all, these friends have become family. And for that, I thank each of you!

26 home games a year spent with the ladies!