Choir camp at Lillsjödal with Tornokören this weekend was much more fun than the band camp I used to attend in middle school (where I played flute…). I think I am officially addicted to saunas now, as I looked forward to it all day Friday and Saturday. It was a little crazy squeezing so many people in as we did (I think it was 24?), and that combined with the loud (yet harmonious!) singing made me glad I wasn’t drinking the homemade wine someone had brought in a large plastic milk jug. I don’t know how everyone else kept drinking beer in the sauna- I think I got dehydrated enough drinking water! For me, the only place beer should be in the sauna is on the coals, which makes the whole place smell of fresh bread. There was a lake nearby that was excellently refreshing, though it’s good we hadn’t seen it in daylight before going in because it wasn’t the clearest of lakes. It was the most freeing feeling, sprinting away from the light of the sauna, barefoot on the wet grass and fallen leaves, in the freezing darkness, shouting. There were some awkward isolated moments during the weekend as well, of course, like where I had to work with people and they ended up speaking Swedish. But the saffron ’Lucia katter,’ glögg (spiced 2% alcohol wine drunk with almond slivers and raisins), sauna, good food, and of course good singing made up for it. Also I have still not gotten used to the idea that I’m small, by Swedish standards. This point was driven home, however, on the drive back to Lund, where I was sandwiched between two Swedes in the back seat and felt like a tiny tiny squished sardine. But of all these ups and downs, the most worthwhile thing was getting to know my choir mates. I’ve learned that the people, after all, are the most important thing that makes or breaks an experience.
