#atozchallenge Theme Reveal!

2014 is my 4th challenge, and 3rd as co-host. In 2011 I didn't have a clue and didn't have a theme, but muddled through and had a great time.

2012 I decided on "Postcards from Sweden" where I shared a picture, taught a word of Swedish, and included a childhood story that went along with the word.  Had another great time, and a lot of people who read the whole series!  Yeah!

2013 I decided why mess with a good thing, so I did "Adventures in America" where I told stories (and shared more embarrassing childhood pictures) about my first year as an immigrant to America.  That proved to be popular as well.  I mean, how many of you have spent 4 months in a body cast at age 9? People were curious.

Which brings us to 2014.  I'm going Swedish again. Write what you know, they say! Besides, I'm proud of my heritage, and my homeland.  Without further ado, my theme is:

"It's very Swedish..."  I will be writing about cultural differences big and small.  I'll share some very Swedish things I miss very much, and also talk about differences in attitudes and beliefs.  It won't be all about kaviar och kaffee!  (That's coffee for those who didn't do the 2012 language lessons.  I figured you could figure out the caviar and "and").

Please join me in learning more about a unique culture.  Yes, Hilary, I'll talk about fierce viking chicks big and small, might throw in a Swedish word or two. One thing you can count on: embarrassing photos. After all, that's become an A-Z tradition.  No worries, Momarazzi took plenty of pictures...

I hope to see you around a lot in April!  Now off to check out your themes.

~Tina, Fierce Viking Chick (that means I'm bossy...ask my team...or my minions...)

A ~ Adventures in America

“Adventures in America” is my theme for this year's challenge. I'm an immigrant. Our family moved to the United States in 1974 when I was almost nine. It was a HUGE change culturally from my native Sweden, and the neighborhood we moved to couldn't have been more different than where we had been living.

I had to make a lot of changes in my thinking, expectations, actions, speech!, and in my over-all perception of who I was. I became a new person.

It was a very interesting first year, and not just because I spent four months of it in a body cast...

I think this series piggy-backs nicely on my theme from last year, which was “Postcards From Sweden.” In those posts I taught a Swedish word or two, included an appropriate picture, and a childhood memory.

This series will be similar, except you won't have to learn Swedish words! I know some of you enjoyed the childhood story part far more than the lesson...but I might throw them in to show you how imprecise English is, because I'm obnoxious that way. 

I hope you come back and read all my stories, and I'm not above a bribe. Last year I put all the comments from all the posts in order and had random number generator pick a winner. Andrea, who is now one of my Terrific Team of assistants won the $25 IKEA gift card. So visit daily! Haven't you ever wondered what it would be like if you had move across the ocean to another country in the middle of your perfect childhood?  It's an adventure...

Interested in the prelude?  How did we end up living in two countries?  The Swede, my Dad, wrote a three part series last week telling that story.  Check these out if you have time.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3


 P.S Today is Arlee Bird's birthday!  Founder of the A-Z Challenge, amazing leader and friend, here's a big shout out to THE ONE who is making all this fun happen.  Thanks, Arlee!  Now go visit him at Tossing It Out and leave him a greeting.  We hope to flood his blog, his inbox, his world with greetings from every A-Z participant!  If you're one of them - please don't forget to add something in your post about him today!