“to change ones behavior so that it is easier to live in a particular place or situation”

Adaptation is a natural process which an intelligent system undergoes following change in its internal or external environment. This is such a process which has consumed my life since leaving Auckland on the first of April.

My last days in NZ were filled with TONIC2014, an event that I was largely responsible for (along with Greg and the rest of the NWOC team). It did not give me much time to appreciate that I would be moving to Sweden the day after the final race of TONIC. But then, there I was, at the Airport saying my final farewells to my Family as I begun this epic journey.

The journey was, for the most part, irritating. My flight was cancelled in Sydney which meant that I had to spend a night there, and consequently missed my flight in Dubai. In Dubai I had a sub-par sleep next to a travellator, as I could not be bothered going to a hotel for only 6 hours. Finally, after the mishap with the travel plans I arrived in Uppsala on Thursday 3rd of April, to the warm welcomes of Rassmus :). In the afternoon, I was exposed to the first club training. A series of O-intervals were held in Nåsten, with markers at every control site. It was pretty cool to see Thierry at the training and we had a little yarn before they started the training. I just jogged a few controls and tried to absorb the awesome terrain. See a sample of the map below.

The first week and a bit now has been quite tough for me. I struggled to sleep during the first few nights due to the jetlag. I then began to worry about the decision that I had made; whether coming to Sweden was the right choice. This was, most likely, my fatigued brain playing tricks on me but it led to even less sleep. I finally got some sleeping pills off one of the nicest guys in Uppsala, Ross Smith, and I began to get things under control. I am extremely lucky to have the supportive family and friends that I have, so that even when I could not see the positives they showed me why I am so incredibly fortunate.

Basically the first weeks; the people in Ok Linné are amazing, especially the people living in Bloden. The training environment is unparalleled and I have barely even scratched the surface. The flat I am staying with Oskar and Bettina (who left me to run EOC) is really nice. It is in a perfect location, only a short jog from the club house, and really close to the supermarket. You can see the façade of the apartment block below.

My living arrangement at 17 Blodstenvägen

The adaptation has only just begun, but Uppsala along with the people is assuring me that the decision to focus on Sweden/Orienteering this year was the correct one! Stay posted for some more highlights from my journey to come!