I'm Sentimental

Over the course of my hockey career I have had the opportunity to travel. I love it and it is such a different way to see the world than most. We are dropped into a new place but made to feel like it is home straight away. From being toured around the city or town to welcoming faces offering to help settle us in.

I'm a sentimental person and over the years there are many place that I would call home. Some were cultivated over time being there and others instantly made an impact on me. With each new place you begin to get into the flow of living in the area, the local stops and the best place for coffee. Monuments and tourist musts all the way to side streets and dive bars. It is a world unto itself. With those memories and miles logged on my feet, I look to bring something that represents the area and country I have called home for a year.

During my time in Orsa and Mora, a place highlighted by forests and lakes carving the region into rolling hills and picturesque scenery, lays a tradition hand crafted for decades. A piece we call Swedish but native to this area is the Dalahorse. As my time faded and the goodbyes were said I wanted to keep a reminder of the place I made my home. This little handcrafted wooden horse symbolized all of the experiences I had. Colourful and intricately designed and highlighted by its simple construct and base of red. It showed my relationship with building a life in a new place, language and culture. How my path had been blanketed with new experiences and simplicity. When I look at this little horse, the faces and laughter of late nights and longer days melt together flashing back feelings of warmth and admiration for those that welcomed me with open arms. A stranger, a foreign entity sitting at their tables and sharing the dark warmth of coffee in the black of late afternoon. Sharing the ice with vikings dressed in H&M and bonding over the sport we love.

The following year, I found myself back in Sweden but far from my original home. Deep in the south, near a city I had heard of but knew little of lay Gothenburg. Historical and sprawling amongst the countryside and butted up against the ocean. A mixture of ocean and farm land culminating in a beacon on the hill of Vastergotland. Amongst the old city, dreary orange light pummeled the sidewalks as people scurried into bars and restaurants, scurrying away from the snow and wind of the ocean howling in the distance. As winter progressed, more light during the day was found compared to the northern area, longer days and less snow. In this area, I found myself and the person I wanted to become. My goals solidified and my path became more paved. When I left this place I knew what I wanted out of my career. With that, I took with me a small touque presented to me by an elderly fellow from his company which had stood near the city for over 50 years. Like the city, the blackness and simplicity of the logo shined through. Nothing fancy, saying everything it needed with a simple white outline. When I see this piece I think of my inner emotions, the contrast of farmland and ocean sitting side by side. In this place I found my harmony and lagöm.

Currently, I am in Denmark but my mind has shifted back to a distant past, one where I was younger and focusing on surviving my education in school, hockey and life. From that place two pieces I keep with me very closely. A leather bound binder presented at graduation. A place where ideas and plans have been jotted. Pieces of writing, for a later time in life or long forgotten as I stumbled with the next path in life. It reminds me of the values I learned more than just psychology something bigger. To be kind, true and useful. To be a conduit for good and change. The second piece, simple but distinct, representing the city and the sports culture that riddled the city. An homage to its occupants. A four leaf clover with an artistic P in the middle on a white background. Philly, a tough yet open city. One that has witnessed the ups and downs of history but this represents more than just a team. This represents the family and life long friends that were forged out of strangers. It reminds me of growing up and becoming a young man, no longer a teenager wandering and hoping for the best.

What do you keep with you as reminders of your travels?

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