My first day skiing

Although I stayed out pretty late the night before, there was nothing that could have stopped me from going on the Ski/Sauna Resort trip today! So I woke up at 5:45am, ran to Jimena’s room (which the locks don’t work) and opened her door to jump on her like it was Christmas morning, and said, “Jime c’mon wake up! We are going skiing today!!” She was still sleeping haha. So I went to the kitchen and made her some breakfast which I sat at the end of her bed. “Here eat this and get dressed” I said. I ran back down the hall and put on the ski clothes that my Swedish friend Martina so kindly lent me, and was ready to go. Jimena and I found out about this trip from a flyer found on our accommodation wall. I saw that it was on my birthday and I was sold, so we called the number and paid online. Then we met at Science Drive, a building on campus, with all the other random friends we were about to ski with. We took a bus to a Ski resort only about 30 minutes away, it was great because it was so close, but still felt like a brand new place. I got a pass for the slopes and rented skis for the day. So finally, I was at the top of the hill, all strapped in and geared up. I don’t know why I felt so confident, but I just went for it, and pushed off with my ski sticks down the bunny slope (which by the way was extremely steep for beginners.) As it was my first time, you could imagine that this series of events did not end well for me. Ha. I was unaware that you should absolutely never go straight down a hill, instead you turn from side to side (kind of like a snake) so yes, there I was, the first time ever skiing, in front of probably 40 people, flying down the hill at Olympic speed and trying to stop by stabbing my flimsy ski sticks into the snow in front of me, that did not work. So I bent my knees and crouched down, like you would in roller skating and losing your balance. Too bad in skiing, that makes you go even faster. Just when I thought this moment would never end, I just plopped my butt down in the snow until I skid down the hill to a halt. That was probably the most exhilarating/stupid thing I have ever done. It was so worth it.

After that, the rest of my time skiing consisted of me taking it easy and staying on the flat snow practicing my turns and stops. Once that portion was over, it was Fika time. Fika is officially my favorite Swedish word. It is more used as an expression than a single word and means, “Let’s grab some coffee or lunch” or whatever you want it to be. I have had fika with Swedish Chocoballs and café, some strawberry juice and a brownie, and also a snickers latte with a croissant. Fika is a way of life here. Even when I was in my French class, my professor stopped mid-lecture to excuse the class for a 20 minute fika. Then we all came back to our seats and she continued the lesson while sipping on her warm vanilla latte. Gotta love it.

Back to my ski day, after Fika we all piled back onto the bus and headed to the Sauna resort.  This turned out slightly different than I had imagined. When we arrived we walked into a small cottage looking house with a kitchen, sauna, and two showers. The sauna probably could comfortably fit maybe 5 people, and we fit about 12. Ha. Also, the Jacuzzi was I think the world’s first Jacuzzi ever invented. It had a furnace where you had to light a fire underneath it in order for it to heat up. I felt like a pot of boiling chickens. There was a bit of trouble lighting this fire, so the water was more like a luke warm bath, and with the snow surrounding us, it was seriously cold. I am not upset though because it turned into quite a bonding experience for all of us. We all huddled together to keep warm and kept talking about who would get prunier fingers first.  Then we would jump out and run to the lodge where we would rinse off and go sit in the sauna. This was my favorite part. We would all cram in this little steamy wooden room and share stories. Then, once it became unbearably hot, we would grab our towels and bolt out the doors to jump into the fluffy snow. It was insane, but then we just plunged right into the now hot outdoor Jacuzzi. We continued this cycle 3 or 4 more times before it was time to shower off, get dressed, and catch the bus home. The ride back I played The Shins, Chutes Too Narrow Album.  It was the most relaxing bus ride I have ever had. And a great night’s sleep.

One year Older

So today is my 22^nd birthday and I am SO excited that I could barely sleep. Last night was phenomenal too. I was in my room about to pick my outfit out for the night, when I hear a knock on my door. It was Jimena and she asked what I was doing, I told her nothing why? Then she swung open my door to show me my hallway full of about 30 of my roommates with a cake and over sized birthday card to present to me. I was in complete shock! I think this was the first birthday in many years, that I absolutely wasn't expecting anything. I mean, I know I am supposed to say that I never expect something, but there are always those best friends that you know something is up their sleeve ;) So yes, it was the most pleasant surprise and almost made me cry when they were singing me happy birthday. Then we all stampeded to the largest kitchen and sliced the cake. The cake was this amazing cheesecake with chocolate crust, made by my new friend Ana from Germany. I told her she should open up her own shop; she would make a great living. 

After cake, Jimena and I continued to get ready for the night out. I was particularly excited about getting dressed up tonight not only because it was my birthday at midnight, but because I had just spent the day shopping with my Swedish model friend Hanna. I bought, you guessed it, two new pairs of birthday boots!  I also bought some leggings and new items that would make me blend in a little more with these gorgeous Swedes. I have come to the conclusion that although the weather here in Jonkoping is typically 30 degrees and snowy, it is completely irrelevant to the women living here. They all dress so stylish, and it has given me a new motivation to go shopping. I love the European style. This includes: leggings, killer boots, any over-sized scarf, a form-fitting sweater, and generally a waist length- fluffy hooded jacket. And if they can incorporate leather and amazing purses somewhere in there you are golden.   My personal style includes all of the above, plus I like to add a pop of color with usually a colorful scarf, pink blush, or a bright colored sweater that peaks through my jacket. To say, “hey I am reppin’ the sunshine state, where everyone is bright and happy.”

new skirt, leggings, and BOOTS!

The night out was fun, we caught the bus to my Swedish girl friend Alexandra’s apartment, which is also super modern and swanky (like Ikea) She had light wood floors with white walls and furniture, then pillows and paintings on the walls that added a big splash of color for contrast. We had our pre-party there (because the beverages out are typically $13 per drink- insane!) The reason the Swedes must pay so much for alcohol now is because the government here realized that because the Swedish are so shy in nature, they depend on alcohol to let loose and become more outgoing. Or what my sisters and I would call, “liquid courage.” So as you might figure, the Swedish depended more and more on drinking to the point where there was too much public intoxication and people were putting themselves in danger. Thus, now the Swedes must pay for this, and pre-parties were born. After the pre-party at Alexandra’s, we went to a bar that one of my new IA friends works at. It was similar to an Ale House, except a third of the size. Then we made our way to Bongo’s across the street. Now this place was my kind of style. For those of you who go downtown Orlando, it is similar to BBQ bar and plays Indie rock, has swanky couches, and local paintings on the wall. I was having such an amazing night with my friends and had a few birthday drinks, mostly screwdrivers (orange juice and vodka- reminds me of homeJ) and just as I thought this night couldn’t get any better, my friends Victor and Jimena had secretly told the DJ to play a song that fit the entire essence of this night, “American Woman” by Lenny Kravitz! In this moment, I realized how completely blessed I am, and how I am so surprised that I am spending my 22^nd birthday in an Indie Bar in Sweden, dancing to Lenny Kravitz with 30 people from all over the world. I had a great night.

Birthday drink for me! Mintu, an extremely popular beverage in Sweden.

Today was a great day because...

I started my day with eggs and toast and prepared to go to the gym as well as go shopping for a valentines day present for Josh. Turns out, the Swedes celebrate this commercial holiday just like Americans! In every shop I could find just what I was looking for. To get to the city, we have to walk about 10-15 minutes uphill to the bus stop. Allow me to elaborate in my video...

After we arrive at the stop, we usually must wait 10-20 minutes in the 30 degree weather. So we like to entertain ourselves...

Gosh I love her. haha.

My new home

So what really makes a home? I don't think people realize that it is the little things that really matter. like a candle that smells like the fresh baked cookies mom used to bake, or just a few extra lamps to make the room look warm and cozy instead of stark and washed out.  I have been living in my 60 person accommodation for one week now. There are color coded hallways based mostly on the nationalities we requested, and each hall has its own bathroom stalls and kitchen. I am living in the yellow hall, and living next to Canadians, a UK guy, and a German guy. So unfortunately, my kitchen smells like beer and dirty dishes. Therefore I do not call that "my" kitchen. Instead, I walk a few extra steps to the orange corridor, or what I like to call the "Spanish quarters." Everyone living in this hall can speak Spanish, some from Spain, some from USA, and even some from France. It's quite impressive. So I prefer this kitchen because everyone is neat, hospitable, and knows how to cook some seriously yummy food. On our first night of arrival, with no food and completely exhausted, our neighbor Gloria cooked Jimena and I our first meal. With only knowing us for about 30 minutes, her incredible hospitality and kindness confirmed that I made the right choice living in Vilhemsro.

eggs, tomatoes, zucchini, a Swedish cracker with fresh butter and mozzarella cheese. 

Arrival in Sweden!

We have finally arrived! The environment is covered in snow and looks like a winter wonderland. If I could compare to anything, I would compare it Narnia in the winter time. Breathtakingly beautiful. Once we get past the gate, Jimena and I immediately notice the oddest thing at Stockholm International Airport. The silence! It was so creepily quiet at this airport, you could here a pin drop. So we just followed the arrows of Swedish signs that somewhat resembled "Baggage claim." As we waited for our bags on the conveyor belt, I noticed that the pets are transported right through the middle of the airport, not in a back road or cargo truck. So all you heard when standing and waiting for your luggage was 2 whining puppies. Quite eerie. ha.
The mood quickly picked up from there. Jimena and I stopped at the currency converter kiosk and got 120 SEK each. which is the Swedish Krona (SEK/USD = $6.63314) just so we could pay for the buses or taxis around town.
Then we walked out into the main hall of the airport which looks like one big trendy IKEA airport. We were so lucky because the buses come once every hour and we made it within 10  minutes. This is us exhausted and ready to be in our new home... (video)
After a 2 hour bus ride, we arrive at the train station where the pickup service got us in a van. There we met 3 other Australian girls that were also going to be living with us. I got the news that I will be staying in Vilhemsro, (My first choice!)  with my own room, and Jimena just down the hall from me. I was handed the keys and was never happier to see my new twin sized bed and get some much needed rest.

Travels continued...New Yorker Style

This was such an amazing day. After finally finding Jimena, I couldn't have asked for a smoother transition. The flight to New York was a breeze because we spent the entire time watching the 2 hour classic movie Mean Girls.

Once we arrived to La Guardia, we easily found the shuttle that took us to our next flight at JFK Airport. It was pretty funny because the "shuttle" turned out to be a small van with a driver that seemed to be on his first day on the job.Luckily we had a veteran taxi driver drive to show this rookie the ropes. Check out this video I recorded. ha. 
Through the crazy New York traffic with this highly aggressive cab driver, I probably flinched at least 3 times, thinking our van was going to merge right into the oncoming cars, but he rocked it! And we arrived right on time to check our bags for the second time. This is where I had my very first New York style altercation, with this sassy bag clerk. She immediately put the attitude on and demanded we pay a second time for our bags. (Which we were told the first time to show our payment stub and they will override the second charge.) This lady was not even listening to me and just demanded that I pay the fee. So of course, I had to play hard ball. Finally she waived the fee and said I need to put my luggage on the scale so she can weigh my bags.
She then went on a major power trip and said my 55lbs bag was too much. "You either need to put the weight in another bag, or get rid of your things. It needs to be 50lbs." She said. (Not true, the other airport approved this same exact bag to be checked.)  So Jimena kindly let me shove a few of my sweaters into her luggage. I got it down to 53lbs and that was that. All she could do was give me the stink eye as they loaded up my bags. Ha, hey, sometimes you gotta stand up for yourself, especially when your friends involved are too sweet to get a little aggressive. And I was perfectly ok showing this lady that Florida girls can hold their own too. ;)
Now it was dinner time. There were two choices: This swanky bistro, or the BK. Knowing we are on a college budget and we will be far from an American burger for a while made this decision simple, BK it is! Before we took the first bite, I casually asked Jimena if she wouldn't mind If I blessed our food in a prayer. She said it was totally fine and that made me happy. :)
After dinner, we were waiting at our gate and striked up a conversation with these 2 girls who actually were from Stockholm! I was quite surprised when I heard this because the weren't at all blonde hair and blue eyes. I was already breaking down the walls of my prejudgments.
It was finally time to board my dreaded 8 hour flight. But this flight pleasantly surprised me. I did not think dinner, movies, or even blankets were offered without paying a nifty price. But in fact, all of the above were offered for free! We watched this amazing movie Going the Distance, about a long distance relationship, ha how ironic. All I can say is that it ends well. :)
Dinner consisted of an impressive chicken with rice, steamed veggies, and dessert served with a Red wine. So funny thing about alcohol on a plane, it gets to you...I Didn't know that when I decided to let Jimena put her glass on my fold out tray so she could sleep. So there I was with 2 full wine glasses and I start to feel sleepy. Already pretty beat at this point from traveling, I wasn't thinking very clearly. So I thought the only way I can put these glasses on the ground to lift up my tray and sleep is to drink the rest. Ha, yeah I had a fun rest of the trip.

Just when I feel I couldn't be anymore blessed from God, talking to local Swede next to me that just visited Disneyland with his wife and kids while sipping on my free wine, they play a marathon of The Office!!
So far so good, can't wait for what tomorrow brings and where I will be living!! Oh yeah, and I get to ride my very first train! I am expecting something like the Hogwarts Express, but I will try and keep my imagination at bay. ;)

First day of travels...

So I woke up at 8:30am and got picked up by my boyfriend and his mom (my second mama) and we were off to the Orlando International airport.

I got there with plenty of time to spare before my 12:15 departure time. Once we got there my mommy met up with us and that is the first time my mother and Josh's mom have met. And it hit me, how amazingly strong these two women are. Love them both and can't wait to have us all get together more often.
As it was so incredible to have my loved ones at the airport to see me off, it was bittersweet. I said my goodbyes to mom #1 and mom #2, and then there was Josh. He took my hand and pulled me around the corner and he said, "lets pray." As we were together in prayer, asking God to watch over the both of us and keep us strong in our relationship with him as well as with each other, I couldn't help but start to cry. And the tears streamed even heavier as we had our goodbye kiss. Gosh, I am already getting butterflies thinking about the next time I can be in his arms. :)
After that I was on my own, and I started to get pretty worried because my travel buddy, Jimena, was no where to be found. She had facebooked me the previous night telling me how her phone was disconnected and provided me with her moms number. I must have called it 30 times the next morning. Although my heart was beating out of my chest and I was in complete panic mode, I took a big gulp and walked through customs with about 55 minutes till my departure...with nobody but God.
Customs suprised me because I have heard some pretty bad horror stories about "how it is now" but all I had to do was remove my jacket, boots, and laptop from the case. Then I strolled right through, no biggie. I found my gate 77 and unloaded all my luggage and bags onto the carpet. After that stressful workout I really needed some water, so I went over to the nearest kiosk and grabbed the largest Fiji I could find, then I stepped in line. As I was waiting in line, of course who do I run into but Jimena!!! I was so relieved to see her that I ran out of line and hugged her! From then on, I knew it was going to be a great journey...