Dairy Bar Daydream

…to all of my friends who are currently in Ithaca, trying to make it through the first week of classes! While I wish them the warmest welcome possible, the weather is not being so kind.  Ithaca (and most of New York) has been experiencing record lows this week.  On Monday it was -20 Fahrenheit in Ithaca, which is about -29 Celsius.  When I was explaining the current temperature to a friend from Finland, she did not believe me that New York could get that cold…especially colder than here!  In Uppsala, the lowest it’s gotten down to this week was 10 Farhrenheit and we have gotten less than three inches of snow since I’ve been here!

So to all of my friends back home, keeping going strong! Just keep thinking warm and sunny thoughts-they’ll come true eventually…perhaps in March!

As much as I am currently enjoying Sweden, my first few days here were tough to say the least.  I would have never gotten through that time without a huge support system encouraging me and helping me stay positive and keep looking forward to this brand new adventure.  A support system makes a huge difference during your first semester of college as well as when a student study’s abroad.  They are the ones who are there to applaud and cheer for you when you succeed and comfort you and give a pep-talk when the results aren’t exactly what you wanted.  I’d like to give a few shout outs to all those who have supported me:

My friends: This zany, crazy group is everything any person could ask for! Some of them I’ve been friends with for fifteen years now; others I’ve only really gotten to know in the past year but I know I can always count on each of them to cheer me up, help me de-stress, and get excited about even the most ridiculous things like orange cowboy hats, duct tape, and homemade Rascal Flatts t-shirts! These are the people that will throw you an amazing going away party and wish you well on your journeys and act like they will never see you again! I have the greatest friends-I wouldn’t trade a single one of them for anything!

My family: It probably looks like I’m always surrounded by crazy people if you just look at the pictures.  My family has taught me so many life lessons.  I grew up as the only girl in our family for a long time, so I learned how to be just as tough, wild, and messy as any one of the “boys” in my family.  I may not get to see them as often as I like, but they’re always in my hearts and I will always be grateful for the traditions we have (like our annual “Jamboree” in my Grandmother’s backyard)!

My Mom: She is the one in my family that is most likely to cry with me when I’m upset about something and the first to get angry on my behalf! She is fun-loving and one of the most creative people I know! She has taught me how to love life and make the most of what you have!

My Dad: He has always been active in our community and my life.  From coaching youth sports to driving to college to help fix whatever isn’t working on my car, he is the most hard-working and unselfish person I know.  He has taught me what it means to work hard and why it is so important to do what you love.  He is not one to hand out praise but when he tells me he’s proud of me, it can still make me cry.

Russ: Long distance relationships are tough.  Some people might think that we should “take a break” while I’m studying abroad; others might have just expected us to.  I’m so thankful that he isn’t one of those people! He has never once asked me to compromise my dreams or principles and is constantly encouraging me to better myself and take advantage of opportunities!

Thank you for indulging me my shout outs! Like I said, it can take some time to adjust to life in college and life abroad, but if you have a support system, you will never be alone.  Who is your support system? Make sure you take the time to thank them for all they do for you!

The sun was out yesterday for the first time since I arrived in Sweden (this is day 6)! Even then, it’s only up for about six hours.  It rises around 9 a.m. and sets between 3-4 p.m.  We will gain fifty minutes of daylight every week while I’m here, so by the time I leave I will experience almost eighteen hours of daylight each day! I think I’ll need my shades then!

One of the suggestions the study abroad counselor at Cornell gave to me was “Don’t compare your exchange country to the U.S.  It won’t help you settle in; it’s meant to be different!”  Unfortunately I don’t know any other way to make it clear just how big of an adjustment it has been these past few days!  So, with the help of my wonderful camera, let me illustrate a few of the adjustments I’ve made in the past four days:

1. Language Barrier: I knew before I left home, that I did not know enough Swedish to be fluent with the native speakers.  To be honest, I didn’t know enough Swedish to ask “what time is it?”  Fortunately most Swedes are fairly fluent in English; unfortunately for me, most of the time, they don’t understand my accent (woohoo! for the first time in my life I have an accent!)

2. Transportation: I always lived in a rural area; it was 8 miles to my high school and 15 miles to the local grocery store.  This meant that I always traveled by car (or truck) since sidewalks were scarce and “public transportation” was non-existent.  In Sweden, that is not the case.  Below, you’ll find what most students get when they go off to college; it serves as their main mode of transportation to go grocery shopping as well as getting to class.  Bikes are everywhere, however the objective is to have an inconspicuous looking bike to avoid theft.

If you don’t like riding bikes you always have the option of taking the much more expensive route and traveling by bus.  There is always the chance that the bus will have just gone by when you reach the stop or that it won’t come at all because of icy road conditions! However once you get a bus map you should be set (as long as you remember the name of the stop you want to get off at!).

3. Shopping: I love shopping as much as the next girl.  I have gotten so good at grocery shopping that I know the exact route to what I need.  I can do all of my grocery shopping in less than twenty minutes.  Unfortunately, combine the language barrier with a new layout, and an enjoyable shopping trip becomes a test of patience and willpower.  I looked in the dairy section trying to determine the probability that what I was holding was butter and not cheese for nearly ten minutes (the word “margerin” saved me!); and I could not locate jelly (or preserves) to save my life.  So instead, I’ll be making peanut butter and nutella sandwiches this week (they are even tastier than PB&J!).  Fortunately this was a great lesson for me! I will be looking up the swedish words for everything on my grocery list this next trip!

4. Road conditions: My father complains of road conditions quite frequently during the long New York winters.  I was shocked at the difference in care and maintenance of Sweden’s roads compared to New York’s.  Back home, we salt the roads; before the snow ever starts falling, you can be guaranteed that salt trucks are 1-2 tons lighter.  In Sweden, the only salt you’ll find is on the main roads; and even then, its not much.  Instead, they throw gravel.  It’s actually a very unique and interesting system.  When the snow melts in the spring, street sweepers will sweep up all the gravel and it will then be stored to use for the next winter season! As my Irish corridor mate (equivalent of a hall mate) says, “Sweden is a well-oiled machine!” It certainly is much more sustainable (and probably better for the paint on cars!)

5. Laundry: Keeping clean at college is very important.  A major part of that process is doing laundry.  This process is another difference between the two countries and universities I’ve lived in.  Here in Sweden, everyone has a lock which you move from the “Lasparkering” board to the time boards located below it.  You then place your lock in the day and the two-hour block you would like to do your laundry during.  There is a blue board and a green board which correspond with the color of the washer you will use.  If you don’t start doing your laundry within 15 minutes of your slot, other students have the right to take your machine.

Once you have washed your clothing, you will need to dry it of course! Back home, I would just throw it in the dryer, put the dryer on high and forget about it for the next hour.  In Sweden, I will be using a drying room.  The best description I can give, is it is kind of like a giant sauna with clothes lines, except its not quite that warm.  From my understanding you hang your clothes up, close the door, and then a heater will heat the room until your clothes are dry!

I’ve only been here for four days now and these are just a few of the major adjustments I will be making in my life for the next five months.  I know I compared everything and it may very well sound biased but I am very excited for the new experiences I will be having! I just hope my clothes come out alright on the other side!

Well, I made it! I’ve officially been in Sweden for nearly twelve hours!  About two months ago, I decided to travel to Sweden with Icelandair.  The main motivation for this decision was that they allowed every passenger two bags that could way up to 50 lbs (23 kg) each! Not to mention there was a lay-over in Iceland-which I thought was much cooler than the lay-over in London.  Since I only live about two hours from New York City, JFK wasn’t a bad choice in airports either.  After my dad and my boyfriend helped me carry my luggage to check in, they waited with me on the twenty-minute long security line.  That was the reason our good-byes were so rushed and I blame the haste for why I cried.  I’ve said thousands of good-byes in my lifetime yet none of them were as tough as the one’s I said that day! I honestly think that I was so upset to say good-bye because it is so definite-I know that the next time I will see them in person is on June 4th when I fly back to the States since none of my family has their passports! Fortunately for us, technology will allow us to talk face-to-face through web chat-a luxury none of my ancestors had!

As I boarded the plane later on that night, I realized that Icelandair has very unique decorations:

They had about six different phrases randomly spread out throughout the cabin on the head rest.  The one you see above was the one that was on the headrest for my first leg of the trip! Not only was there a wealth of knowledge on the headrests, but the pillows as well.

I loved all of the tidbits I took away from my flight; and that is before we ever left the gate.  Once we were in the air I discovered a channel on my personal television that imparted very useful information about Iceland like “People in Iceland speak Icelandic.  It is so similar to what the vikings spoke that modern Icelanders have no problem reading ancient viking manuscripts and documents.”  And for those staying in Iceland, the airline offered a language tutorial on your personal television too! The only negative about traveling with Icelandair is that all food on the plane must be bought: there aren’t any complimentary meals, despite being an international, over-night flight.

Once I perused the duty-free shops during my hour lay-over in Reykjvak  Airport, I was back in the air again, this time with an entire row of seats all to myself! This made it much easier to sleep for the majority of the two hour and forty minute plane ride. Once I collected my baggage and was carrying my fifty pound duffle bag I realized there was no way I would make it if I had to carry it all they way to my train so I found a cart and was on my way! Once I was through customs I stopped to battle a pay phone for nearly thirty minutes trying to call my parents and my boyfriend to let them know I made it alright!

I traveled north on the Arlanda C Train (the commuter rail) and was fortunate enough to meet five other exchange students to take the journey with which helped calm my nerves a little bit.  Once I arrived at Uppsala Centralstation, I was greeted by two exchange students from France and Canada who helped me navigate the bus system to campus and sold me my bike! Once I arrived on campus I was greeted by the head of the International Student Committee who showed me my accommodations and gave me a little more insight on life at SLU (like how to do laundry and where to buy groceries)! I’m so thankful for all three ladies who helped me get settled in and made me feel welcome! Unfortunately by the time I was on campus and settled, it was already dark, so the pictures of the city are going to have to wait for another blog!

It’s finally here. My hours left in the United States have dwindled down to single digits and the pressure is on to make sure everything will fit in my luggage.  My clothes are washed; my room is cleaned (which means it’s cleaner than it’s been since I left for college); my last errands have been run; my good-byes are said; and my car is ready to be taken off the road for the next five months. It might sound strange but it feels like I’m just preparing to put my life at Cornell and in the U.S. on hold for five months. Right now, my life here and my plans for Sweden feel separate.  I contribute this feeling to the fact I’m leaving all my friends here and just finished saying all of my good-byes.

I have checked and double checked the luggage restrictions on all international flights with my airline carrier, Icelandair.  I am extremely proud of my packing abilities; I have managed to stuff everything I need in two suitcases, a backpack and a purse while still managing to be about 20 pounds under weight ! Since I have a nine hour and forty minute flight, I have packed the most essential belongings in my carry-ons.  As you can see below, I have two very distinguishable bags; Cornell and bees (with all the bee stuff I have, you’d think I love them or something).  Along with recognizable luggage, as any practiced traveler knows, an adventure is always sweeter when shared with a traveling partner; and with that I’d like to introduce you to Little Russ.  Since my boyfriend can’t come with me on my journey, he let me build-a-bear (or in my case a monkey) in his likeness.  Little Russ is going to be traveling with me on all of my trips throughout this adventure and fortunately he has his own traveling outfit…but if you want to see it you’ll have to come back later!

“Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits.”~Author Unknown I cannot tell you how many times I have made New Year’s Resolutions! “Eat less ice cream, workout more, get better grades” and the list could go on and on. However I can tell you how many I have ever kept: None.I have never kept a single New Year’s Resolution in my life! Many people would equate that to me being a poor goal-setter or terribly unfocused. However this year I realized why all those New Year’s Resolutions have failed in the past. You see, up until this point in my life I never asked the questions that needed asking; I was completely content with just knowing the right thing to say and then saying it. I always knew that I SHOULD eat less ice cream than I do; that I SHOULD study harder so I could get those better grades. But somehow, just because it’s something you ought to do, doesn’t mean that it will actually MEAN something to you. Sometime back in July, my friend and I started discussing New Year’s and the resolutions people make with New Year’s. My friend told me that he did not believe in New Year’s Resolutions and he never made any for himself. At first, I was baffled why he wouldn’t want to set new goals for the upcoming year–so I asked him. Do you know what his response was? “Why should I wait until the New Year to make these goals? I think that anytime you feel strongly about something you should make it your goal right then and there; you don’t have to wait for one special day of the year to implement that goal!” My friend was right in two ways. So many times people often get stuck in the monotony of just setting goals for New Year’s that we forget that we need to constantly be striving towards and evaluating the goals we have set; not just mark them off at the end of the year and create new ones. I had gotten so stuck on setting New Year’s Resolutions that over time, it had just become a habit-one that I didn’t act on or ever improve. Secondly, he talked about feeling “strongly” or “passionately” about something. If you do not feel strongly about achieving the resolutions you set, there will be no drive; a lack of enthusiasm and effort that will leave you once again letting your resolutions slip away from you. So this year I’m breaking away from tradition-from the habit of setting New Year’s Resolutions and you know what? It’s exhilerating! I am excited that I am not going to set goals for myself that I won’t achieve and then feel guilty about that come this time next year. I’m excited that I will instead be able to set goals at any point in the year and continue to strive for success in many different areas of my life! I hope that the end of 2010 leads nicely into the beginning of 2011 and this holiday time allows you the time to spend with loved ones and friends…I know I have! God bless!