Dairy Bar Daydream

Today marked the beginning of my 8-day Scotland adventure.  It truly is my adventure to Scotland; I’ve booked all of my tours, hostels, and travel (bus, train, and plane).  However, this trip begins from Stockholm.  To ensure I make my plane tomorrow morning I decided it would be wise to stay in a hostel in Stockholm tonight.  After doing research, I decided I would stay at Interhostel. The reviews were great, the amenities seemed perfect for a college student who would inevitably have work to finish for an online class, conveniently located close to both shopping and the central bus and train station, while also being the cheapest hostel in the city!  This was the first time I would be staying in a hostel, so I decided to capture pictures of the experience.  I didn’t know what to expect, so I made sure I looked up directions on Google maps and also marked the route on my map of Stockholm.

Having been to Stockholm about a week ago, I knew where the main walking street (Drottningatan) was located.  My hostel was on Kammarkagatan so locating the street sign was my first objective.  Since my first day in Sweden, I’ve learned that the Swedes prefer to put the street signs on the sides of buildings.

After successfully locating the street sign, I traveled down a side street where I trudged through a few inches of a snow-slush mix.  Fortunately, I knew the hostel wasn’t far from the end of the street, otherwise I might have missed the sign. I guess it’s a smart idea not to advertise the hostel’s location too much so people don’t both travelers…unfortunately, you don’t want the travelers to miss the sign either!

And finally, I needed to successfully enter my room.  The room was about what I expected.  However the shared kitchen, common areas, and bathrooms were nicer than I envisioned.  This evening, the hostel has come alive with travelers from all over the world.  I’ve met students from Spain and I’m rooming with two girls from France. It’s a really neat experience!

This is only the first of four hostels I will be staying in throughout my journey through Scotland.  I hope the other’s as nice as this; I’ll try to keep you posted!

This weekend was a great experience! I never expected to travel to Latvia; it was never a “must-see” for me however I’m so glad I took the opportunity to visit this small country of about two million people.  It’s a country very different from the United States.  Sure, in Latvia the people speak a different language, use a different currency, and the entire country is about the quarter of the population of New York City; but I’m looking at more than those very noticeable differences.  In 2008, Latvia celebrated it’s 38th year of independence…in it’s entire history!  In Riga, there is an entire museum devoted to the times throughout Latvia’s history where the country was occupied by both the Nazis and the Soviet Union.  The Museum of the Occupation was an eye-opening lesson.  This country suffered immeasurable losses throughout World War II especially; over 1/3 of the country’s population was either deported, exiled, or killed.  While I’ve been to the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C and even visited the attic where Anne Frank and her family hid throughout that tragic time, I have a newfound understanding of, as a nation, what the cost of these historical events were to the countries nearest to the horrors.

This weekend was amazing! A fellow Cornellian entered the Vikingarannet-an 80 km (50 mile) ice skating race.  The race took place from Uppsala to Stockholm on a frozen lake! Congratulations to Conor, for finishing the race in 5 hours and 14 minutes!

I promise there is more to come about our day in Stockholm, however I’m leaving on another adventure: I’m going on a cruise to Riga, Latvia! Plenty of pictures to come!

In the four weeks I’ve been in Sweden, New York has been hit by at least 5 snowstorms! Up until yesterday, we hadn’t gotten any snow.  However, I finally was able to see my first snow fall in Sweden! Reports say that we got 20 cm (which really caused a lot of talk).  That means, we got a whopping 7-8 inches of snow!!! That’s plenty for me; especially since I can’t bike when we get that much snow!

Today, at my friend Cory’s funeral, his mother stood up to deliver his eulogy and said, “Life is the leading cause of death. And Cory lived his life – passionately. And he died doing what he loved to do. If he didn’t do what he loved, he may not have died yesterday, but he wouldn’t have truly lived either.” MMT

This was a post on a website I visit quite often.  Makes Me Think is a website that was designed after fmylife.com became widely popular.  Rather than focusing on the negative, this website focuses on events that make you stop and think-normally for the better!

And this made me do just that! My first thought was sad; I felt sorry that this person had to lose her friend.  But then I re-read it and had to remind myself, “Kaylie, you’re missing the point!” I admire this boy’s mother for her strength.  How many people would be able to look at a loved one’s death with such clarity? I don’t think I ever have.  I feel like she gets the point and most importantly, she understood her son.

This is the way I try and want to live my life! Sometimes I take on too much or do crazy things.  Often times, people ask me “Why do you do so much?”  The reason I stress and take on so many activities is because I want to live: I never want to look back and regret not doing an activity or wonder where I’d be if instead of playing it safe, I took a chance and went out on a limb.  I mean there are hundreds of quotes regarding “living life” and plenty of songs (“Live This Life” by Big & Rich, “It’s Your Life” by Francesca Battistelli) too!

So that’s why I always try to do what I love; that’s why I am over 3,000 miles away from my family and friends—because I’m living my life with passion!  That’s why I joke with my friends that if I’m still alive at 75 years-old I’m going to bungee jump off a bridge into a river and why at my funeral I want everyone to wear bright colors and celebrate by remembering rather than mourning a life well-lived!  As my best friend Addie said in her senior quote: “Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming—‘Wow! What a ride!’ “

***If you like www.makesmethink.com then I recommend checking out www.givesmehope.com and www.sixbillionsecrets.com ***

Probably the most unique aspect of student life in Uppsala, is this tradition called nations.  Hundreds of years ago, the students of the two universities decided they needed somewhere that allowed students to have a good time and unwind from the stresses of academia.  Today, there are 13 nations in Uppsala and each one of them is named for a region of Sweden.  They all have many of the same benefits: a pub, discounted meals at their restaurants, clubs, and extracurricular activities to get involved in! I would say it is sort of like the fraternity/sorority system at Cornell however there is one crucial difference.  At Cornell, if you belong to one fraternity, you tend to stay within that group; you attend their parties and participate in their activities.  Here, once you join one nation, you have access to all of them! It’s a great way to meet people!

After doing my research, I decided to join Sodermanlands-Nerikes; or more commonly known as Snerikes here! Yesterday we had our official welcome.  The festivities started at 2 p.m. when we met in small groups to get to know some of the other students who were new to Snerikes! Around 4 p.m. we braved the cold and went up to the main building at Uppsala University where this sight awaited us!

The international secretaries and welcome committee members toasting us before they led us inside to give us more information about what to expect as a member of Snerikes.  They explained some of the traditions to expect when attending the events.  For example, at the gasques (formal dinners and dances) and balls, your meal may be interrupted so the ‘Songmaster’ can lead the group in a song.  Since there are so many songs, they recommend you buy a songbook.  At each formal event you attend, it is tradition to let those you are sitting with, sign your songbook.  Once they have signed it, it is also a tradition for them to bite it! Not the most hygienic practice however it’s tradition and who’s going to mess with that right?  Fortunately, my book made it home in one piece from my first experience so I have a nice “before” picture to show you!

Once we had been instructed in a few of the traditions we needed to be aware of, we journeyed down to Snerikes.  There is no way possible to confuse where Snerikes is because it is a bright pink castle nestled right on the outskirts of the city center! I experienced more “tradition” when the brass band played as we entered the building.  This is the signal that everyone needs to pair up (boy-girl) and walk up the stairs to the dining room, where you must sit boy-girl-boy-girl.  The dinner was a three-hour affair with traditional Swedish food: pea soup, a swedish sandwich (cracker, butter, and cheese), pancakes…and alcohol.  At the beginning of the evening everyone gets a small tea cup with a very sweet liquor.  After every song you sing, you bow to the people sitting to your right, your left, and across from you; once you have you sip the liquor and then repeat the process.  Later on in the evening when it is time to listen to the speeches, everyone is given a shot of Schnapps, which traditionally is extremely bitter.  Since it was my first experience, I decided I would stick with tradition and try the bitter Schnapps; it will be the last time I make that particular decision while I’m here!

To conclude the evening, once all the speeches have been spoken, the choir has sung, and the band has played (during which, it is “tradition” to tap your coffee cups with your spoon and wave your napkin around your head like a lasso), Michael, our fearless songmaster, stands for the last time and we conclude with “O, gamla klang- och jubeltid” which is the song that ends every dinner, gasque, and ball.  What makes this song so special? Well, it’s “tradition” that during the last verse, everyone stands on their chairs and toasts everyone- and you cannot get off your chair until the highest-ranking official in the room (the 1st curator) steps down off his chair.

I’ve always wanted to be part of a tradition that was steeped in history and I believe, that this semester, will provide me with enough traditions for the rest of my life!

This Sunday was full of adventures!  I met my friend Danna in the city so we could attend the High Mass at the Cathedral in Uppsala.  Uppsala Cathedral is part of the Church of Sweden and offers Evangelical Lutheran services.  I’m sure there are services in English, however the High Mass is conducted entirely in Swedish (a language that I still speak only a few words of).  I’ve been going to religious services since I was seven years-old and begged my parents to let me go to Sunday School (that’s how much I loved school back then!) and I have attended a few less than inspiring services.  I’m guilty of getting distracted or not leaving my worries at the door; so often times, that hour when I should be connecting with God, I use as my hour to sit and try to remember everything I have to get done before the next week starts.

Knowing that this is a challenge for me, I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to pay attention since I didn’t understand much of the service.  However, I didn’t have one errant thought throughout the entire 90 minute service.  It was beautiful and I wanted to take part.  I sang hymns in Swedish and I said prayers in Swedish.  It was a great experience! It was the first time I’ve actually been able to attend a mass in a cathedral that I’ve visited.  And while I still can’t speak the language I now can prayer in Swedish; which I think is a step in the right direction!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uppsala_Cathedral#History