It’s Been Awhile

Awhile is such a weird word.

^ McKenzie and I on the trampoline

I’ve got some pictures that I stole from facebook, so I thought I could post them and tell y’all what I’ve been up to since last posting.

this is from the day Connor came to Stockholm

Connor, Mackenzie, Elle, Narain

Andrew, Narain, Grace, Me, Avishkar, Josh

this is the exhibit that we’ve been working on for Dorren. I didn’t have my camera this day, so I don’t have any photos of the photos we took for the fotografi group. sorry

At Katarina Hissen – Mackenzie, Narain, me, Grace

Avishkar

Emily and I sunbathing at the top of a hill. There was a dog park up there, but there were only like 3 guys in there, so we couldn’t pet dogs surreptitiously :(((

climbed a statue

ok, so I’ve been going to school and moping around because wow I’m really tired, but then on  Wednesday I decided to have fika with Sam. After fika we picked up her mum and brother from their hotel and went out for pizza and then toured the city. It was very cool and I liked meeting her mum a lot because I just think it’s so neat to see my friends in their ‘natural environment’ or whatever.

Thursday I decided to go hangout with McKenzie (the girl) and so I called her up and she was like “I’m going to my counselor’s house, but I’ll be done in a bit” and it takes me like an hour to get to her house, so I left pretty much right then and there. I get to her stop and text her to let me know when she’s walking home and I’ll meet her there, and she’s like, “No, come to teatime with me and my counselor!” so I start walking and then I realize that I don’t remember where he lives. I text her asking, and she doesn’t respond so I sat on a fence and pulled out my book. Over an hour and a half later she and Daniel come walking down the road and my feet are ready to fall off because wow my socks were wet.

The next day I decided I wasn’t mad at her, so I went to her house for lunch because my classes ended early. We made brownies and watched Legally Blonde: The Musical and then I slept over.

Saturday her host brother set of the trampoline and Paddy came over. We jumped on it for a while, while Kenzie’s host brother tried in vain to make us do flips. (I still remember chipping my tooth at Keenan’s house, so I’m not very eager to fling myself through the air anymore.) Then I made Kenzie and Paddy watch Hannibal (which they loved, and I know all of you would too if you would just give it chance).

Today I was going to hang out with Paddy but I was very worn out from all my social interactions and declined to watch The Five Year Engagement (eh. Not bad, not good. Jason Segel is looking really old.) and Austenland (v cute, mom. you’d love it.) instead.

My host parents left a few days ago to go to see their daughter in Florida, so my host mom’s parents are here watching us. They are very nice and I like them very much.

I’m going to Kiruna on Monday, so I’m going to sleepover at Sam’s on Sunday and then fly out in the morning with everyone. I’ll make sure to bring my camera!

Me and Will (McKenzie’s host brother)

McKenzie’s host dad promised he would make me apple pie with ice cream the next time I came over for dinner, so I came over for dinner two days in a row

sam’s brother (Keaton), Sam’s mum (Pam), and Sam (Samantha)

This Has Been a Post

Today I went to art class and they told us our next assignment will be “graphic”. I asked what that was supposed to mean and they said that you can use a potato to do it???????? But we won’t be using potatoes. I guess it’s something to do with stamps. We get to use knives on linoleum flooring to make them. We weren’t supposed to have school on Wednesday, so I was going to hang out with Sam, her mum, and her brother who are coming from Florida to visit her that day. The art teacher said today that she wants us to meet in Slussen at noon on Wednesday. I don’t know what I’m going to do yet. She wouldn’t explain what we were doing in Slussen beyond “getting inspired”, so I should probably be able to hang out there for an hour or two and still meet up with Sam’s family.

Update: My friend just posted this in our class group on facebook – Imorgon letar vi upp Sophia och säger att vår mentor har bestämt att hela klassen är lediga på onsdag. Hon får skjuta upp tiden på den där konst grejen. Vad tycker ni? Jämställdhet osv. Maybe we won’t have school after all!

I tried to go to a rotary meeting today, but when I got there my counselor wasn’t there and I felt weird staying because I wouldn’t have paid for my meal and they would have given me meat and I didn’t recognize any of the members that I usually talk to, so I slipped out after making some small talk.

I needed to wait for Hamish though because I left my phone at his house when I slept over the other night. He said he would be at the place where my rotary meets at 1:30, so I took a walk around gamla stan and rode the ferry a bit. Then I decided to go to where he has his rotary meetings so that he wouldn’t have to walk all the way to where mine are. Trouble is, he doesn’t go every week like I do. I waited there until 1:30 when his rotary meeting would have gotten out and he never came from the dining hall.

I ran from Katarina Hissen into gamla stan where my meeting was and found him and Emily waiting for me. I was 10 minutes late and they were scared that I was never going to show up. So much for being helpful.

We hung out for an hour or so, trying to find a cafe that could be “ours” since we always go to Cafe Dox as a large group and we wanted a place for our own. We loitered in a church though and couldn’t find what we were looking for by the time Emily had to go back to school. Next monday maybe.

Here are some pictures I stole off of Hamish’s blog:

this is the german shepherd I mentioned before.

this is a hamster on my head

Some Photos To Accompany the Last Post

minecraft exhibit at moderna museet

Avishkar and Elle

Tanner and I

We sat on the docks for a long while and played with these pontoons

more haircut photos

On the ferry ride to Skeppsholmen

Dinner on Friday

the view of Grona Lund from Skeppsholmen’s citadel

Tanner Came To Town – Run on Sentences

Yesterday Tanner came to Stockholm so I met him and Avishkar, Elle, Grace, and Hamish at Katarina Hissen. We walked around Gamlastan a bit and made a stop at an antique store. Elle bought some henna tattoo powder so that she and Avishkar (who’s incidentally Indian) could draw an eagle on my back. Later on we found out that there wasn’t any henna oil in the box though, so we couldn’t do it. I will be sad until I have a poorly drawn henna eagle on my back.

Avishkar and Hamish live together in Nacka (which is where Tanner was sleeping over), so we went back to their house. They told me that their host mom was really cool and I wanted to meet her. Elle and I slept over too after having a v lovely dinner that we all helped build and watched Benjamin Button (terrible movie, but Brad Pitt, so, hey).

This morning I made some really awful eggs for Tanner and I. I was afraid of overcooking them, so I undercooked them, and it was just really awful. I’m so sorry, we probably both got salmonella. Tanner was a champ and ate them anyway though. Thanks for not making me feel like a loser, Tanner.

After cleaning up breakfast (and several cups of coffee. omg they had a coffee machine like we have back in WI and it tasted beautiful I wanted to cry.) we went to Skeppsholmen (I think that’s how it’s spelled???) to see Moderna Museet. None of us really “got it” and there were some pretty freak exhibits. No photography allowed though. Sorry guys. It’s hard to explain what we saw. There was a weird and unsettling music video about nuclear meltdowns that was in 3D with a robot singer. I don’t know.

The End. I’m going to ask around and see if I can get any pictures for you guys.

Last Friday Night

We went to Hamish’s house for a Pasta Party. He’s got a really skinny German Shepherd. Dogs.

We went shopping for pasta and there was a woman with free samples of ice cream an meringue and it was wonderful. Sofia was in charge of the ingredients because she’s Italian. She got really into her job as you can see by this clip of her yelling at Mckenzie in Italian about pasta.

When we got to Hamish’s house we took him outside and I gave him a haircut. It was kind of terrifying because boy hair is tricky, but I think it turned out all right! Beatrice is in the building!

  

 

We bought too much pasta, so everyone got a mountain on their plate. Afterwards we had to leave because the bus was coming and it kind of sucked because we hadn’t timed it out very well and all the cleaning was left to Sofia, Grace, Elle, and Hamish. We’re jerks. I’m sorry.

Since I’ve been back (AKA the reason I don’t make daily updates anymore)

 Ok, I like coffee, I like tea, I like the boys and the boys like me. I’ve been drinking too many hot beverages than is probably good for me. Chai Lattes are my new obsession. I’ve probably said it, but you can’t order drinks at Espresso House the way you can at Starbucks. It’s taken me up until a few weeks ago to figure out what my drink at Espresso House was going to be, but I’ve totally got it figured out now. I don’t think I’ll ever order anything else from any coffee shop except for chai lattes for the rest of my life.

Yesterday I hung out with Emily and got my insurance stuff all printed off from her school’s printer with the help of Hamish and Grace. They’re darling. I’ll have to update the cast page soon. Then we went to Dox to meet up with Sam and Andrew and Avishkar and we looked for a white dress so that Sam can be Carrie for a costume party her school is putting on. We didn’t find anything, but I got to pet a dog that was tied up next to a tyme machine, so the day was pretty good.

Today I went to school and now I’m going to tjejgruppen to hang out with my friend Hannah from the photography class I go to on thursdays. She’s pretty kickin.

The End. I’m pretty uninteresting.

MEGA-UPDATE

The sun came out today. It’s been years since I’ve seen the sun. I put on my spring coat and stood in the sunny patches while I waited for the train. I know this doesn’t sound very important, but I think today may have been the best day I’ve had in several weeks because of it. I like all my friends and stuff, but THE SUN YOU GUYS!!!!!! I couldn’t think about anything else today.

Alright alright alright. Let’s get on to the stuff that people other than me care about.

This post comes to you in 5 parts!

1. I’m good. Like really, really good. 

I don’t know where I’ve been. I think part of the reason I’ve been so down the last few months is because I don’t have an over-arching goal or concern (Musicals, Horse Training, Work, etc.) Since I don’t have something big to worry about constantly, I’ve been worrying about everything in equal measure. Every little thing’s been bothering me and because I don’t tangible goals to validate my existence, I was using people to validate my existence (omg, Kate, that’s so unhealthy! That’s not what people are for! Psh. You’re telling me.) I’m such a pretentious pseudo-intellectual saying that, but I think it’s important to know these things if you’re considering being an exchange student, because if you don’t get a life-consuming hobby, your hobby will become sleeping and fretting and that’s no way to be. So. Tips from Kate. Get a life.

2. I’m 18 now

I went to Emily’s house the weekend I turned 18 and we watched fight club and ate American pancakes and made cupcakes and pet her bunny and it was magical. We had a pretty sick dance party and Emily and I became best friends on snapchat to reflect our irl best friendship.

I accidentally deleted the dance party video. This is a summary of what you would have seen.

breakfast!

bunny in a lil bunny hat

omg we ate so much pizza that night

watchin the olympics

Sam and Emily

Emily is a cupcake MASTER

totes adorbs

makin cupcakes

McKenzie made us miss the bus so we had to walk a half hour in the rain

I’m really excited to go back home now because I CAN VOTE IN ELECTIONS NOW OH YEAH, MAKING A DIFFERENCE ONE VOTE AT A TIME!!!!

After the sleepover we went to Cafe 60 to celebrate Avishkar’s birthday. Then next morning my host family woke me up by busting into my room singing the Swedish birthday song with the traditional Swedish birthday cake and I couldn’t have been happier it was super kind of them to do that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wowowowow

3. Breno

Breno was one of our Oldies from Brazil. He went home on Feb 10th. He’s the best person ever and we all miss him a lot.

Breno and McKenzie

Andrew got Breno to sign his chest

4. Valentine’s Day ❤

I made everyone Valentines, but when I got to the cafe I realized that I’d forgotten them. So I went home (A half hour ride.) and then when I was heading back to the cafe, I realized I’d forgotten one, so I had to go back again (a fifteen minute ride.) So in total, I travelled and hour and fifteen minutes for these valentines and I ended up only being able to give them to three people :((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( I have a problem, I am very aware. A normal person would have said oh well, but these valentines were hilarious because I’m hilarious, and I needed them to be appreciated. I love my friends so much. They’re perf.

5. This Last Weekend

Hannah came up from Nykoping, but I didn’t hang out with her and everyone for very long on Saturday because Valentine’s Day was a lot of social interaction and I needed a break.

Sunday I almost stayed in bed all day too, but they annoyed me into coming out. We got sushi and I ate a spoonful of wasabi. It was all good until we started walking to T-Cen to pick up Hamish. Suddenly I was having a heart attack and I was going to throw up all at the same time. More tips from Kate: Don’t eat a spoonful of wasabi just to prove you’re hardcore. I had to go get some yogurt or something and in the meantime Emily and Hamish showed up. A bunch of them wanted to go look at the kungstragarden subway station, so I sat with Emily and waited for them to come back to T-Cen because she had had a heart attack earlier that day too.

My exchange family!

T-Cen

Kungstragarden

Kungstragarden

Kungstragarden

TOURISTS!

Then we sat on the docks until it started raining, after which we went to Cafe Dox to take cover.

And that was what you missed these last few days. I stole all of these photos from McKenzie’s blog because I’m too lazy to take my own these days.

GOTT NYTT ÅR!

It’s January first!! The world still hasn’t ended! Sherlock premieres tonight!

Plans got really messy last night, so this isn’t going to be about what I talked about in previous posts. I’ll organize this into a time table because life is hard and confusing and it’ll give my transitionary adverbs a break. I don’t know what tense and which pronouns to use in all of this either because half of this happened to me and half of this happened to me and the group and some of it is still happening? Lordy Lord. Also, I’m bad at math, so those estimations of half are probably really off.

4:00 – picked up Perth from the station

4:40 – picked up Hannah from the station

4:50 – went back to my house to drop off luggage

???? idk the real time. I’m gonna guess it was about 6:00? – Went to Central Station to meet up with Josh, Avishkar, and Oliver to get coffee Starbucks was closed though and we were very sad.

7:00ish ish – Went to McIncredible. Then we sat and talked and it was nice and also a little boring because I am the worst at making plans. Every other day is a ‘red day’ in Sweden which means that the shops close at 2:00pm and whatnot. We discussed what to do with the time we had free until the time we had free was gone.

9:00 – picked Narain up from the station. Oliver, and Pablo left to go to house parties and Narain and Perth went off in search of food that wasn’t McDonald’s. The rest of us waited for Alejandra and Jorge to come to the station. We ate Hannah’s brownies while we waited so it wasn’t all bad

9:45 – Several brownies later we left the station to find a kebab house for Jorge.

10:30? – We got to Slussen (an area near the water) and watch live music under the shadow of Katrina’s Hissen.

11:40 – Narain calls me to come and find him and Perth, which rescues me from being crushed to death. Every person who has ever lived was pressing up against each other in a writhing mass of bodies and I thought I was going to die.

11:55 – I find them and we watch the fireworks from a safe distance away from the drunk people.

12:00 – HAPPY NEW YEAR! Instead of kissing each other, strangers give hugs to one another which is infinitely more hygienic. (Side note: All night people were grabbing at me on the sidewalk and stuff. Like, they’d take my arm or stand chest to chest to me and go “Hallå!” and at one point this guy came up and was like “Pata Spanska?” and I was like “No, pero- hey, Alejandra!” because I thought he needed directions or something and then he says to her “Me gusta ella. Es muy bonita.” and I’m laughing because I could kind of understand and Alejandra translates it to “He says he likes you,” and I say “Claro que si!” and that is literally the extent of my Spanish so I walk away before he can try and talk to me again, but wow. Just remember to S.I.N.G. if you ever get into trouble. Miss Congeniality taught me that. Self-defense class taught me to aim for the eyes.

1:40 – We finish listening to music and watching fireworks and look for a place to pee and eat and McIncredibles is the only place open so we head on back.

2:30 – We find Oliver at the station and take him back to McDonald’s.

3:00 – I’m really tired and I start to feel feverish? Also I get unnecessarily emotional and start crying because I suddenly remember that everyone is going to leave and I’m never going to see them again and the present is really nice and I don’t know if it’s possible but I felt nostalgic for it.

3:45? – We head home, missing the Nockeby train by nearly two hours. sl.se, the website we use to check train times, went down around midnight, so there wasn’t anyway to know unless we had checked before going out. Oops.

5:00???? – We get home after walking from Alvik and wow I was so cold, it was unreal.

7:00 – After several deep and meaningful sleepover conversations, I fall asleep. Dang.

1:00 – have breakfast

2:30 – Keep the party going by going to Starbucks and taking sips of everyone else’s drinks because that’s how you find out what’s good and I’m definitely not a mooch.

5:40 – Go home because I’m definitely have a fever and am the clammiest of clams. Dear lord. Go on, feel my hands. They are sweaty and cold just like the rest of me and I am probably dying ohmygod. I’m shivering while I type this. Literally, my teeth are chattering and my stomach hurts the way it does before you jump off of something really high. This is disgusting. I’m hope it’s just left over emotion from last night and I’m not actually ill.

Okay. I hope this post was informative. I think there’s probably a million things I’m missing. We danced at the new years thing. All of those dances I had during gym class with that weird kid who tried to ask me to prom Sophomore year were useless and I had needed to be taught all over again. I think that’s it. I don’t know. I’ll probably remember more later.

^ Gabriella left a few days ago, so a bunch of us said good bye to her at the airport.