Just one more thing. Sweden is getting dark. Next week is midsems week, and Erik is coming for some quality brother-sister bonding time. Then I have a week off, to do what? Hopefully take a train around Sweden, but also to get my act together! I feel like the time is slipping away from me, and I have been spending too much time staying up half the night working at pubs with crazy Swedes. Let me qualify that - crazy Swedes who I love! but still - it makes me feel kind of lost to spend at least part of every week sleeping until 1 or 2pm.
I think I would feel less melancholic right now if I could just complete some piece of work, like a paper, or start knitting a scarf for winter, or do a thorough analysis of my finances. It's strange, but even though I feel more accepted and well-liked as a whole by the group of friends I have met working at Gula Villan (student pub) than I do with my study abroad group, it feels sad not to be spending time with the people on my program. I don't understand, but I guess we have a common experience being exchange students that I don't have with the Swedish students. There's actually a big difference in how it feels to go wandering around the city with another American college student compared to going out with a student who grew up in Stockholm. And its not just that you know where you are going when you go out with a native Stockholmer. Its a difference of perspective. I don't know if I can explain it. But lately I have been feeling strangely ungrounded. I just REALLY need to make muffins with/for someone! It's not like I don't get this feeling back home when I'm at school too. I'm never baking enough with people :(
Here is my proposed travel plans for the winter break:
1. Take a plane or train down to the southern tip of Sweden to Malmö, where I will see one of the largest immigrant communities in Sweden.
2. Take a train North to the university town of Lund.
3. Continue North up the West coast to Göteborg.
4. Somewhere in this area (?) visit the home of Selma Lagerlöf, Swedish author
5. Continue North to Mora to visit the museum/home of Swedish painter Anders Zorn
6. Somewhere in this area, visit Carl Larsson's home
the rest not in coherent order yet:
- visit the town where they make Orrefors crystal
- visit a town in Dalarna region where someone told me there is a cool copper mine
- visit a town in the South where someone told me they make good candy
- visit Uppsala
- make a trip to Okelbo!
- I don't think I can make it on this tour, but I would love to go to Northern Sweden, maybe to Abisko.
We shall see - I haven't bought any tickets yet, and I think financial and time restraints will limit this itinerary a little bit.
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I'm really glad you got to see Gadd play live, it's really not anything you can explain fully to another drummer unless they have seen it as well...but your description does it justice..
ReplyDeleteand now you know!...(grin)
You're probably never going to feel as if you are giving everything (and everyone) the time it (and they) deserve. I'm 30+ years older, and I still have that problem - it never goes away (although some days you may feel you have a better handle on it that others).
ReplyDeleteTry not to worry, OK? It will all work out somehow!