It's The End of the Year, as we know it. . . .

. . . . and I feel fine.

Packing and moving day! Woah! (Note: not moving to Canada, but into a friend's apartment for a week and a bit until I head off to central/eastern Europe with Mish.)
So that's fun. . . . (inte). (Here is something of what my apt. looks like! Yikestown!)





In the process, I am giving, selling, donating (trying not to throw), eating, and fretting over all my temporary belongings.

I said to a friend at work yesterday, "Isn't it so weird that in a month and a bit, my current life won't exist anymore." Now, I realize this is the kid of pot-induced statement one might make while eating entire bags of potato chips, but this was at 13.00 at work. It is weird. I wonder what it does to you, completely uprooting, and shifting into a new 'path' of life. I did it when I moved here, but there is a difference this time.


When I moved here, I was alone. It was agiant step, and when I landed, I did not know a soul here. I took the bus from the airport with all my suitcases, barely knowing where to go.
I had so much time to write and think, and contemplate, and so much time to walk around alone.

This time, it’s a crazy whirlwind, as I previously alluded to. I’m stepping back into a life where there are always people (family included, I am not saying I am miss popularity 2011), things to do, places to work, responsibilities, fun engagements, shows, etc. Compared to my relative solitude here, when I get home, it’s a different pace of life.
Does one just snap back into old patterns of lifestyle? Of course it’s only been a year, and I surely have not dramatically changed in a year, and I know that my Sweden life,’ is not necessarily what I want out of life, hence part of the reason to return home.
Bah. Someone just tell me to shut up.

Otherwise, I’m already thinking of where I can go next. Living in a foreign place certainly has perks, ups and downs, exciting moments, and moments of WTF.

Students have now mostly heard through the grapevine that some teachers will not be back. Of course there are students I’ll miss, but I also think it’s good for the giant sentimentalist in me to not get too sappy about anything, because life goes on, and every connection with a person that changes you for the better is never lost.

I forget who said ‘I am a part of all that I have seen,’ or something like that, but it’s true. This ‘journey’ into Sweden was certainly not all roses and butterflies, (read: the absolute and total DARKNESS of the winter; people who snarl and stare; people who push innocent little Canadians) but it is a part of me, and I do not regret coming here. Would I ever come back? Sure, who knows? But very soon, I will close the door on this chapter, and immerse myself in the familiarity of home. Until I get bitten by the urge to throw myself into something new (which, knowing me, will not be very long!)

(Note: this blog is almost finished. I'll write about my upcoming trips, and maybe conclude with a few final thoughts. If you've read through the long-haul, you can collect your prize this summer. Congrats!)

P.S Here are some photos from the second IES camp I went to, in Karlstad.
We built rafts, and then paddled down the river for 4.5 hours.
We patrolled students as they tried to sneak around at night, and got to do zip lining courses. We also took a hike and saw a dead cow in a stream, and the decomposing carcase of a moose. Sick.)





And here is the photo of the dead cow. Sorry cow, I don't mean to disrespect your memory, but. . . here we are.

Next Up: The Craziest Month of my Life

I got back from camp IES, a camp in Gävle, which is north of Stockholm. Above is one of the hot tubs we got to warm up in, instead of being at school.
It was great to experience the real beauty of Sweden, and to get to do something outside of the classroom with students from all over Sweden. They threw axes at trees, we did a high wire course, did team building activities that were not lame, did some rock-climbing, and I ate delicious veggie burgers. I even get to go again next week to a different camp in another supposedly beautiful part of Sweden.

There are less than three weeks of school left, and it's really starting to hit me how I am really packing up my life (literally) and will not be in this apartment forever. (so tears being shed over that).

There's new apartment waiting for me in Ottawa, so it's actually a new chapter, in another sense.

My next few weeks look a little something like this:

-week 21: three day camp (new location)
-week 22: move out of apartment
long weekend trip to Bruges and Brussels
farewell BBQ
week 23: last week of school, packing up office, and IES life
flight to Berlin, where I meet M.B and we visit Dresden, Prague, Munich, Vienna, Zagreb/Croatia, Budapest, back to Berlin, fly back to Sweden on June 30th, re-back my life, fly to Canada on the 2nd of July, move in to the new place, start camp the 4th go to multiple Bluesfest shows, turn 23, and accompany a friend to a wedding.

hahahah I know I can do it, because I enjoy life most when I'm busy, but I think my body and brain will be like, 'why are you doing this to us?'

I'm going to miss Sweden (no, really). I'll miss some people in Borås, but the town itself can kiss my Canadian ass.
I will also miss the godis, the beauty, and. . . . .being able to get bus tickets through text messages!

Here's a photo of the lake our camp was at:

borås: where the sun is always shining????

In a month from now I will be in either Berlin or Dresden! A month after that, I will be back in Ottawa, in a new apartment.

I will be living at Bluesfest, working at a job I love (famous last words) and stuffing as much poutine as I can into this body.

Next week I'm going to a wilderness-leadership camp with students, which I'm so excited for. It's in the NORTH of Sweden, so. . . we'll see how that goes!

I also did a 21 km run-walk through the mountains of B-town last weekend. It was honestly the toughest physical activity I have EVER done, but the team I ran wish pushed each other in such a fun way. The best part was creatively 'bursting through' each km mark.

Today in Swedish class the teacher asked how long we were staying in Sweden for. She found out my answer and asked, 'Annnnd you're learning Swedish, why?'
I told her, 'Jag är en loser,' which is Swenglish at its finest. Full disclosure: I go for the social aspect. This is how bleak it's gotten.

It also stays bright out until about 10 here. It's so bright I sleep with a mask.

But enough about me. How are you? Did you have a satisfying yet nutritional meal tonight?

I have a sneaking fear that students might read this blog. . . . so I've included a tracker to see where the reads are coming from!

Brandon, I'm getting a lot of activity from Toronto.

Feminism!