For some reason, I wasn't bothered at all. I stood under a tree with my headphones in and saw it as an opportunity to listen to 4-5 extra songs. The other Lynsi would have been stressed out and frantically looking for a place to go to pass the time. Instead, I just relaxed and took in the beautiful buildings around me. I was amazed at how rational my thinking process was: I had no concrete plans for the day other than for dinner, I knew exactly what bus I needed to take, and had a list of all the things I needed to buy. What is another 15 minutes? The end goal of my shopping trip would be the same after all. Wow. Who am I?
If you don't really know me, this might be confusing. So brace yourselves, it is about to get personal. Some other things that I have learned about myself...
-I love love love to be independent. Seriously. Going places alone (when I know where I am going) is the bomb.com. Solitude is something I appreciate a lot more than I thought.
-I am not an easy one to get to know. It takes a certain kind of person for me to be comfortable with right away. It takes a long long time for me to feel any sort of attachment to someone. I can get along with anyone, but I am really picky about who I make my true friends.
-The power of music. Oh man. I have been involved in organized music activities since I was four, but it is amazing how much it can do for your mood and turning a long bus ride into something worth looking forward to.
-I am a freakin' master chef. At first, cooking for one was a daunting task. But I have caught on quick as to how to use up my groceries efficiently and that frozen fruits/veggies are a beautiful thing.
-I can be happy anywhere with a healthy state of mind. It is not about where you live, it is all about staying positive. I wake up everyday with an excitement for what will come. Even in the moments where I miss home, I know it is worth waiting for.
-I miss the feeling of school pride. Why is nobody wearing Karlstad Uni clothes except for exchange students? Where is the flags, bumper stickers, people coming together outside of class? Taking sports out of a school completely changes the whole dynamic, and it makes me kind of sad that most will never understand what I mean when I say that.
-I am so not the touchy feely type. The greeting with the kisses on the cheeks freaks me out. You don't know me like that. I am more of a side hugger, but it is a work in progress.
-I am a mind reader. When someone is struggling to find a word, I almost always know exactly what they mean. I have so much respect for people taking classes in their second (or third of fourth) language, I think it is amazing.
-I appreciate architecture. A lot. I am constantly looking for buildings to etch into my memory, it is just so much older than home and I love all the details.
-Chivalry sure feels like it is dead. What happened to ladies first? I am three feet behind you, how hard is it to hold the door open? You just bumped into me, aren't you going to say excuse me? This bothers me a lot more than I thought it would.
-No matter how many differences we have between us, our similarities far outweigh them.
I know this list is only going to grow tenfold by the time I leave, and it is really exciting to anticipate all the ways I will grow and change for the better as an unintentional side effect of being here.
What I have been up to this week...
On Friday, my floormates and I threw together the contents of our fridge to make some awesome pizzas. Followed by looking up "how to twerk" videos on YouTube...yeah, don't ask. We are a fun group :)
On Saturday night, we had a sort of "battle of the sections" event between the womens' and men's choirs. For the second year in a row, the Alto 1's took home first place! If you are wondering about the capes, it is because we sang to the tune of "Misty Mountains" from The Hobbit as part of the show. Watch the whole thing here-----> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdWLk48u67M
(Warning: there is a small part in Swedish)
My life was MADE when I got a care package from home this week! I got
the slip in the mail that I had to go pick it up, and it was torture having to
wait until the next day to go get it! It was from my awesome sisters of course.
It contained Latte mix, peanut butter, a scarf, Cadbury eggs (my favorite
Easter candy), eos lip balm, graham crackers (to make a proper s'more), and a
St. Patrick's Day card. I was so happy. If I had to say who I missed
the most, it would easily be those two.
I nannied this week, and the girls were so happy that they didn't have to get all bundled up to go outside, so we spent a lot of the time at this cute park just a few doors down from their house. Afterwards, we played Harry Potter (not my idea) themed charades. They never fail at making me laugh.
And....(drumroll please) Chloe and I will be in LONDON this time next week and could not possibly be any more excited about it! I am sure my next post will be filled with touristy giddiness (you know you love it)....stay tuned :)
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