Days of Goodness!

So the last couple days have been filled with friend goodness!

I moved into my friends apartment for a little until I leave Jönköping, and these guys are two of the most amazing people I know. We always have so much fun when were together! After the move since it was such an amazing night we had a BBQ at one of the most amazing spots in Jönköping that I have ever seen and watched the sunset (which is at about 10pm). After we headed back to Eric's where Hanna met up with us and the 3 of us talked for hours about, well everything! I love long meaningful conversations that help you really get to know your friends!

The next morning we walked over to the beach for an amazing breakfast, some beach Vollyball and to spend some more time with friends. When the weather is nice, you have to enjoy it!

That evening Eric, Johan, Julius and I journeyed out to Nyhem for "Nyhemsveckan". This is where all the Pentacostal Christians (and other Christians) meet every year for a week to hear sermons, about how people have found Jesus, listen to some great Christian music, and eat cheap yet delicious hamburgers! It was really an amazing place to be. Before we got there though, we stopped in what I like to think Heaven looks like, a great big candy store! It was filled with all types of yummy treats and of course I wanted to buy it all, but instead I bought a little of almost everything so I could try it of course!

Times like these are the ones I will miss more then anything. I feel so blessed to have met so many great people that I can spend my time with!!!

Goodbyes....

Well it's that time now when everyone is leaving and heading home, some are staying in Europe and enjoying the summer that Sweden most defiantly does not currently have a few are staying in Sweden for Midsommar (like myself) before continuing their travels. Goodbyes these days are bitter sweet. We are all going to miss our time here in Jönköping, and all the amazing people we have met, but at the same time there is an excitement to continue our journeys and travels, to see our families, and our friends back home, and to not worry about exchange rates any more (well at least for a while).
I think that I can speak for just about everyone on this exchange when I say.. Jag älskar Sverje och jag är tacksam för denna upplevelse!!

What is Sara doing this Summer?

To all those that have been wondering... what is Sara doing until she gets home... well here it is, my itinerary for the Summer! And if you are planning on meeting up with me, I would be very very happy :)

June 17: Sunne, Sweden for Midsommar with the Family!

June 22: Jönköping, Sweden. For some final Friend time ;)

June 27: Copenhagen, Denmark. I will work the Riskilde music festival! Woohoo! I will get to see so many great bands for free! Yay

July 6: Back to Jönköping for a day to re-pack and pick up all my stuff.

July 7: Stockholm, Sweden. I will drop off all my stuff with Marcus and spend a little time with him!! I miss him.

July 8: Milan, Italy. I get to meet up with my friend Laura on the 9th before I take an overnight train to Rome!

July 10: Rome, Italy

July 13: Barcelona, Spain

July 16: Madrid, Spain

July 18: England! For a nice week with my mates and hopefully a EBC reunion.

July 24: Back to Stockholm for a god nights sleep and a nice shower!

July 25: Fly home to Chicago. I land into ORD at 12:20

Today is Sweden's National Day!

But what exactly is it supposed to celebrate?

I just found out about this national day this year while studding in Sweden, I had no idea one existed and well come to find out many Swedes don't know either and what is even funnier is that no one celebrates it, they wait until Midsommer!! So I looked up some info about this day on a website that gives me Swedish news in English and this is what it told me!

What exactly does this day celebrate? "A more difficult question to answer than you might expect. Unlike other countries, which have anniversaries of independence or revolutions to commemorate, Sweden has never been occupied and has never got rid of its monarchy.

If you ask a Swede, they'll probably mumble something vague about Gustav Vasa.

The day does indeed coincide with the anniversary of Gustav Vasa's election as Sweden's king in 1523, marking the end of the union with Denmark and the start of a new period of closer unity within Sweden. This day was celebrated from the 19th century as a national day of commemoration.

June 6th was also the day in 1809 on which Sweden adopted a new constitution, something it did again on the same date in 1974. From the 1890s, the Skansen open air museum in Stockholm started organizing patriotic celebrations on June 6th. In 1916, the day became The Swedish Flag Day."

Sunrise

I love Sweden! I know I have said this at least 100 times in the last week, but it is true. The sun is up by 4am every morning now, so many times I get to see it rise. I love that it doesn't really get dark during this time of the year, It just feels great! This could almost be sunset over lake Vättren but it was taken at about 3:20 in the morning on my way home from a good bye party in the city.

My study spot!

Swedish is not an easy language to learn. It has a lot of rules but every single one of them has exceptions. Yesterday I spent the whole day trying to memorize all the forms for each irregular verb and know how to order food from a fancy restaurant the rest was in my opinion is pretty easy, but still I studied it. So today at 9 a.m I took the exam and as usual I blanked on most of it, I am keeping positive and I am praying that I passed.

There is no where I would rather be!

Have you ever had so many moments when you feel so amazing, auspicious, over joyed, blessed or simply just so happy that you could burst? Have you ever sat in the sun with your eyes closed just listening to the sounds of nature? Have you ever enjoyed everyday so much that you just don't want it to end? I have felt like this so many times since I have been here in Sweden. I look around me and I can see just how amazing life really is. Almost every morning I wake up happier and I feel more alive then ever. Spring time is a great time of the year here, everything is in bloom and the hints of what winter have gone. The sun is out for at least 18 hours a day, and the birds have their favorite songs. There is no where I would rather be!