Hope it's not too boring! most of the shots are from the few hours I spent wondering around Stockholm yesterday.
28.8.09
Complimentary Wine?! Heck, yes!
I can't believe that I'm actually in Piteå! The past two days were filled with traveling and traveling and more traveling...and I couldn't have asked for a better experience!
I haven't been on an international flight in a really long time, and I was actually pretty excited to be on a red-eye flight. There were a lot of students on the flight from Chicago to London, and it was fun to chat with the people around me. The guy I was sitting next to was returning to Siberia after spending a year in the US studying engineering. He survived, so I figure that I can do the same.
They served dinner on the flight, which to my surprise was pretty yummy! Plus, we were served some complimentary wine! Excuse my ignorance, but I was pretty darn excited. Plus, right after eating, I was out like a light! I didn't sleep the whole time, anxious for some reason...but the flight was eventless. I did, however, enjoy the accents of our British flight attendants probably more than most people.
In London, we had to go through a security check again, which was a drag. But, in line I chatted with a girl from Switzerland who had just spent the summer in New Jersey working at a horse camp. I had hoped she had a crazy long lay-over like I did, but we parted ways after getting through security.
Spent 4 hours in London. Then, I was on my way to Stockholm. At this point, it started to sink in. At the gate I was sitting around people talking in Swedish, and the announcements were first in Swedish. Here goes nothing, I thought to myself.
I was super anxious for this 2.5 hour flight. Tried to read and write in my journal, but for the most part I just sat there. Upon arriving in Stockholm, I first went through "customs"...which was just a woman checking my passport, and telling me I'm crazy for going to Piteå because it's so cold. Haha...welcome to Sweden.
I grabbed my bags (and put them on a little cart, I'm happy with how well I did packing, but it's still a lot of just me to carry!), headed out the door, and.....there was Anders!! Right outside the baggage claim waiting!! I was so excited to see him! He grabbed my cart and headed to the parking lot.
We drove into Stockholm and just chatted and chatted and chatted...catching up and already making plans for the year. He told me that he booked a flight up to Piteå for the evening as well, so that we can drive from Luleå to Piteå together, and meet with Daniel the next day. This news was music to my ears. Perfect!
In Stockholm, Anders showed me around a little. He showed me his new studio, which is in the Kroumata rehearsal and performance space. I'm pretty sure I got chills when I walked into the building and started to meet people.
Anders had some plans in the afternoon, so I was on my own for a couple of hours. Grabbed a map of the city, Anders pointed me in the right direction, and I started walking! Ended up around the palace and museums, and just had the best time exploring, taking pictures, and people watching.
Around 6:30, Anders called "my" cell phone (which is actually his old cell phone that I'll borrow for the year and load with minutes as I need them), and picked me up. We ordered a taxi to head back to the airport.
This is when the exhaustion (and sore feet) began. Before I knew it, it was 10:45pm, and I was in Luleå. Anders rented a car and we drove the 45ish minutes down to Piteå. It was a little chiller, and really foggy. I didn't get to see much, besides road signs (did you know that "Fart" means "speed" in Swedish? hehe...), lots of beautiful trees, and a few buildings.
Checked into my hotel as soon as arriving in the town, and made plans to meet up with Anders for today. Passed out....
The adventure has begun better than I could have imagined! I'm going to go enjoy breakfast at the hotel, and then get my keys to the apartment. Daniel, Anders, and I are meeting this afternoon to make some plans! I'll post pictures and videos and have more news later!
I haven't been on an international flight in a really long time, and I was actually pretty excited to be on a red-eye flight. There were a lot of students on the flight from Chicago to London, and it was fun to chat with the people around me. The guy I was sitting next to was returning to Siberia after spending a year in the US studying engineering. He survived, so I figure that I can do the same.
They served dinner on the flight, which to my surprise was pretty yummy! Plus, we were served some complimentary wine! Excuse my ignorance, but I was pretty darn excited. Plus, right after eating, I was out like a light! I didn't sleep the whole time, anxious for some reason...but the flight was eventless. I did, however, enjoy the accents of our British flight attendants probably more than most people.
In London, we had to go through a security check again, which was a drag. But, in line I chatted with a girl from Switzerland who had just spent the summer in New Jersey working at a horse camp. I had hoped she had a crazy long lay-over like I did, but we parted ways after getting through security.
Spent 4 hours in London. Then, I was on my way to Stockholm. At this point, it started to sink in. At the gate I was sitting around people talking in Swedish, and the announcements were first in Swedish. Here goes nothing, I thought to myself.
I was super anxious for this 2.5 hour flight. Tried to read and write in my journal, but for the most part I just sat there. Upon arriving in Stockholm, I first went through "customs"...which was just a woman checking my passport, and telling me I'm crazy for going to Piteå because it's so cold. Haha...welcome to Sweden.
I grabbed my bags (and put them on a little cart, I'm happy with how well I did packing, but it's still a lot of just me to carry!), headed out the door, and.....there was Anders!! Right outside the baggage claim waiting!! I was so excited to see him! He grabbed my cart and headed to the parking lot.
We drove into Stockholm and just chatted and chatted and chatted...catching up and already making plans for the year. He told me that he booked a flight up to Piteå for the evening as well, so that we can drive from Luleå to Piteå together, and meet with Daniel the next day. This news was music to my ears. Perfect!
In Stockholm, Anders showed me around a little. He showed me his new studio, which is in the Kroumata rehearsal and performance space. I'm pretty sure I got chills when I walked into the building and started to meet people.
Anders had some plans in the afternoon, so I was on my own for a couple of hours. Grabbed a map of the city, Anders pointed me in the right direction, and I started walking! Ended up around the palace and museums, and just had the best time exploring, taking pictures, and people watching.
Around 6:30, Anders called "my" cell phone (which is actually his old cell phone that I'll borrow for the year and load with minutes as I need them), and picked me up. We ordered a taxi to head back to the airport.
This is when the exhaustion (and sore feet) began. Before I knew it, it was 10:45pm, and I was in Luleå. Anders rented a car and we drove the 45ish minutes down to Piteå. It was a little chiller, and really foggy. I didn't get to see much, besides road signs (did you know that "Fart" means "speed" in Swedish? hehe...), lots of beautiful trees, and a few buildings.
Checked into my hotel as soon as arriving in the town, and made plans to meet up with Anders for today. Passed out....
The adventure has begun better than I could have imagined! I'm going to go enjoy breakfast at the hotel, and then get my keys to the apartment. Daniel, Anders, and I are meeting this afternoon to make some plans! I'll post pictures and videos and have more news later!
26.8.09
this is getting real.
Flight leaves Cincy at 3:10pm tomorrow
yeah...that's right...
Flight LEAVES Cincy at 3:10pm TOMORROW!!! I will physically be in Sweden in the next two days. After all this planning and preparing, there is nothing more I can do. From now on I have to just "go with the flow".
Case and point: my web cam on my laptop has decided to stop working. The built-in one is not being detected, and it won't recognize an auxiliary webcam. My brother worked on the issue for hours, but no luck :( The main reason that this bums me out, is because Skype and Gmail Chat were going to be my two main means of communication with friends and family in the States. Once I get over there I'm going to have to conjure up some alternative plan. For now, I'm just hoping that this is the only hint of bad luck I'll run into!
My travel itinerary is quite impressively long and confusing. I will fly from Cincy to Chicago (easy-peasy). Then, from Chicago, I'll take a red-eye to London. After a couple hours in a lay over, I'll go from London to Stockholm. Then, Anders is meeting me at the airport in Stockholm! I just found this out, and I'm so happy. This really puts me (and my parents) at ease! We'll grab coffee before my flight to Luleå. I'll arrive Luleå at 10:45pm on Thursday, and will then take a taxi to Piteå.
Since I'll be arriving so late, I won't be able to get into my apartment. My wonderful Aunt Betsy helped me out, and I'll be staying at a hotel for the night. I'll need a lot of rest, because Friday will be a big day.
My Friday "To-Do List"
1. Go to leasing office to get keys to apartment.
2. Find apartment and move in.
3. Find Bank: open account
4. Act like I know more Swedish than I do, and smile a lot
5. Find cell-phone store: get a phone (and don't get scammed!)
6. Find grocery store and department store. Purchase soap, linens, etc...
7. Don't get frustrated
8. Connect with Daniel and the School of Music.
For now, I should try and get some shut-eye. I need to finish packing in the morning...right now it's looking pretty good. I have 2 large suitcases (under 50 lbs, thanks very much!), a rolling carry-on (with all my sticks/music/mallets), and a backpack. The fact that I will be lugging all this luggage gives reason to the 6am boot camp classes that I took the past two years!
Next time I write I'll be en route, and beginning my adventure :)
yeah...that's right...
Flight LEAVES Cincy at 3:10pm TOMORROW!!! I will physically be in Sweden in the next two days. After all this planning and preparing, there is nothing more I can do. From now on I have to just "go with the flow".
Case and point: my web cam on my laptop has decided to stop working. The built-in one is not being detected, and it won't recognize an auxiliary webcam. My brother worked on the issue for hours, but no luck :( The main reason that this bums me out, is because Skype and Gmail Chat were going to be my two main means of communication with friends and family in the States. Once I get over there I'm going to have to conjure up some alternative plan. For now, I'm just hoping that this is the only hint of bad luck I'll run into!
My travel itinerary is quite impressively long and confusing. I will fly from Cincy to Chicago (easy-peasy). Then, from Chicago, I'll take a red-eye to London. After a couple hours in a lay over, I'll go from London to Stockholm. Then, Anders is meeting me at the airport in Stockholm! I just found this out, and I'm so happy. This really puts me (and my parents) at ease! We'll grab coffee before my flight to Luleå. I'll arrive Luleå at 10:45pm on Thursday, and will then take a taxi to Piteå.
Since I'll be arriving so late, I won't be able to get into my apartment. My wonderful Aunt Betsy helped me out, and I'll be staying at a hotel for the night. I'll need a lot of rest, because Friday will be a big day.
My Friday "To-Do List"
1. Go to leasing office to get keys to apartment.
2. Find apartment and move in.
3. Find Bank: open account
4. Act like I know more Swedish than I do, and smile a lot
5. Find cell-phone store: get a phone (and don't get scammed!)
6. Find grocery store and department store. Purchase soap, linens, etc...
7. Don't get frustrated
8. Connect with Daniel and the School of Music.
For now, I should try and get some shut-eye. I need to finish packing in the morning...right now it's looking pretty good. I have 2 large suitcases (under 50 lbs, thanks very much!), a rolling carry-on (with all my sticks/music/mallets), and a backpack. The fact that I will be lugging all this luggage gives reason to the 6am boot camp classes that I took the past two years!
Next time I write I'll be en route, and beginning my adventure :)
20.8.09
One Week
Well, I thought that the end of summer would never get here, and now I can hardly believe that a week from today I will be in Sweden!
This summer has been....different. I was really excited to live at home with my parents for awhile, and just "chill" after finishing at Eastman. Evidently, I don't "chill" very well. The past two months have been an emotional and mental roller coaster. I worked at a Subway restaurant owned by my cousin (thanks for the job, Jay!), and spent the rest of the time planning and worrying about moving, finances, and my career. I often felt lost and confused. Also, I was not able to find a marimba to practice on while here in Cincinnati, which put my plans for a recital on hold. In turn, I haven't been very musically motivated. Throughout the ups and downs of this time at home, I have learned a very important lesson:
I need music and direction in my life to be truly happy and healthy!
The past couple of weeks have been significantly better now that I am completely immersed in the planning process for moving to Piteå. Do I still have sleepless nights? Of course! I'm moving to a foreign country. I'm crazy. I don't know the language. I don't have that much money. I have no idea what my schedule is going to be like. I don't have a job. I have to set up a bank account, using Krona. I have to conquer freezing temperatures.
But: I'm moving to a foreign country!!!! I'll be surrounded by musicians. I'll have amazing opportunities to study with great teachers. I'll get to hang out with Anders and Daniel. I'll meet new, diverse people. I'll travel! I'll get to practice and PERFORM!
When comparing the facts, I think this is a pretty good deal. I'm prepared for the first few days to be challenging, lonely, and confusing. I am just focusing on how much of myself I will discover because of this journey.
I know that this week is going to go by in a flash. Packing wise, I'm in pretty good shape. I have checked everything off of my endless lists, and am praying that my preparations will pay off. I've been trying to spend time with family and friends before I leave, and am really excited that my grandma and Aunt Betsy are visiting this weekend. I haven't seen them in a long time, and am looking forward to receiving some good advice!
I'll be updating much more often as the adventure begins...
This summer has been....different. I was really excited to live at home with my parents for awhile, and just "chill" after finishing at Eastman. Evidently, I don't "chill" very well. The past two months have been an emotional and mental roller coaster. I worked at a Subway restaurant owned by my cousin (thanks for the job, Jay!), and spent the rest of the time planning and worrying about moving, finances, and my career. I often felt lost and confused. Also, I was not able to find a marimba to practice on while here in Cincinnati, which put my plans for a recital on hold. In turn, I haven't been very musically motivated. Throughout the ups and downs of this time at home, I have learned a very important lesson:
I need music and direction in my life to be truly happy and healthy!
The past couple of weeks have been significantly better now that I am completely immersed in the planning process for moving to Piteå. Do I still have sleepless nights? Of course! I'm moving to a foreign country. I'm crazy. I don't know the language. I don't have that much money. I have no idea what my schedule is going to be like. I don't have a job. I have to set up a bank account, using Krona. I have to conquer freezing temperatures.
But: I'm moving to a foreign country!!!! I'll be surrounded by musicians. I'll have amazing opportunities to study with great teachers. I'll get to hang out with Anders and Daniel. I'll meet new, diverse people. I'll travel! I'll get to practice and PERFORM!
When comparing the facts, I think this is a pretty good deal. I'm prepared for the first few days to be challenging, lonely, and confusing. I am just focusing on how much of myself I will discover because of this journey.
I know that this week is going to go by in a flash. Packing wise, I'm in pretty good shape. I have checked everything off of my endless lists, and am praying that my preparations will pay off. I've been trying to spend time with family and friends before I leave, and am really excited that my grandma and Aunt Betsy are visiting this weekend. I haven't seen them in a long time, and am looking forward to receiving some good advice!
I'll be updating much more often as the adventure begins...
4.6.09
Checking things of the Sweden "To-Do" list
Although I don't have an apartment, funding, or an official schedule...I'll be in Sweden on August 27! I decided that I just have be confident that everything will work out. I'm learning a lesson in patience and faith...that's for sure! I've been tracking the flights for a couple of weeks and found a great deal, so I had to jump on it. At least the to-do list is getting shorter, and not longer....right?
I haven't been able to sleep because all of these ideas keep swirling in my head. My new endeavor is to try and organize a send-off/fundraising recital to do here in Cincinnati before I go. It's moments like these where it would be nice to play the flute...because I have to worry about logistics - where to have it? can I get the proper instruments? will friends come down to play with me? yadda, yadda, yadda. In my head it seems like a great idea, but I still need to figure out the details.
I also need to approach more foundations and investors to try and get some financial assistance. I still have a few live applications out there, so keep your fingers crossed that something will go through! And if you have any ideas, please let me know!
Lastly, I also just purchased some software to learn Swedish. We all know that I can barely speak English sometimes, so this should be fun... :)
I haven't been able to sleep because all of these ideas keep swirling in my head. My new endeavor is to try and organize a send-off/fundraising recital to do here in Cincinnati before I go. It's moments like these where it would be nice to play the flute...because I have to worry about logistics - where to have it? can I get the proper instruments? will friends come down to play with me? yadda, yadda, yadda. In my head it seems like a great idea, but I still need to figure out the details.
I also need to approach more foundations and investors to try and get some financial assistance. I still have a few live applications out there, so keep your fingers crossed that something will go through! And if you have any ideas, please let me know!
Lastly, I also just purchased some software to learn Swedish. We all know that I can barely speak English sometimes, so this should be fun... :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)