Amie's Travels

Because we're 63 degrees, it gets dark at like 3pm and this is what it looks like.

Well here is the recap of the past three days:

Wednesday:

Well, I had my first class that day at 1:15, so I slept in a little and went to the univesrity like an hour early to try and find where the frick my classroom was. They don’t have a SYSTEM like we do back home. And they have no page in english or swedish to explain the room number system and the letters accompanying them. So, I went there early to TRY and figure out where it was. It was in C104 and I thought, oh, maybe the code is for the bulidings as they are labelled, A..B…C…CC…etc. But, C was the library, but I went there anyways to ask where it was and I got pointed to the Humanities building (something in swedish that I can’t remember, like Humanisethussek or something) in the basement where are MILLIONS of classrooms. BUT, I did manage to figure it out!

My first class was Milestones in History Swedish I (there are four levels, a new one starts like ever four weeks I think). It was pretty cool, we talked about viking conquests from each scandinavian country and how a lot of the original people were asimilated into central european culture from their ventures. We also get to go to the archeaological lab next thursday and see all these ancient viking relics! Which, I think is pretty cool, but may be lame to the rest of you . Then, there was orientation at 4, but our class, that was suppose to be two hours, ended early. So, me, and the American girl that I met from Seattle ate coffee on the cool coffee hours above all of the lectures halls in the Linderhallen building.

The orientation thing was so long . Until nine o’clock. But we did learn a lot of things, there was a lecture about Umea and cultural differences, a lecture about the Sami people of the north (native peoples) and then information about IKSU (HUGE sports facility with literally everything) then IKSU alpin and IKSU frulifts (skiing and outdoor activites). Then some stuff from the student unions and then we went outside and played soccer in the snow. It was pretty fun, but I got some bruises on me and I got soaking wet. I missed the bus then had to walk home and got sick. I then did not leave my room on Thursday as I was sick .

Friday:

Friday, I slept in by accident and almost missed my bus as from sleeping all day the day before I couldn’t sleep anymore when it came to Thursday night. So then I didn’t fall asleep till six am this morning and then I slept until like maybe 11. But, there was a tour going on in the centre so I went to that. That went on till about four or five and then we went shopping around the centre for some things that we all needed. I’ve started hanging out with three German girls, Maria, the one that I knew the first day, Daniella which lives right next to me which is nice and the other girl I can’t remember her name, I only heard it like once! But, she is still very nice. But, the four of us went back to Maria’s apartment in Aldheim (I live in Mariheim/Marievagen) which is past the university and further from my house. It’s where I got lost the other day and ended up going further instead of closer to the university. But, anyways, we went there and we all cooked tacos together and had some wine! It was fun, and we talked and put on music and it was a very nice girl’s night. I left around ten and we had to wait for the stupid bus again and we also had to transfer buses. The bus took forever and then we went to the Universum (university area) stop and waited. The bus was over twenty minutes late that would actually take us to our stop because the other bus was so late that all the other buses had already STOP running. IT SUCKED. But, now I am finally home at like 12am and I am tired and now I have to have a power nap so that I can talk to Brendon a little later . Slightly suckish, oh well. There is always tomorrow!

Tomorrow is Saturday and there is a lot of international/exchange student stuff going on. We have team building day with our buddies at 12pm so we are doing GOD KNOWS what in the snow. I will be extra prepared this time! Then after that I am going back to Maria to eat our left overs! Yum! Then we have pre-parties at each of our respective buddy groups’ Swedish people’s houses (there are three Swedish students in each group of international students) and then there is the international pub night at a club called REX downtown that everyone is going to. I’m not very much into the clubbing thing, but I am going anyways because if I don’t get out I will just stay in my room the whole time and be scared of ever leaving! And I won’t meet a lot of other new people! And I have met lots of nice girls so far! Mostly Germans it seems though! Lol, there are tons of them here! I  met a few Canadians on Tuesday, the one crazy guy from Yorkton and one from Saskatoon and another from Calgary. The crazy guy from Yorkton is in my history class and asked if he could borrow notes to go register for his other class. (In order to fully register you must show up on the first day of class and put your name on the list or they give your spot to someone else).

Some other exciting stuff is all the trips that are offered to us. I already booked an amazing snowboarding trip to Svanstein near the polar circle! So excited! And there are trips to Latvia, St. Petersberg, northern Sweden (above polar circle) and parts of Norway and all these cool things happening! I am very very excited! Hopefully, I can go on some of them! But, anyways, not anymore that I can think of, talk to you all later!