I’d like to paraphrase what a famous person once said to describe my sentiments regarding my time in Sweden:
“My trip is like a roll of toilet paper: The closer it is to being over, the quicker it goes.”
That reminds me. We actually do have to buy more toilet paper, we’re on the last roll!
It’s sad to think that there are only 5 more days left of this adventure. That being said, I’m so stoked to return to Aberdeen and see the smiling faces of friends from 2 years ago. I’d even go so far as to say that my excitement for that outshines my disappointment of this ending.
This week should be pretty low key – it’s basically a 3-day work week. Tuesday-Wednesday this week are SPT’s (Student/parent/teacher meetings). For those, we might attend a couple, but I don’t want to impose on a private meeting like this, and it will probably also be boring for us as teacher candidates, because we don’t know the kids that well since we’ve been circulating classes so much. I think I’ll be teaching a few lessons in music on Thursday, which is exciting, and then Friday is my last day! So really I only have tomorrow (Monday), Thursday, and Friday, and then I’m on a train back to Stockholm (unfortunately, no visiting this time)!
This trip has helped me to learn a lot about myself. For instance, that I need my me time. Perhaps it’s because I’m used to travelling alone, and now I’m travelling with others; perhaps due to my lack of long-term relationships; perhaps because of my views on life or my pride in independence and self-reliance – but I’ve found the past few days to be particularly suffocating. I don’t like having to depend on others to let me into my house; or having to eat when others eat (or what others eat); or to not be able to say what I’m thinking; or having to pretend to agree or be pleasant ALL THE TIME; or not being able to do what I want to do, how or when I want to do it. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy the company of others, but sometimes its good just to hear silence, or to hear the voice inside my head, instead of it being shushed by real-life conversations. I haven’t had a moment of privacy since I’ve been here, other than the few minutes in the bathroom, which I don’t want to string out too long for fear of them thinking I have some sort of bowel problem. I just like to be alone sometimes. Nay*, I just need to be alone sometimes. Buuuut, I like to keep this blog focused on the positive things, so I’ll stop there with the Negative Nancy comments, and I’ll leave the whole living situation thing out of it. On to better things!
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| First time in Ikea...EVER! I guess Sweden is the best place for that! |
This weekend was nice – Friday night we went out with some school people after work for supper and drinks. Saturday we had a sleep-in, found some free internet in town (at a convenience store?! Weird…), then went to see the Hunger Games in theatres with Swedish subtitles (such a good way to learn the language!) and bowling with some of the ladies from work – which, by the way, I DOMINATED at! I somehow got like 145 in my first game!! Sunday (today) has been great as well –Kristen took us shopping, and I WENT TO MY FIRST IKEA EVER!!! I’m glad that it was in Sweden, it made it feel that much more authentic. We also went to the mall, right beside it, where I got a few accessories, some bright Swedish pants(!) and a really cute top. There was this soft ice cream machine in the cafeteria part in Ikea where you put in the cone, and it serves/twirls a serving for you perfectly. It wasn’t for sale, otherwise it may just have had to come back to Canada with me – super cool!
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| APPARENTLY it's called Eek-ey-YAH or something here...us North Americans have had it wrong this whole time... |
That’s all for now, folks.
Until Next Time,
B
*I really AM turning Swedish! Although it's spelled 'nej' here..
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