Old World, New Me.

Most of my blogs were about my travels and the experiences that I had along those adventures. I neglected to talk about the changes that were happening within me. Well this post is going to get very real and show you all what studying abroad does to a person.

From day one, I could tell that my life would be forever changed because of this experience. The people around me, the different perspectives, the new environment, absolutely everything was different than what I have been used to. Don't they always say that change is a good thing?

I discovered so much over my time in Sweden and traveling Europe. When I returned home I wasn't ready to talk about it, actually I wasn't aware of the difference that this experience had on me. Now that I have had some time back in the USA, I am learning about the person that I have become. Here are a few changes I have noticed in myself, changes that everyone could benefit from.

Freedom - Everyone thinks that when you first go to college, that's freedom. I'm here to tell you that you are wrong. When you leave the country, that's freedom. Upon arriving, you have no friends, no familiar places, no three hour drive to get back to home. When in a different country, you are truly free. Free to make any decision (smart or stupid), free to travel wherever you want, free to spend your money however you want, free to be whatever person you want to be. It is a fresh start and you get to decide what happens with almost no outside influence. Time to redefine and review how you want to live your life. One thing to remember, is that you have to respect this newly found freedom since it is a double edged sword.

Go For It - Adventure doesn't happen to those who wait for it, it happens to those that go out and start looking. I spent some time traveling on my own even though they recommended we always go with at least one buddy. My advice, if you want to do something, just go do it. If you wait for others all the time, you will end up missing out on the opportunity. There are opportunities that I missed out on and also opportunities that I went for. It's all part of growing.

Be Not Afraid - The world is a big (scary) place but the unknown is what makes this life exciting.

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."                  -Robert Frost

This is the absolute truth. Don't always follow everyone else. Sometimes the road that you think leads to nothing, yields the best results. Do not let fear run your life. Don't let it hold you back from doing all of the things you've dreamed of.

Don't Judge - People are stereotyped all over the world. Are some of those stereotypes true? Yes. Are all of them? No. I met so many people from all over the world and were some of them weird and strange? Yes. But also some of them were the most caring, nicest, happiest, friendliest, confident, funny, generous, and sincere people I have ever met. Overall they were just great people. Where you come from and what your native language is should never be a negative thing and you should never judge someone based on that. People around the world are no different than me, or you, or your family or friends. We are all human beings, lets embrace our differences and learn from them. Open your arms to other cultures and you will be surprised at what you receive in return.

Open Mind - You will run into people who don't agree with you, people who don't follow the same values as you, and people with different religions. You will also run into new customs and culture, new forms of transportation, and new ways of living life. Be open to them because you will learn a lot about others and yourself. I learned that I love traveling with trains, about different customs and cultures, and much more about myself than I will ever full understand. Go about your life with the attitude that you will try anything once and you will go far.

Here are just five of my growth areas while in Sweden. I'm sure there are many more that I will discover as time goes on. I had experiences that I never even thought would be a part of studying abroad. I had deep conversations about US politics, taught people english, learned some cooking skills, had my fortune told by Turkish coffee, discovered how to communicate non-verbally, lived in a Polish household, learned the generosity of people, explored my limits, learned how to speak like an Italian (it's all in the hands), made connections and friends all over the world, and had one hell of a time! This is just a small tidbit of my experience and I am glad that you were able to live part of it with me. My time in Europe was truly a dream and I am very blessed to have been given the opportunity of a lifetime.

-Brian

Norway - The Most Beautiful Countryside Ever

I traveled with the Jönköping Student Union on a trip to Norway. The Student Union planned the entire trip so that was really nice. The destinations were Oslo, Jostedal, and Bergen. This was more of a nature/adventure trip so I was really excited about that. We spent one night in Oslo, three nights in Jostedal, one day in Bergen, and one night sleeping on the bus. The most exciting things on the agenda were going on a Fjord cruise, hiking on a Glacier, and see the beautiful countryside.

We headed out on the bus on Tuesday morning and made our way to Oslo. Boy, am I glad that I went to Oslo earlier in the semester, because it was quite rainy on this particular day and we were on a tight schedule. We went on a tour of the Opera house, which is quite famous, and that was really neat. It doesn't look that big on the outside but once you get backstage, its absolutely massive. Everything is done there: from building the sets and costumes, to training facilities including medical services. There were even about 10 year old girls practicing for some ballet. I guess they have to start them young.

After the Opera house, we headed to Viking Biking for our bicycle tour of the city. The tour guide was quite interesting despite the fact that it was pouring rain. I think this biking tour would have been really great on a sunny and warm day. It was interesting to get some background knowledge on some of the sites instead of just looking at the sites. The crazy thing about Norway is that all the people in politics and all the political buildings are not guarded besides the Royal Palace. The tour guide even mentioned that at one point he accidentally bumped into someone that was really high up in the government because they just go around as common people.

Oslo was nice but I have to rank it third out of the three Scandinavian capitals. Stockholm and Copenhagen are such beautiful cities that are hard to compete with. The next day we hopped back on our bus to go to Flåm, where we would get on a ferry to go Leikanger, and then get on another bus to take us to Jostedal. The scenery in Flåm was amazing and the ferry ride was incredible. It brought us out into the Sognefjord which is the largest fjord in Norway and the third largest in the world.

Upon arriving at Jostedal Camping, where we would be saying, I knew it was going to be a great couple of days. It was nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains and we got the big cabin that had everything. Others just basically had a room to sleep and we had much more.

Now it was Thursday and today was our free day. There were two hikes planned and I decided I wanted to go on both of them. In the morning we walked down a road about six kilometers to where the hike to a glacier began. The problem was that was we got to where the hike was suppose to begin, there was about a foot of snow throughout the entire area. So it was impossible to know where the trail was or where to go. Along with not having waterproof boots, it was not for me. We turned back to do the more difficult hike up the mountain.

The views on the way up the mountain were amazing and unbelievable. I could just sit there all day and appreciate the natural beauty. We unfortunately were unable to make it all the way to the top of the mountain. The snow became too deep so it was too dangerous to go ahead any farther. In the summer the snow will be melted and it will be possible to reach the top. We were very close to the top though so had an equally great view. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

The next day was the kayaking and glacier hiking. The glacier is called Jostedalsbreen and is the largest in Europe. This trip was filled with many "largest" things. Half of the group kayaked across the small lake while the other half walked. We then switched on the way back, so I kayaked on the way back. Kayaking was quite difficult and upper body demanding but it was really fun. Now back to the glacier, we were given a little instructions, crampons for our boots, an ice pick, and were tied to a rope so that if somebody fell off the edge, they didn't die.

The glacier was incredible and I never imagined that when I left the states, I would be walking on the largest glacier in Europe. It was really unbelievable how all of this was a huge chuck of ice and how it was constantly melting. You could definitely tell a temperature difference as you got closer to the glacier. Again, the pictures can do the talking.

The evening was spent relaxing as many of us were sore from the last two days of hiking. I will never forget the amazing scenery that I saw while in the Jostedal area. The next day we were bound for Bergen, which was our last stop on the trip. The ride to Bergen was amazing since we took a ferry for about four hours through the fjords. It's just so much beauty to take in. It was always neat to see the little towns that we stopped at along the way on the ferry.

Bergen has a famous area called Bryggen that is really nice and also an attraction called the Floibanen, that takes you up above the city for a nice view. I saw both of those things while in Bergen along with going to a restaurant and eating some delicious fish. Some people wanted to go to McDonalds for supper and once I saw the prices on the menu, I knew that I would not eat McDonalds. A McChicken meal was ~$12. This really shows how expensive Norway is. In the evening we headed home and slept on the 14 hour bus ride. Also, we went through the worlds longest road tunnel that went through a mountain.

Norway is the most beautiful place I have ever been. The nature is just breath taking and unlike anything I have ever seen. If you want some great nature and views you have to go to Norway. Being there kind of makes me wonder why my ancestors left (I'm 3/8 Norwegian). The views in Wisconsin are nothing compared to Norway. I'm hoping I can return to Norway some day and have the opportunity to see the incredible sights again.

Exams are coming up quickly. Wish me luck! I will be back in the states on May 23rd so my time in Sweden is quickly coming to an end.

Stockholm - The City on the Water

Last weekend I went to see my friend Viktor again. I hopped on the train to Södertälje where he grew up. Once I was picked up in their BMW, I knew I was in for one hell of a weekend. Viktor spent some time planning this weekend and I knew I was in for a few surprises. I met Viktor’s parents when Viktor graduated and his brother, Oskar, studied at Black River Falls for a year so I know him a bit too. It was great seeing them again and catching up since it has been quite a few years. Time has gone by so fast these past few years.

Viktor, Oskar, and I headed into Stockholm with the BMW to take a quick look around the city for a couple of hours. I cannot think of any other words to describe Stockholm besides beautiful. Stockholm is situated on quite a few lakes so no matter where you are in the city you are bound to find water within a short walk. Some of my favorite quotes from this evening were “You see everything that looks like gold, it’s real gold.” And “As long as that flag is flying, Sweden is still Swedish.”

It was ironic that when we got back to Södertälje, we ate cheeseburgers, the American classic. Most Swedes really love the USA with many of them wearing American flag t-shirts, including Viktor that day. It is really great to just have that friend that even though you don’t see them very often, it feels like you were never apart.

The next day was the big day with a “surprise” for me. We took the train to Stockholm and I figured out my surprise when we walked into the Segway store. Yeah we went on a tour of Stockholm on Segways! About a three hour tour to be exact. It really was a great way to see the city without destroying your body by trying to walk everywhere. We must have covered around 25 km in the short period. They are a lot of fun to drive and I got the hang of it easily. The only trouble with a Segway tour is that it is hard to take in the beauty of the city in just that short time. There is so many things to see in Stockholm that I think you could spend weeks there and not see or appreciate everything.

Later in the afternoon we went to the Vasa Museum, a ship that was built in the 1600’s and sunk within 20 minutes of it first sailing. It was salvaged from the water in the 1960’s and has been a museum for a little over 20 years. It is a massive ship and very well perserved for its age. It’s something you have to see in real life to really appreciate. The tour guide said it took only two years to build the entire ship, and it took them three years to make a scale model of the ship!

That evening I got to experience something that is a big part of Swedish culture but isn’t actually Swedish. Tacos! Most Swede’s eat tacos on Fridays or Saturdays. It’s really a crazy thing but I can understand because tacos are so delicious.

The next day, I had to say “see you later” to Viktor since we won’t see each other again before I head back to the USA. It’s always tough saying bye to a friend, but this wasn’t bye because I know I will be back in Sweden at some point, so this was a “see you later”. I wish I could see Viktor more and hang out, guess that’s the trouble with having friends half way around the world. Maybe next time I see him, I will be more fluent in Swedish. He was already impressed with how much that I have learned in the four short months I have been studying it.

After Viktor left, I headed into the open air museum called Skansen. It was a really cool step back into history since there were old Swedish workshops, farmers, and stores. While there it was easier to imagine the olden days and how things were then. I even had a traditional Swedish kanelbullar (cinnamon bun) there. There were also some Scandinavian animals there including wolves, bears, moose, reindeer, and a few others.

My trip to Stockholm and Södertälje was one of the best weekends I had while in Sweden. I wish I could share my experience in Stockholm with my friends and family back at home. I guess these pictures will have to do for now. Maybe someday I can bring them to this beautiful city and country.

Sauna in Sweden

The only people more obsessed with the sauna than the Swedes are the Finns. Last weekend I had my first real sauna experience in Sweden. I received an invite from my Swedish friend, Saralie, to go up to this house in the woods on Lake Vättern and enjoy a sauna. For me, making this big trip just for a sauna seemed a little crazy but I went with it anyways.

There were about 10 of us total that went and it was a great time. It was at a church camp and I was expecting wilderness conditions. Much to my surprise we were in a modern house with WiFi! After we looked around for a bit outside, we went to the campfire spot so we could make our dinner. We roasted hot dogs and made bread over the fire. The bread was quite a challenge since you make it in a bowl beforehand and then wrap it around a stick and slowly roast it in the fire. It is very difficult to not burn it and I wasn’t quite patient enough to make a good one.

We stayed around the fire for a bit and we waiting until it was our turn to use the sauna. The sunset over Lake Vättern was beautiful! I never get to see it so well since I live on the other side of the lake. Once it got too cold we headed into the house to change and prepare for the sauna.

It was a short walk to the sauna and it was a small wooden hut that fit around 10 people. The sauna felt really great when you stepped into it but over time it started to get hot and you started sweating. When water was poured over the rocks, it was almost impossible to breath and was a big “wave” of hot air. At one point the thermometer said 93 degrees Celsius, that’s almost 200 degrees Fahrenheit. You could only stay in the sauna for about 10-15 minutes then you needed to go outside and run into the freezing cold lake! It sounds insane but it was really nice and cooled you off very quickly. After we went in the water, we laid on these benches and watched the beautiful stars for a bit. Once you became too cold, then it was time to go back into the sauna. This process went on for about an hour and a half. It was really a great experience and a lot of fun. I felt very relaxed and felt like it cleaned out my system. 

That evening really made me realize how beautiful of a country Sweden is and how much I love it here. Sweden is so peaceful, happy, and enjoyable. It’s hard to imagine that in less than a month I will be back at home working at my internship. I know that these experiences have shaped me and will influence my life when I get back home.

If a Swede invites you for a sauna, accept it! You will have a great time and get to know more people. J

Easter Vacation

I organized a last minute trip for Easter vacation by choosing to travel with Pascal and Karina to Germany. They were headed to see Pascal's family and offered up a cheap ride. After crossing the longest bridges I have ever been on (a few miles long) we made it to Hamburg, Germany.

My plan was to stay two nights in Hamburg and the catch a train to Copenhagen, Denmark and then get picked up in Copenhagen two days later. Hamburg was a beautiful city. It is known as the Gateway to the World and is the second largest shipping harbor in Europe. It was nice to walk around the city, see the infamous Reeperbahn, hear the German language, and enjoy all that Germany had to offer. 

Besides the city being beautiful, my favorite thing in Hamburg was the Miniature Wonderland. An entire two floors of a building dedicated to miniature recreations of places in the world. There was everywhere from Switzerland, to the Americas, to Hamburg, and Scandinavia. The work in progress is Italy and that should be very cool when it is complete. All of the worlds are connected by trains, 12 km of track to be exact. It is such a huge place and you could spend many hours there (I spent three). It's something you have to see to really appreciate. I was very excited when I saw the tractor pulling portion in Bavaria! It was really neat to have tractor pulling shown off. One really great thing about the miniature world is that there were little quirky things hidden everywhere; a tractor crashed into a house, a nudist colony, a group of hippies, kids in the sunflower field, etc. I would definitely recommend going here if you are ever in Hamburg! 

I caught the train to Copenhagen and had one scare on the way there. I fell asleep with headphones in my ears and woke up to a stopped train and everybody getting up and getting off the train. I was really confused and ask the people sitting near me. The only reply I got was "Didn't you listen to the announcement?" I have to admit I was freaked out for a bit! So, I just followed everyone and hoped for the best. Turns out, that while I was sleeping, the train was loaded onto a ferry to cross the water. This was quite a relief for me. I have decided that I really enjoy riding trains and it is one of the best ways to get around. They are smooth, scenic, and comfortable. 

Copenhagen turned out to be beautiful! I was there alone for one day and the following day the Italians plus Latvian came and I hung out with them the rest of the time. I really fell in love with the part of the city called Nyhavn. It was a beautiful area with a ton of people and cool boats. On the last day of the trip we ate smørrebrød, near Nyhavn, which was absolutely delicious. At one point I misjudged the white stuff to be cheese and it turned out to horseradish. Wow, was I in for a surprise! Overall, the danish cuisine was really good and I would eat it again. 

A really interesting part of the Copenhagen trip was the free guided tour that we joined. The guide was very friendly, funny, and told great stories. We spent three hours walking around the city and learning the history. Copenhagen burned down multiple times, which in turn required a watchman to be in the tallest tower in the city in order to catch a fire before it spread. We saw the harbor, opera house, Royal Palace, Marble Church, and much more. It's easy to see why so many tourists love Copenhagen. We also visited the famous Little Mermaid although it turned out to be nothing too special. 

I had another amazing adventure through Europe. I absolutely love traveling. It is great to see and experience new things. I believe that you learn just as much traveling as you do by going to school. It's one thing to read about history in a book, but when you are there seeing the sites or learning in a museum, it feels so much more real. Lesson of the day: Never stop traveling, never stop learning. 

Eating My Way Through Poland

I was not able to say no to a trip to Poland with a native Pole. I traveled with Emilia and Jonathan to the great country of Poland last weekend. We visited Warsaw, Krakow, and Lodz. So we made a big loop around Poland. A night in Warsaw, 12 hours in Krakow, and the rest of the time at Emilia's house near Lodz.

Arriving in Warsaw brought upon the reality that this city was completely destroyed during WWII. Warsaw was a very different city and I think it struggles with its identity. There was a huge modern skyscraper next to a junky looking house next to an "old town" building. After seeing the pretty old town and a few monuments around the city, there wasn't much else to see. I had my first Polish meal consisting of pork knuckle and potatoes. Thus began my journey of eating my way through Poland, the land of meat and potatoes.

We stayed in Warsaw that night and woke up super early to catch a train to Krakow the next morning. I had the full Polish experience since there were no seats left on the train and we were assigned standing room only. I was a little nervous about a 4 hour train ride standing but like always, it worked out. We found a set of fold down seats in the aisle and stayed in those seats for the rest of the journey, even though we had to get up to let many people pass through.

Krakow turned out to be way better than Warsaw and more of tourist city like other cities I have visited. There were many friendly people, street markets, bars and restaurants, street performers, and a ton of sights to see. Krakow was never destroyed and thus had a much older city feel to it. We visited the Wawel Castle, Cathedral, the Dragon’s Den, Old Town, Kazimierz, and walked around quite a bit more. It was a very beautiful city with something to see around every corner. For lunch I ate some kluski and pierogi. Pierogi is absolutely delicious and I would even consider trying to make it at home! Dinner consisted of half of a duck, potatoes, beets, carrots, and cabbage. All for about $13! Poland was so cheap especially after being in Sweden for a few months. I think upon my return to the USA, I will think that everything is really cheap. Even though we only had 12 hours in Krakow we made saw a lot and ate very well. We caught a bus to Lodz that evening and slept most of the time.

We arrived in Lodz and Emilia’s dad picked us up around 2:00 AM. He was a very friendly man although he did not speak English. This proved to be difficult but Emilia worked as a really good translator. We met her mom when we got to her house in a little village outside the city. If it was my parents, they would have said goodnight, and see you in the morning. But, this was not the case. Her parents were very welcoming and offered us tea and chatted with us for quite some time. I think we finally made it to bed around 4:00 AM!

The next day was much lazier than the previous days, but no one would be able to do much with how much food we were fed. I’m sure Emilia’s mother spent the entire day in the kitchen since they fed us what they would usually eat during Easter. We had a big breakfast, massive dinner and a satisfying supper. (In Poland the three meals are breakfast, dinner, and supper). I was impressed with dinner and the mushroom covered pork. It was so delicious and there was also two other kinds of pork that was good as well. There was even three different cakes for us to try after dinner! I haven’t eaten so much food since Christmas! Polish people don’t go hungry, that’s for sure!

In the evening we went to Emilia’s University and she showed us around. The humorous part of the tour was when she showed us the architecture building, which was the ugliest one on campus! Afterwards, we met with her friend and walked around Lodz, seeing the various murals and the famous shopping street. Lodz was a nice city overall.

The next morning we woke up early to head back to Warsaw and catch our plane in the afternoon. We checked out the Warsaw Uprising Museum while in Warsaw and that was really cool. Lots of great information and really showed the struggles that the city went through over the years.

I was sad that our journey in Poland was coming to an end. I literally ate my way through Poland and would say that it was the best food I ate in Europe. That is probably because it was similar to what I grew up on, meat and potatoes. If you go to Poland, you cannot complain that you can’t afford to eat in nice restaurants! I recommend everyone to go to Poland to see what the Polish culture is all about. I’m proud to be 25% Polish. Thanks Grandpa.

You might need to wipe your mouth now as you may be drooling from the delicious looking food. J