Thailand, here I come!

Wow! I can't believe I am off again- I leave in 10 short days for another crazy adventure. It has been a whirlwind semester upon my return from Sweden in July and I can't say the return culture-shock was easy. Like so many other travelers have experienced, it can be so hard returning to a home when your perspective on the world has changed exponentially. This semester back home was really challenging, so when an opportunity arose to take another trip abroad, I jumped at it! It was a lot of work and a constant battle to be able to financially afford another semester. I am very thankful for the scholarships that I received amounting to over $5,000. This achievement is just more evidence that if there is a will there is a way. I can't believe it's actually happening!

Here's the scoop on what you'll be reading in the next upcoming months;

Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand

Courses: Money & Banking, Comparative Political Systems, International Business Management, Buddhist Philosophy, Thai Language, Traditional Thai Massage, Thai Kickboxing, Thai Cuisine & a Thai Hill Tribe Tour
Travel Plans: Phuket, Bangkog & Chiang Rai, Thailand; Burma, Laos, Nepal and a final trip to India for the summer months

You'll hear all about the history, culture, religion, and surrounding areas of such a beautiful country!

Newly equipped:
The unbelievable support of my family has led me to get a new Sony Nex-F3 Camera, a Kindle Paperwhite and a MacBook Air. All which will become very much in handy for my travels!

Here are some pictures to get your excitement up-as well as mine!

Celebrating American Independence Day in Sweden

A view from The American Store!

Although, I missed spending the holiday at home wearing insanely bright colors and listening to the "oohh's" and "ahh's" as the fireworks explode above Moon Dune beach at Tahoe, CA, I have gained a great deal of pride for America's ('Murica!) nationalism and really got into the spirit when my two American coworkers and I decided to celebrate American independence at the beach house!

I got to spend the morning walking around Malmo, Sweden (post later) to find an American Store where they sell everything America ('Murica!). We loaded up on Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, A&W Root Beer, packaged brownies and some napkins to go along with our theme. We were going to celebrate Freedom Day at the Beach House! We devoted the entire day to America by loudly walking around Swedish cities and boasting our pride like the annoying, self-centered and ignorant Americans that we are (and proud of it)! We blasted country music and ate corn on the cob, pork and watermelon for dinner and then devoured root beer floats and brownies around the beach bonfire. We ended the night with the national anthem and I believe everyone; Americans, Swedes and French went home with a new perspective of American pride.

I myself have never been the kind of person who boasts where I am from. But I think it's incredibly unique this American Pride, something that really I've never seen any other country have (unless it's EuroCup Season). I really am proud of where I am from and I'm so glad I got to show others our traditions and culture for a change!

Our shopping cart-all things I've been missing!

Try American chips hahaha!

I'm so happy, my eyes won't open!

This was my contribution. Skane local strawberries and American made marshmallows!

Swede's love America!

Yum!!

Best desert ever! Although the French girls thought root beer tasted like medicine and practically begged us not to make them drink it!

Who built that incredible beach bonfire you ask? Oh, that was me! :]

Ending the night with the National Anthem!

Midsummer Celebration

What would a Swedish vacation be without an awesome party? If you're like me you probably have never heard of Midsummer before this moment and are still scratching you're head wondering why some parts of the world get to engage in the biggest annual party while to others (like the US) it's just another June 22nd. Wikipedia says: Midsummer day simply refers to the period of time centered upon the summer solstice, but more often refers to specific European celebrations that accompany the actual solstice, or that take place on a day between June 21 and June 24, and the preceding evening. To some European countries (like Sweden) it's the biggest holiday after Christmas. But, I didn't just get to join in on the fun, I got to help plan the party! 


In preparation for the party we watched this video:

YOU WILL NOT UNDERSTAND MIDSUMMER UNTIL YOU WATCH IT!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8ZLpGOOA1Q

So we had a Midsummer party at the Beach House complete with Elderflower syrup/cordial (fläderblomssaft), strawberry cake and drunken dancing! Words can't describe such a beautiful night, enjoy the pictures!

A couple days before hand I picked hundreds of Elderflowers to make fläderblomssaft which is elderflowers, lemons, sugar and water or snapps! To be served during the party, it was so sweet but very good!
  

We started the day be setting up for the party and then making our head garlands from flowers and leaves we found around the beach house!

Didn't they turn out great?!

For lunch we had pickled herring, baby potatoes and a shot of alcohol after every song!

Needless to say, the alcohol provided us with an unproductive afternoon-here are the boys  getting the Maypole up.

And Tahdah! It is up, a little bare but still pretty! Time for dancing and singing around the Maypole!

Now for that strawberry cake! 

Dinner consisted of delicious barbecued chicken and of course more shenanigans! 

and more dancing!!

The party from the hill, there's that traditional Midsummer rain! But it won't stop us!

Such a fun and awesome day!

Watching the sunset over the Baltic Sea

I was in charge of the bonfire, it was difficult because everything was wet from the rain!

Midnight stand-up paddle boarding anyone? Yes!

And the sun set on the luckiest girl in the world.

Soaking Up Sweden

It doesn't feel like I have been here for two weeks. It feels like I come here every summer to return to the beach with my friends waiting with open arms. Between the kitesurfing community and the unbelievable staff at the Lomma Beach House, where I now work, I am overwhelmed with a feeling of bliss for this new found home. I get many people who ask me where I am from and how I got to Sweden, and as my last post will tell you, I have no idea. It is just more proof of how a positive attitude will put you in the right place. So let me tell you more about this right place:


I am living in Lund, Sweden which is in the Southern part of Sweden in Skåne County (Skåne län), also known as Scania County in English. This part of Sweden is gorgeous and I have seen a lot as I have gotten in the habit of riding the 7 kilometers to Lomma, Sweden where I work (mostly) everyday.  Lomma Beach is well known for it's winds and on a good day you see everything from kitesurfers to windsurfers to wave surfers all fighting over the beach. My day is often packed with an abundance of water sports as well as some soaking up of that gorgeous Swedish sun. 

Getting ready for SUP (Stand up Paddle-boarding)

                         

I am gonna be a long boarding professional by the end of this!

Me in my kitesurfing gear!

                                    

                                  I also do other not so glamorous things like undo kitesuring knots and organize gear!

                                         

Here we are out on the deck, I've been reading a lot! Three books in two weeks, take that summer reading list!!

Swedish Sunsets

I have never seen such beautiful sunsets, here are some of my favorite...so far!

I love the clouds here! The colors are gorgeous

Entering Lomma, Sweden

On my bike ride to home

This is Malmo at night, the view from Lomma Beach

See the kitesurfers out there?

The best sunset of all was on Midsummer's Eve so keep reading!!

She's Where?

I know it came to many of you as a surprise that I am not on a flight back home and instead am sitting in a dorm room at Lund University about to head to my new job in Lomma Beach in Sweden. Honestly, it happened so fast that even I am adjusting to the fact that I won't see home for another month. Before my mom came to Prague a couple weeks ago I wrote that I felt I was ready to come home, ready to see my family, friends and my doggy Sugar. It's not that I've stopped missing home. It's more the reassurance that I have a home that will always be there for me. Whether it's June or July, I'll be home back into the same old habits, and perhaps that scares me. I have learned and gained so much while abroad and I don't want those things to change when I get back home. So I decided I needed a little more time over the pond to let all these changes sink in and to reflect on my trip abroad. PLUS it gives me a gigantic excuse to see a part of Europe I really wanted to!

 I've started working at Lomma Beach House which serves ice cream and beach snacks but mostly concentrates on Kite Surfing lessons and the giant community that flocks to Lomma's renown beaches that offer some of the best winds in the world! The beach is absolutely unbelievable. On a clear day you can see Malmo as well as the bridge that connects Sweden to Denmark!! Where else could you see something so spectacular? So you'll be hearing from me about the beautiful city of Lund and Lomma Beach in the next few weeks. Hopefully I'll get to Copenhagen and maybe Stockholm on my days off!

Here's some info on the baby 10 year old Kite Surfing sport, rumors are that it will be included in the 2016 Rio Olympics:

                                   I am learning myself and can't wait to really get some air!

Kite Surfing lesson

Malmo, Sweden from the beach

See the bridge, incredible huh?

Beach House!