Skal, futbol and sweets

Oh man, talk about jet lag kicking in late. Let's be honest, in normal every day life, I could nap more than most people. I'm pretty sure I couldn't find anyone who would argue with me on that one. I am trying to get better, but I think I'm just a person who needs a lot of sleep! So, in order to get me acclimated to the time difference here in Sweden, David only let me nap for about an hour and 45 minutes on Friday when I arrived. Of course, I did need a little snooze later in the day before we went out or I would not have been a fun companion. A little cat nap here and there over the next day and I was just fine. Then came Sunday night. We stayed in and had a late dinner and watched some TV to make up for our exhaustion from the day/night before when we took on the town of Karlstad at the Blue Moon Bar. I even got a little photo snapped of me that is now posted on a site similar to "Omaha Nightlife" hahaha, David was so relieved that his mug didn't make it on the site. I, however, now believe I'm probably going to be some sort of Swedish superstar, don't you think? Anyway, back to the point, I slept in until 11:15 a.m. on Monday morning! Whoa whoa whoa, who's a tired girl raise your hand; THIS GIRL!! It felt so good and then I was super rested for the day and didn't even need a nappy :)

We went over to David's parents for lunch and his mom made a delicious spaghetti with stroganoff-like meat sauce. So good. We also had Wasa cracker, because that is just what you have, and some fresh fruit. After lunch, we had a little fika with oh-so-delicious vanilla bean ice cream with strawberries and caffe. I'm pretty sure I could drink caffe all day long. So much better than American coffee.

David had a soccer game at 3 so after he left, his mom and I lounged on the back porch, exchanged stories and sipped our caffe. On our way to the game, we took a little detour to the University so that I could see it and we took the long scenic route so I could see more of Karlstad. We got to the game a little late, whoops. I told Monica we just wanted to be "fashionably late" she very much agreed ;)

David's team won and there were cheers from all. European soccer is so much different from American soccer, basically sports in general. The teams are set up in divisions and if a team wins enough, they can move up in the division rankings. People can continue to play in these divisions even after college and they begin working. The teams from these divisions feed into the professional league, so it is a possibility that you can be picked up to play on the national team. I think it's so great that adults can continue to play a sport that they love even into their adulthood. I know we have different leagues and fun teams in the U.S. but these divisions and leagues are so well organized and popular, that it is a great way to bring people from your community and area together.

David's team happy after a win!

Someone is a little tired and hot after a long game.

After the game, we went home to rest a little bit (David's legs were a little tired and he was so hot, it was 87 degrees, which is super hot over here!) before we went to the market to get some dinner and grill out in the park near his apartment. I love the laid back culture here. Everyone walks where they need to go, as long as it's a reasonable distance, which is not the same as in America, and it is so much more relaxed. You don't feel like you need to be in a hurry or you're going to be late or you need to be checking your watch every 15 minutes. You just do what you need to do when you can do it. So, we went to the market, picked up some brats and kebabs and peppers and went to the park. We had a disposable grill and we enjoyed a beverage while waiting for our dinner. The park sits right on the lake and with all the boats docked and the sun mixed with rain clouds, it made for a gorgeous sight.

Amanda watching the grill to make sure it's ready.

We ended the day with a trip to the movie theater to see The Hangover Pt. 2. We were a little underwhelmed, but with the selection of candy we had, we managed to stay satiated ;)

Apparently, Swedes love their candy. Mmmmmmm.

Cross your fingers the rain stays away! Ciao!

Stockholm Sights

Well, today is my 3rd full day in Sweden and we are taking a fika right now. Fika is pretty much the best thing ever. It's a break in the day, coffee, a walk, a rest. And I love this time. I am going to bring this to the U.S. because I really feel like we need to adopt this daily, sometimes 3 times a day tradition.

David and I on a bridge on the way to Old Town Stockholm.

I have seen so much already and I've really only been in Stockholm! We walked all around the Old Town District in Stockholm, went over to the palace and got to see the changing of the guard which was really neat to see. It was so hot out and all of the guards and palace band had on heavy uniforms and had to be so incredibly hot. David and I were sweating and we had on t shirts and shorts/capris! Then, when David said that they do this every day, I was absolutely amazed. To march all through the streets of the city and then do a presentation, presenting the colors and playing a few songs for almost an hour is just crazy. I'm pretty sure the best part of the presentation was when the royal band played Dolly Parton's 9 to 5. Yes, I am so serious right now. They worked 9 to 5 and it was awesome.

I'll be adding more later, but here are a few pictures so far!

Royal band marching through the palace courtyard area.

A view through some buildings in Old Town Stockholm.

View down a walkway by Bumblebee Park

Across the pond I go!

In t-minus 13 hours I will be on a plane on my way to the land of Ikea and H&M! Sweden here I come! I am so insanely excited I'm just beside myself. Being able to head over and visit my friend, D, is the highlight of my year and it will be so fun to have him show me his country. When he first came to Nebraska as a foreign exchange student 10 years ago,  I couldn't wait to go over and see him in Sweden. Now, it's finally happening!

It was a good thing today was a super busy day at work and I had things to do constantly because if I didn't I'm not sure my attention span would have been anywhere except looking up new things about my vacation spot. But it does feel so good to have all loose ends at work tied up and knowing that I have awesome colleagues who can handle normal questions that would be sent to me while I'm out! How cool is it that I am actually going to miss being at work while I'm on vacation? Don't get me wrong, I am like a million times over excited for my holiday, but it is pretty sweet that I will also look forward to getting back and hitting the office.

I got all packed up last night and went over everything again tonight, just to double check that I am all ready to go! After work, I made a quick stop to see my favorite stylist who tidied up my hair with a few snips here and there and a few new little rays of sunshine here and there so that I really assimilate into my new culture! Yep, I may be a full fledge American, but if I no one heard me speak, I am so sure they would think I was a local ;)

So, on the packing list: Passport, check. iPod, check. Reading material, check. Extra contacts, check. Cute tops...but not too many since I plan on dropping by H&M, check. Well, that sounds like just about all I need, right? Ok, maybe not, but in any case, I am ready to get on my jet plane and have an adventure in Sweden!