Maybe the jet lag has kicked in a little? Everyone seemed to not be able to sleep last night. I didn’t fall asleep until about 03:00 and some people even stayed up until 05:30. That being said, this morning was a little rough. I woke up at 07:00 and wanted to go back to sleep, but I forced myself to get up. I went to breakfast and I was the first one there. After breakfast, I got ready for the day and we all met downstairs to make our way to Brännö, the largest island in Gothenburg. We walked to the tram. Today was the first day I used my digital camera and not the camera on my phone. I had a lot of fun with that, because when I have time, I shoot in manual. I played with the shutter speeds and got some pretty cool shots of the tram!
*pictures of tram coming soon…technical difficulties*
Gothenburg is such a beautiful city. I can’t say it enough. I want to live here; in all seriousness. In my “About me” I talked about my wanting to teach abroad. I looked into it and the competition is very stiff in Sweden, but it’s something I will definitely look into. The weather today was PERFECT! Yesterday, it lightly rained all today. Today, there was not a cloud in the sky. There was no wind until after lunchtime. It was in the 40s (Fahrenheit, of course) and the temperature didn’t drop until later in the day.
We took several trams to the ferry dock. There, we loaded onto the ferry and it was the most breathtaking boat ride I’ve ever been on. It was so scenic and pretty outside. I got some great pictures out there!
We got to the island and started walking on the main road. There are no cars on the island. People who live there take the ferry everyday. They leave their bicycles near the ferry dock. There are some very small motorized vehicles. We only saw a few. Most of them were transporting children. It’s crazy to even think about what it would be like to be a child raised on an island, having to take a ferry to and from school every day.
The houses on the island are SO CUTE!! They all look so different. The architecture is so unique. The land is inconsistent so some houses are up on hills and some are on flat land. People had solar panels, greenhouses, gardens, you name it. Some houses had gazebos in their backyard. It seems like people who live on Brännö live a very comfortable and relaxed life. We saw many natives walking their dogs, jogging, and even doing yoga by the water.
Note: pet parents in Sweden have been so friendly! Every person I’ve asked to pet their dog has been so nice and welcoming. One guy even told me I should move to Sweden! One of our tour leaders told a pet parent she didn’t want us to be bombarding (or pestering/overwhelming…I forget the exact word she used), when talking about us interacting with their dogs, and the lady assured her that we’re never bombarding.
We finally arrived at a cove where we had a picnic on the rocks. It was such a serene experience. It was a little chilly and windy by the water, but sometimes feeling just makes you feel alive. The opportunity to sit on the water and take everything in– being in another country, being on an island, being away from every stressful thing in your life– it’s pure bliss.
On the way back to the ferry dock, I had a long talk with Jan Owens, one of our tour leaders. We talked about life; how times have changed. When she was in college, it was a period in time when as a woman, you just marry a man and that’s it. Now, people know you have several paths in life you can take, regarding marriage, relationships, careers, etc. We talked about the importance of following what you WANT to do in life, because if you do what everyone else wants you to do, you’ll probably face resentment later on in life. This conversation made me feel a lot better about some non-traditional decisions I’ve made in life, life taking time off in college, or not going onto grad school right after graduation. She told me that a lot of employers value people like mothers or self-supporters the most because they know how life works; they know how to prioritize and manage time and they’re hard workers. She also told me she didn’t go for her graduate until she was in her 30s. Overall, she taught me that it’s okay to take the road less taken–or even create your own dirt path; as long as you’re happy with your decisions. Thank you, Jan, for this talk.
On the ferry home, I sat at a table and it got very crowded. A man and a lady asked if they could sit with me. Of course, I allowed them to. We talked the entire way back. They were both from Sweden and they were so nice. The lady told me that she’s probably only met 20 Americans in her life; I hope I left a good impression on her. She said all the Americans she’s met have been very nice but they are known to be loud, rowdy, and travel in packs. We definitely have a reputation. The gentleman told me if I enjoy performing arts, there’s a dance show at the opera house I should look into. They also told me it’s nice to tip at restaurants, but people never do that with, say, hair services. I told the lady I would really love to live in Sweden. She told me she’s never wanted to live somewhere else, which I think is amazing. I told her in regard to the United States, I’m very happy in Illinois and Wisconsin. The gentleman told me he moved to Gothenburg when he was 22, and he grew up in a city close to Åmål, where my friends are from. Sadly, our conversation came to a quick end as our ferry ride was over and everyone in my class went downstairs. It was such a pleasant interaction. I love Swedes. They’re so calm and friendly.
For dinner, we went to Karlsons Garage. I would like to thank them for providing us vegans with our own custom meal. It really means so much to me to be accommodated. On top of that, they gave us a free round of shots!! That was the first time anyone’s ever paid for my drink, let alone 18 drinks. They were incredibly nice.
After a long and physically strenuous day…
Take aways:
- Do what YOU WANT to do in life.
- Take time to appreciate the moment.
- Take photos as if you want the viewer to feel the same experience you did.
till sverige 