Sunday, September 25, 2011

A Rome Moment


I was randomly sitting and waiting for my roommate to rent a car to go to Ikea and was holding the ironing board that she wanted to return (...), when this American lady decided to comment on me "traveling with an ironing board".  Much to her surprise, I responded in English to explain why I was holding a giant ironing board, which of course was met with a barrage of questions, "Where are you from in the states?", "What are you doing here?", "Are you studying here?" "YOU WORK here??"

Unfortunately the car rental line was really slow, so I was stuck talking to this inquisitive woman for quite some time.  But as I explained to her why and what I was doing in Rome, her reaction (constant gasping and wondering how I got to be so "lucky") to me describing what has become my everyday life reminded me of really how amazing it is.

And so, I'm having a Rome moment.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Hej hej Sweden!

Hej!

Yes, now I've gone Swedish!  This last weekend, I went to Gothenburg, Sweden to visit Johanna!  I know, I know, she had only left Rome last week, but I missed her already!  And why not go to Sweden, I had heard some amazing things...as it turned out....Sweden was really cool to see.  It felt almost like being back in the US, but with better looking and more fashionably dressed people all around.

I have included a map of Sweden just in case you are as clueless as I was about just how HUGE the country actually is.  I was in Gothenburg (Goteborg) which is actually pretty far south in Sweden.


Sweden really was as idyllic as all the Swedes I know had built it up to be.  It was clean, quiet, but still interesting and fun. Everyone spoke perfect English which felt like a slight relief to me after 9 months of bumbling around in Italian.  It was very very cold, especially compared to the 35+ degree weather in Rome, but fun to be wintery and cozy. Although, as Johanna kept reminding me--this is fall, not winter. So, ack to think of how cold it can get in the winter...  But in doing some shopping while I was there, I was fooled into buying winter clothes, which being back in Rome has reminded me, I will not be wearing for awhile.

We ate meatballs, mashed potatoes, delicious seafood, including fresh shrimp and salmon, a cinnamon roll the size of a large plate (oh my), and plenty of gummy candy (man, do the Swedes love their gummy candy). 

I can not wait to return to Sweden!  What a fun, relaxing and all around great weekend in good ol' Scandanavia!

Adjö for now! 









Yes, it was as huge as it looks.