Summer holidays has ended and I'm back at school with the music course and a new photography class as my elective. Autumn is setting in as the leaves fall from the branches in a different array of colours, and I have moved to my counsellor's house for a short stay, saying my final goodbyes to my 2nd host family. On top of this, I have just had an amazing weekend in the lovely town known as Umeå with the whole northern disrtict - a total of 4 exchange students! And what a colourful weekend it was...
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Last day with my second host family!
Unfortunately didn't have the host brother in the photo |
So let's start from the beginning. School has been a whole lot easier as the Swedish language seems to click more every day. I'm really loving my new photography class and have now officially written my first ever full report på svenska! (in Swedish). Mission accomplished. I'm also reading a novel in Swedish right now, so that's another step in the right direction. I have recently left my second host family who shared Sweden's Summer with me! I was able to experience lots of traditional celebrations and foods such as the infamous surströmming, and I will never forget my adventures with the greatest host siblings! Now I am staying in Hortlax, just outside of Piteå, with my counsellor and her husband. They are so delightful and welcoming, and always happy to talk! I have had a couple of cooking lessons with them, and have learnt so much about the world during our dinner conversations. So far so good!
I have also said good bye to my fellow northern buddy, Jaymie, as she left to head off to Australia. It's sad to see some one who has been through everything with me during exchange leave, but I know it's not our last good byes. To the memories made, and the ones still to come. Sorry Jaymie, if you are reading this, you can't get rid of me that easily! haha. This leaves me as the most northern Rotary youth exchange student for the second half of my exchange, with my closest exchange friends a 3 hour trip down south. Ava, Sarah and Jordan have all been fortunate enough to be placed in the same town together, but distance will never stop an exchange student. I was able to join them on Saturday and Sunday for an absolutely wonderful weekend down in Umeå.
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| Teaching the world the definition of 'style' |
Saturday was spent enjoying the big 'Colour Me Rad Umeå' event which consists of a 5km running track where you are showered in coloured dust at different stations placed throughout the race. You then end at a stage with music, dancers, and of course, colour! I headed down with Isabelle and Albin by car, meeting up with Ava, Jordan and Sarah at the event. I was also happily surprised to be joined by Emmy, a lovely girl from Luleå, and Elin, the happiest and greatest photographer in Piteå. We each received a bag of colour, white shirt, sunglasses and a 'Rad' temporary tattoo. The atmosphere was awesome, and it was so much fun to run through the stations with hands in the air as we were covered in pinks, blues, yellows, oranges and greens. One of my favourite parts though would be at the end, dancing in the mob by the stage and throwing the colours in the air all together. I am definitely planning to do this again when it comes around to Australia.
Afterwards, us exchange studetns (including Emmy) showered off our array of colours and had a bit of a cooking session where we learned that none of us are very good cooks. I guess it's an exchange student thing. I was able to stay at Ava's for the night, and we managed to take the wrong bus back to her house, but made it back in the end! By then we were both pretty tired, and I think we were both relieved to grab some sleep.
Sunday was another busy day with the northern exchange squad on a boat trip to an island. Once there we checked out a museum and wandered around seeing everything. The weather was gorgeous and it was nice to have another full day with the exchange students. We have big plans for a camping trip if possible, and future road trips in America and Australia. Back on mainland we were treated to a great lunch. I was introduced to 'kroppkaka' which strangely translates to 'body cake'. I can assure you that there are no body parts within it though. It is actually quite similar to palt, a very traditional meal in my town, Piteå. However, this one used pre-boiled potatoes. Both are great to eat and just as filling as each other. Finally it was time to head back home and say good bye to everyone. I had such a wonderful weekend with the exchange students, and I'm so thankful to the adults who organised for me to come down and set up the boat trip on Sunday. I am so excited to see them all again, and am going to miss them all very much until then!
I have also said good bye to my fellow northern buddy, Jaymie, as she left to head off to Australia. It's sad to see some one who has been through everything with me during exchange leave, but I know it's not our last good byes. To the memories made, and the ones still to come. Sorry Jaymie, if you are reading this, you can't get rid of me that easily! haha. This leaves me as the most northern Rotary youth exchange student for the second half of my exchange, with my closest exchange friends a 3 hour trip down south. Ava, Sarah and Jordan have all been fortunate enough to be placed in the same town together, but distance will never stop an exchange student. I was able to join them on Saturday and Sunday for an absolutely wonderful weekend down in Umeå.
Sunday was another busy day with the northern exchange squad on a boat trip to an island. Once there we checked out a museum and wandered around seeing everything. The weather was gorgeous and it was nice to have another full day with the exchange students. We have big plans for a camping trip if possible, and future road trips in America and Australia. Back on mainland we were treated to a great lunch. I was introduced to 'kroppkaka' which strangely translates to 'body cake'. I can assure you that there are no body parts within it though. It is actually quite similar to palt, a very traditional meal in my town, Piteå. However, this one used pre-boiled potatoes. Both are great to eat and just as filling as each other. Finally it was time to head back home and say good bye to everyone. I had such a wonderful weekend with the exchange students, and I'm so thankful to the adults who organised for me to come down and set up the boat trip on Sunday. I am so excited to see them all again, and am going to miss them all very much until then!
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