First day of school!

So, I just got done with my first day of school, I don't know why I was so nervous, because it was AMAZING. Today I started at 10, but everyday I start at a different time. Matti walked to school with me in the morning just to make sure I wasn't going to get lost or anything, which was really nice. I got to the school and the first thing I had to do was get my schedule finalized. I have pretty cool classes. Next, the supervisor at the school, Johanna, took me to my class. It was funny because while we were finishing my schedule, a teacher came downstairs and told me the class was wondering where I was! :D. My class is SP2E, and they are awesome, when I walked in everyone said hi and people automatically started talking to me. I got alot of jersey shore questions, of course :D You are allowed to use cell phones and ipods during class and the teachers don't care at all. Also, during our breaks you are allowed to use the loudspeakers in class and play music on your ipods out loud, it's so cool! Another thing, our breaks between classes vary in time, sometimes you have over an hour to just chill, and you are allowed to leave and come back when the break is over xD Tomorrow I don't start school until 12 :O so that gives me extra time to sleep. I only have a bit of free time right now so i'll try to update this as frequently as possible!

Vi ses! Brianna

Friends, Cell phones, and Subways

Hallå! Jag älskar min svenska liv så mycket. Jag börjar skolan snart och jag kan inte vänta!

From now on the things I post will probably be relatively long since I don't know how much extra time i'm going to have. Let's start by saying, I took the subway alone today! Jussi and I went into town this morning to get me a phone, and I took Hagsätra, which is a line on the subway, to Stureby, my stop. From there I walked about 10 minutes or so to get home. Anyway, i did get a phone today :D it's nothing special really, but it was so much easier than activating an american phone. All you really have to do is buy the phone, get a sim card, and then buy minutes. The phones are alot more expensive here, so it was something completely new to me. So, now about the friends. I haven't started school yet, but I have SO many friends, some exchange students and many swedes :D I don't even know how. But thats not a bad thing! Everyone always talks about how shy swedes are and blahblahblah. I have had many people come up to me and start talking out of nowhere. So for me it seems to be the opposite of what everyone says. My friend Liz, who is from Alaska, introduced me to some more exchange students today. They were from places like France,Germany,Switzerland,Australia, Brazil, and a ton more places. We all got coffee and walked around. Tomorrow i'm going with my host parents to speak to the principal at my school. I officially start school next tuesday. I'm really excited but nervous as well. At the rate i'm going now however; it shouldn't be hard to make new friends! xD that's all for now I believe. I'll try to post something soon about how my school visit goes.

Vi ses!
Brianna

Finally in Sweden! :D

So, i'm finally here! crazy crazy crazy. Theres so much to say. My plane ride is the first thing. I flew with SAS, so basically everyone on the plane was swedish, therefore the attendants spoke swedish to me. It was actually really cool and i understood everything. Since i sat in the middle of the plane, i couldn't see out the window but they has this awesome thing on my personal tv where i could still see what was going on through the window. like a fake one on the seat xD The food on the plane was really good, and the plane was about 30 minutes early flying into Stockholm. Next, Arlanda airport. I flew to Sweden out of Newark, and if you've been there you're probably well aware of how loud it is. When i got to Arlanda, complete silence. Never heard a word out of anyone. It was alot easier to get my luggage because in Newark we have huge like....baggage claim things. they're elevated so you have to lift your luggage over the side. At Arlanda the luggage claim thing was flat, so you could easily lift your bags off. Thank god, because my suitcases were heavy! The airport was relatively small, so it was easy to find my host family. They're AWESOME. Per, Tarja, Matti and Jussi, I feel like part of the family already. When I got to the house, i ate, then unpacked my things. I hung out with Matti for a little while then i slept for a few hours. Surprisingly, i'm not jetlagged at all anymore. After I woke up we ate dinner than watched tv for a while. The food here is awesome, and my first meal i had swedish meatballs xD.

Today, Jussi and I went to the center of Stockholm for the day, we just got back! It was amazing. My host dad drove us in and from there we walked around. After a while it was time for fika! which is Swedish for coffee break. The subway was really easy to navigate, and I get along really well with everyone. It's not nearly as cold as I thought here. I went without gloves and only a light jacket and I was fine. The snow is melting for now which is kinda gross to walk in but oh well. Now i'm home watching tv with Jussi, in swedish of course! :D, although, we were watching 2 and a half men before :P. Another thing I LOVE, is finally having the extra letters ä,å, and ö, on my computer, makes it so much easier to type to other swedes ^^. Well, that's all for now really, i'll try to update again soon!, hejdå, och ha en bra dag!

Brianna

T minus 3...2..1.

I'm leaving today. insane. Honestly, I don't have many emotions right now..well, I do, but I think they are still all wrapped up inside, because the fact that i'm leaving in...like 4 hours hasn't hit me yet.

Yesterday I said goodbye to everyone at school. I didn't think it would be as hard as it was. People were coming up to me and asking me questions about where i'm going etc...funny thing was, some of the people I didn't even know. oh well :P I promised tons of people(including teachers :O) I would write to them and let them know how things are going. And if you're reading this, I swear I will! :D

Last night was actually pretty stressful. I got some last minute things I needed, and I finished packing. It probably took me around 2 hours or so to find a way to fit all my clothes into my suitcases. Let's just say it was...a pain.

So, now i'm just sitting on my computer, next to my suitcases, in an empty room. The day has finally come, and I honestly can't believe it. Well, i'm about to leave for the airport, so i'm gonna stop writing now! I'll try to update again when i'm all settled in Sweden :D

Brianna

4 days. woah.

I'm leaving.4 days. This week. It's actually happening...whaattt? I honestly cannot believe i'm going through with this! Looking back, I don't think anybody would believe the amount of persuasion it took for me to be able to actually make my dreams a reality.

So, i'm sitting in my room right now, next to my luggage. my closet is empty; weird.
I went shopping last night and got the rest of what I need, so i'm all set now! My parents want me to ship my luggage out to Sweden early so it's not so much of a hassle when i'm at the airport. I agree, so hopefully that will happen.

I start school again tomorrow, but my last day is wednesday. I have to finish taking midterms as soon as I get there, so it's going to be a busy few days. My flight on thursday isn't until around 6pm, so i'll have the whole day to make sure I have everything I need and whatnot.

Anytime I think about leaving, it doesn't seem real to me at all. I still have this idea in my head that friday morning i'll be in New Jersey, not wanting to wake up for school; when in fact I will be in Sweden, extremely jetlagged. :P

I'll probably write again either the day I leave, or when I get to Sweden, either way, there will be more updates soon! and pictures :D

Kramar och Pussar, Brianna