Wanderlust

Christmas parties all month long

2009-12-14T07:27:00.004-05:00

Christmas parties with school friends, Christmas parties at work and Christmas parties with best friends. That pretty much sums up the past few weeks for me. Swedes really live it up for all of December and I am happily joining in on the fun.

I met up with some of my "new" friends from school for dinner one night after work last week. We had decided we wanted to do something social outside of class since we had been having so much fun together during our breaks. It is a fun group because everyone is in the same boat. All of us immigrants, working during the day and studying Swedish at night, wondering how the heck we ended up in this freezing cold country. We ate a fantastic italian dinner, drank wine and went around the table telling our embarrassing "once I said this in Swedish but meant to say this" stories. There were some pretty great ones that made me feel better about all of my Swedish slip-ups.

The bank I work for was recently named number one Nordic Bank for financial analysis (the section of the bank I work for). They threw out all the stops for our Christmas party this year because of it. All 125 of us took a boat out to the archipelago, where we were greeted with a champagne toast by the head boss and a spectacular fireworks show! It was incredible, and was followed by an even more incredible three course dinner. We were entertained by a vocal group that also had some pretty funky dance moves, and then danced the night away ourselves to the DJ. It was pretty fun to see some of my ever-so-serious co-workers let loose.

Saturday night, Klas and I had some of our closest friends at our place for appetizers and a little Secret Santa exchange to keep the festivities going. Nothing fancy but we had a great time. I made pigs in a blanket, which were a big hit. Klas kept calling them pigs in a towel :) Christmas music and laughter filled the apartment all night long. Doesn't get much better than that.

Since our camera is still out of working function, I don't have any pictures to share from all this fun, but I hoping to get some from some of my friends (hint hint to those of you who were there...with a camera) and am hoping Santa brings me a camera for Christmas in the meantime (hint hint to my husband).

Glad första advent

2009-11-29T12:20:00.006-05:00

I've spent the day hanging up what little Christmas decorations we have and listening to Christmas music. I couldn''t help myself. I was putting the little mini ornaments on our little mini tree and couldn't resist blasting Mariah's All I want for Christmas is You.

I am well aware that we are still in November but today is first advent in Sweden, a tradition that counts down to Christmas by lighting a candle every Sunday on the four weeks leading up to Christmas. I think I also need to feel the holiday spirit to be more okay with this horrible weather we have been having. And lastly, since Klas is on tour for the majority of December, I will spending a lot of time at home alone and the decorations help make the place more cozy.

So there is my list of excuses for decorating for Christmas in November :) Happy first advent everyone! Glad första advent!

Catching up

2009-11-22T05:13:00.005-05:00

Where do you start when you have taken such a long sabbatical from the blogging world? It doesn't seem practical to just start writing as if nothing has changed or happened over the past five months, but its not easy to try and catch up.

Instead of writing a chapter book, here is a list of some of the things that have been going on in my life here in Sweden.
- Klas and I took a trip to Copenhagen in the beginning of July to go to the Jazz Festival there. It was such a good trip for us.

- My family and some very special friends made the long trip to Sweden in August and I was finally able to share the beauty of this special city I live in with those who matter most to me in the world.

- The reason everyone came was of course for wedding! Klas and I were married on August 22 in Årsunda, and it truly was the best day of my life. (more posts on the wedding to come!)

-We went to Skiathos, Greece for our honeymoon which was by far the best vacation I have ever been on. We are already looking forward to going back.

-I started a Swedish litterature and writting course at Stockholm University in September and now go to class in the evening two nights a week. I have made some new friends there and would like to think my Swedish has moved up a level since I started.

- I was finally made permanent at my job as an editor, where I have been working under a temporary contract for more than a year. It is a great relief for me to have more security and to be able to continue doing what I love.

As I think back on the past five months, I realize that some pretty amazing things have happened to me. I have taken a lot of steps in the right direction down my life path and am loving everyday because of it. Life is good.

Oh what a difference five months makes

2009-11-18T09:51:00.002-05:00

I can't tell you how strange it feels that my last entry was posted five months ago and was titled Eternal daylight. Partly because it honestly feels like we went on that late-night picnic one week ago, but also because I now, five months later, find myself in the eternal darkness of Swedish winter.

If the sun does come out, it will peak it's little head out for a few hours mid-day but I have not managed to see my solar friend for weeks. I have seen gray skies and I have seen black skies, but no sun. In fact, I have the day off from work today and as I was walking home from the grocery store, I realized I had no sense of what time it was. 2:00? 6:00? 10:00pm? Could really be any of those. I decided that it was just dark and wet o'clock.

Opposites are what make life exciting, and I am trying my best to enjoy this yin to summer's yang. One way to get through the winter is to keep extra busy and I look forward to posting more often!

Eternal daylight

2009-06-30T16:23:00.004-04:00

Klas and I went for a late night walk and picnic by the lake tonight. Guess what time it was when these pictures were taken???
Almost 10:00pm!!!! It's very hard to get ready for bed when you can have a picnic and enjoy being outdoors instead :)

Little guys

2009-06-23T10:20:00.004-04:00

Klas brought these guys home last week. They are my new favorite addition to our apartment :)

Losing the lust to blog

2009-06-09T07:37:00.004-04:00

If you haven't already noticed, in the past year or so, I seem to have lost that spark and burning lust to blog about my life. There are times when I feel like I have nothing to say and times when I feel overwhelmed by all that I have to share with family and friends that are so far away. My life is anything but dull lately and I think more than anything, I have a hard time getting excited about sitting down at the computer to type up a clever post when I have been sitting at the computer all day long at work!

I guess I am asking those of you who still check my page from time to time to bare with me. I will continue to post when I think it is fun and will try not to feel guilty about it when I don't.

The majority of my free time these days is spent wrapped up in wedding details but Klas and I are also good about making time for each other and we have had some fun times lately. Swedish summer has now arrived, which means we have sweltering heat one day and rain the next, but most of all it means seemingly eternal daylight. I always forget how special it is when we get to this time of year and the days seem to last a lifetime.
Addressing the wedding invitesThe forest path by our place. Runs with Klas, bike rides to the beach and forest walks are my new favorite things in the worldBruce Springsteen consert last week!Even with this horrible weather we managed to have a good time :)
Our new balcony furniture where we eat breakfast most days. (and there's my bike too)

Home alone

2009-04-26T16:13:00.003-04:00

It's been a busy few weeks for me at work and a lonesome few weeks for me at home. Klas has been out on tour for the past two weeks in Sweden, Finland and Estonia. It is always the same story...I am sad when he leaves, then I enjoy the first two days of having the apartment to myself, and then I get bored and lonely and just want him to come home.

It's reporting season at work right now, which means there is about three times the amount of reports being published and three times the amount of editing to do. It means longer days for me at the office and the need to be flexible enough to work from home some nights too. The timing was about the only good thing about Klas being gone, because I could focus completely on work. I was never really in a rush to get home to my empty apartment in the evenings, and some nights I had nothing better to do than to put in a few more hours on the computer. I'm pretty sure my boss was impressed by my work ethic over the past two weeks :) If only he knew how it would have been different if my hubby-to-be was actually in town.

April has been a really good month and I can hardly believe it is almost May. Four months and counting until our big day. The weather is beautiful right now, the daylight is seemingly never-ending and all the signs are pointing towards a summer that just may go down in history as one of the best.

Quarter of a century old

2009-04-15T15:48:00.004-04:00

Yay for birthdays! Especially birthdays with presents, family, friends, good weather, and of course...cupcakes. Klas' mom and sister stayed with us on Saturday and shared in my birthday breakfast and then on Sunday, we had 12 people over to celebrate my 25 years of being alive, as well as our new apartment. I wanted an American style kiddie party so that's exactly what we did. Gourmet hamburgers, pin the tail on the donkey, balloons, goodie bags, charades and more! It was a blast and I have to admit that I am already looking forward to my 26th :)
They were yummy cupcakes with real Betty Crocker icing that I found in the "American food" section at the grocery store.

That's corny

2009-04-01T14:56:00.005-04:00

I always mean to take more pictures of some of the crazy things I come across in my daily life living abroad. I laugh every time I see these granola bars. They are corny, they are big.

You should know, these are not actually Swedish. They're from Germany but they are sold everywhere here. It's my new favorite snack because they are very yummy and make me laugh all at once!

151 days to go

2009-03-24T16:02:00.001-04:00

In five months I will be Mrs. Toresson! Can't believe it...can't hardly wait :)

Life in Bagarmossen

2009-03-16T16:50:00.006-04:00

We made it and are all settled in our new place. It feels more and more like home everyday and we are so happy with how all the new furniture came together. For two people with no real experience in decorating a home, we are proud. Klas has also turned into quite the handy man hanging up curtain rods and putting furniture together.

It has been a hectic but fun adventure moving and furnishing a rather large apartment in basically a matter of two weeks. A few trips to IKEA, some sweet buys off of the equivalent of Craigslist and one trip to a second hand furniture store and we are all set! No more boxes left to unpack but there are certainly things left do. We still have nothing hanging on the walls for example.

Here are a few pictures the whole process and a couple of our place. The car ride home from IKEA was fun :)

Moving Day

2009-02-28T07:59:00.004-05:00

Does anyone know how you register to be entered into the Guinness Book of World Records? I'm pretty sure my name could be listed as the person who has moved the most times in their life. It's almost comical as I try to count the actual amount of times I have packed my life into boxes and/or suitcases and relocated. I know that I have lived in 7 different homes in Pleasanton alone and...well, let's just say I have seriously lost count of the total.

This is an exciting move for me and Klas since we will be building our home together for the first time. We have been living in a furnished apartment so it has never really felt like ours and the small size was finally starting to get to us. We love our new apartment's layout and the fact that it is three times bigger than the place we have now. We have heard mixed reviews about the neighborhood, but I feel secure in the fact that there is no such thing as a "bad" area in Stockholm and know it will be great. It's a little further outside of the city, but that's what we gave up for more space.

We've had a lot of fun furniture shopping for the past few weeks, which is something I never thought I'd say. You know you're getting old when you get excited about kitchen tables and couches.

Thanks to all the experience I've had, I am a pro at packing and know all the tricks. I even went to the grocery store to ask for banana boxes but the store clerk just kind of looked at me strangely. I guess people don't do that here. Needless to say, I broke down and paid for some real moving boxes and now am all set to spend the rest of the weekend loading all of our books, clothes, pots and pans, oh yeah, and all 500 of Klas' CD's into them.

Blog Slacker

2009-02-02T14:06:00.004-05:00

Yup, I'm a blog slacker and I know it. But give a girl a break. Between getting engaged and starting to plan a wedding, looking for a new place to live and now preparing to move on March 1st AND taking a two week long trip to the States, I pretty much have not had a single moment to blog.

Klas and I had such a wonderful trip visiting our family and friends. As Klas said on our way home, now they are his family and friends too :) We managed to do quite a bit in only two weeks sqeezing in an engagement party, a trip to Dallas, a few days in San Francisco, wedding dress shopping (I found my dress!!!), and several wonderful days lounging around with family and friends. The beautiful weather we had for most of the trip certainly was the cherry on top of it all.

It is always bittersweet coming home after such a wonderful visit. Not in least part because of the horrendous flight back. But we have so many positive things going on in our lives right now and were quite anxious to back to reality (even if our reality includes below freezing temps and work).

Klas and I are currently suffering from severe jetlag and woke up last night at 3am pretty much ready for the day to begin. We turned on the tv and actually managed to catch the last 20minutes of the Superbowl! It was a fun reminder of being in America for the past two weeks. Looking through all 554 of our pictures was fun too. Here are just a few.

So Long 2008...Hello 2009!

2008-12-31T10:26:00.002-05:00

Man, what a year 2008 has been! I love New Year's Eve because it is a time to reflect on the year that has gone by and what you hope to accomplish in the year ahead. I also love all the Best of lists. Here's a quick Best Events of 2008 list I came up with for my own life:

January- I celebrated New Year's out in New York City!!!
April- I turned 24
June- I moved from NYC back to Stockholm, Sweden
July- I flew to California to be the Maid of Honor in my best friend's wedding and to meet my new niece Brynn!
September- I started working at Handelsbanken as an editor and publisher...my dream job :)
November- Klas proposed to me in London
December- Christmas in Sandviken with the Toresson family and New Year's Eve...well I'm not sure yet :)

God Jul!

2008-12-23T02:24:00.002-05:00

This will be the first year I spend Christmas in Sweden. Last year I went to Dallas to spend Christmas with my brother and his familiy and the year before that I went to California to spend it with Mom. I have experienced all the fun leading up to Christmas day but this year I will get to see the action all the way through. Here are some fun facts about Christmas in Sweden.

1. Christmas is celebrated on December 24th. Presents are opened and the Christmas feast is eaten on what I have always known as Christmas Eve. December 25th is more a day of rest and recuperation.

2. Santa is a gnome, not a fat old man who lives in the North Pole. Tomte, as he is called here, is more of a gnome figure who according to legend lives in your house and watches over your garden during the year. He does bring presents to good little boys and girls but he definitely does not come down the chimney and he doesn't have reindeer or a sleigh.

3. Donald Duck is the new Ralphie. Every year on Christmas, Swedish families sit around the TV and watch some kind of "Donald Duck's Christmas" at 3:00. I haven't seen this one yet so I am still a bit confused, but I suppose it is like watching A Christmas Story the States. It's just something you do every year. And when I say everyone watches Donald Duck, I mean everyone! (It is probably good to know that Donald is the star of the Disney clan here. Mickey Mouse is just oen of his side kicks.)

4. There is no such thing as too much gingerbread. Seriously, "pepparkakor" or gingerbread cookies are absolutely everywhere! Since December 1, I have probably consumed 500, 000 gingerbread cookies and muffins. (I have yet to see a candy cane though.)

5. Handmade gifts are best. Handicrafts galore can be found at all the cute outdoor Christmas markets around town and all make great gifts. Ornaments are often handmade and Christmas craft circles with friends are not uncommon. Presents in general are a whole other thing here. It is not so much about the money you spend as it is the thought you put into it.

6. Superstitions exist here too. One of the foods Swedes eat on Christmas is a kind of rice porridge. They hide one peeled almond in the batch and whoever finds the almond in their bowl is said to be married within the next year. According to Klas though, when you are a kid and don't want to get married, it just means you win. This makes me think of the American tradition of searching for the pickle ornament on the tree or even pulling the wishbone on the Thanksgiving turkey.

7. As with most places, there is no such thing as over-eating on Christmas. Swedes have a tradition of a "Julbord" or Christmas table. It's basically a buffe or smörgasbord (which is a Swedish word btw) of all the tastiest Christmas foods you can imagine: ham, sausages, cheeses, breads, salads, herring, meatballs, vegetables, potatoes and much much more. Ooooh, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.
God Jul och Gott Nytt År!!! (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!)

Holiday mail

2008-12-19T15:47:00.006-05:00

There is nothing better than getting mail. Real mail. In the mailbox mail. Emails are always fun but they don't even compare to the feeling of holding an actual envelope in your hand. This is more true than ever for me now, when any form of contact from my loved ones abroad makes me so happy.

Every day this week I have run to our mailbox when I get home from work because everyday there has been something in there for me! Today I received a notice that I had a large package to pick up at the post office down the street. You can imagine my excitement. It was a package from my mom with all sorts of Christmas goodies and my first presents of the year.

Aren't the holidays wonderful?! Thank you so much to everyone who has made the extra effort and paid the extra postage to send me a Christmas card this year. It means a lot! Klas sure has had fun looking at all of them too. The whole picture and a card in one thing was new to him :)

Our fridge full of Christmas cards!

Swim and Sauna

2008-12-17T15:27:00.003-05:00

I live in a country where the sun comes up at 10:00am (if you can even call it up) and goes down at 2:00pm. It's been several weeks now since I've actually seen the light of day and my body is starting to feel the consequences of the lack of vitamin D. The days blend together in an eerie and somewhat unpleasant manner and I seem to be tired all the time.

You have to come up with ways to beat the winter chill and darkness and I am still learning what works for me. The one thing I have noticed is how much better I feel on the days that I get some exercise. I am also addicted to lighting candles and drinking tea…anything really that helps to convince me that living in the cold just makes everything cosier.

Last night I went swimming with Anna at an indoor swimming pool and then we took a sauna. The sauna experience is very popular here in Scandinavia, and for good reason. I'm not sure why Americans don't jump on the bandwagon because sitting in a wooden room full of what can only be described as dry, piping hot steam is really quite extraordinary. I was warmed to the core for the first time in a long while and the feeling lasted long after we got out.

It's the small things that make the difference and make it a little easier to live in the North Pole :)

(For the record, "to sauna" is not a verb in English, right?…"I saunaed" just doesn't seem right but my Swedish-thinking brain is confusing me)

blah blah blog

2008-12-14T16:47:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure what has gotten into me and why it has become more difficult for me to write interesting posts lately. I have a desire to write more often but then when I sit down to do it I feel like I have nothing to say.The truth is, my life is absolutely crazy busy and fulfilling right now and I have tons to write about. I just haven't found a good way to express those things I wish to share.

This blog has become more of a way for me to share my life in Sweden with my family and friends I can't see every day than it is a forum for me to open up about my thoughts, dreams, and opinions. I think maybe I will try to change that in hopes of creating a stronger desire within myself to write. I too often feel like, who really wants to read about my trip to the grocery store where I had an epiphany or my experience with the homeless man on the train home from work? When really, these are the things about my day-to-day life that may be interesting to others if I open up and am honest.

For now I can be honest with a little catch-up on the ongoings of my life:
Work is going well and although I often put in long hours, I have never had such a rewarding job before. I am constantly learning and overcoming challenges and that is always a major plus for one's self-esteem and sense of accomplishment. I just finished my first term as a teacher for an online Copywriting in English class with a university here in Stockholm called Berghs School of Communication. It was difficult staying motivated enough to come home and correct papers after a long day of work but now that it is over, I am of course very glad I did it. They have asked me to run the course called Professional Writing in English next term and I have accepted, so there will be no lull in my work load any time soon :)

Klas and I are really looking forward to Christmas since we have both been working so much this month that we haven't had so much time for eachother. We will be spending Christmas at his mom's house and will also visit his dad and his grandparents while we are there. This will actually be my first Christmas spent in Sweden so I am looking forward to learning some new traditions and being a part of the festivities here.

Last but not least...we bought our tickets and are flying to California on January 15th! I am so glad that we worked it out so that even though I cannot be with my family on Christmas, there will only be more to look forward to once Christmas is over because Klas and I are coming to the States! We talk about it almost every day and are really looking forward to seeing everyone we have missed so much.

Not-so-crafty Cami

2008-12-08T09:38:00.005-05:00

The holiday season is in full force over here in Stockholm. Christmas music blasts from every speaker, white lights, ribbons and wreaths decorate the streets and shop windows, and the popular shopping areas of the city are over flowing with people... (what global economic crisis??)

I am making an effort this year to focus on more important things than presents and shopping. Mostly because I always just end up being stressed out trying to find the perfect gift for everyone.

Thanks to my crafty friends Fia and Anna, I have been getting in the Christmas mood by baking and making Christmas crafts together. On our baking night, the girls taught me how to make saffron buns (the most popular Christmas treat) and gingerbread muffins, a tradition I will have to pass on to my kids one day :)

On Sunday we had a craft circle at Fia's. It was then that I realized the full-extent of my crafty-ness handicap. While the other girls knitted scarves, embroidered, and stitched felt ornaments, I cut out a lame little paper Santa. Oh well, my strengths lie elsewhere.Fia and Anna measuring out the ingredients for the "lussebullar" (saffron buns)

Christmas cookbook

yummy Saffron buns before going in the oven

Gingerbread muffins with lingon berriesGirls craft night at Fia's Anna's super cute owl ornamentMy super lame-o Santa :) Me and the glue stick...the extent of my crafty tools

Happy Turkey Day

2008-11-27T16:58:00.003-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I am very sad that no one in this country recognizes the beauty of a holiday where all you are supposed to do is eat all day...and be with the ones you love of course. I have been daydreaming of turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes and stuffing, and of course pumpkin pie!

I am sad to have missed out on the food and the company of my wonderful family and friends back home but I have not missed out on the other most important part of Thanksgiving...being thankful.

The Year's First Snow

2008-11-24T06:26:00.006-05:00

The first snow storm hit this weekend (and it hasn't slowed down since). I am still like a little kid when it comes to snow, so I was quite excited when I woke up and looked out the window on my way to the kitchen. It was a winter wonderland outside! Naturally, I forced Klas to go outside with me to take a winter walk and tons of pictures. Poor guy...he has to deal with a California girl who never even saw snow until the age of 18, when he has been around it all his life.

The Big News

2008-11-20T14:00:00.008-05:00

Okay, okay! I know it's been a whole week since we got back from London and I still have not posted anything about our trip. But it has been one whirlwind of a week and I have been too busy soaking it up to write!!!

Klas and I had the most wonderful time in London. It was more than either of us could have ever imagined...especially true for me, who was unaware of what Klas had planned to do while we were there :)

As most of you already know... Klas proposed to me in London and I said yes! We're engaged! I can still hardly believe how lucky I am to have found the man of my dreams and that he managed to completely surprise me with something so incredibly important and special. We couldn't be happier about being engaged and really appreciate all the love, support and congratulations we have received from everyone.

Clearly, the engagement became the highlight of our trip but we also managed to visit the British Museum, Tate Modern, Hyde Park, and Harrods. We saw Wicked in the West End and attended a concert at the London Jazz Festival. Of course, we also did our share of walking around the city to visit all my favorite neighborhoods and see all the famous sights including Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminister Abbey. We ate great food, talked to some friendly Brits, oh yeah, and we saw Prince Charles and Camilla coming out of a party and getting into their car (no, I'm not kidding). What more could we have possibly asked for?!

It was somewhat surreal walking those streets again and thinking back to who I was and what I thought of the world when I lived there four years ago. Although London seemed to be just as I remembered, I sure have changed a great deal. I think we won't wait four years to go back. Now, London holds an even more special place in my heart.

London town here we come

2008-11-11T16:05:00.004-05:00

Who can fly to London for the eqivalent of $50???? WE CAN on Ryanair!!!! Klas and I are going to London tomorrow for what feels like pennies in comparison to what I paid for my first plane ticket from SFO to Heathrow 4 years ago. I haven't been back since I lived there, as hard as it is to believe. London has a special place in my heart since moving there is what started all the craziness leading me to where I am today...Stockholm, Sweden! (yeah, there are some in-between parts to that story for sure)

We are staying in Kensington, close to Hyde Park, but you can bet I will be heading to Bloomsbury to check out my old hoods. We have a busy schedule planned and I will certainly be posting more about our trip when we return. We will take lots of pictures too! I don't think I will be able to sleep tonight...

Political ponderings

2008-11-09T06:48:00.013-05:00

I was living in London during the 2004 presidential election. I remember that the university where I was studying made it easy for all the American students in my program to fill out our absentee ballots and I remember that all the Brits where pretty bummed when Mr. George W. won. Crazy enough, this was my second time going through a presidential election as an expat. Only this time, I can say that it was quite a different experience and there was quite a different (and more joyous) reaction to the outcome. I suppose one could argue that the world we live in is a different place all together.

It was incredible really, how much coverage the election got here. It was on the cover of every newspaper and on every tv news station for weeks. People were also unusually interested in talking to me about politics. It's not really surprising since everyone was aware that the outcome would greatly affect the entire world, but I was still moved by the pure realization that I come from a country with such influence and power. It is a realization that makes me feel honored and patriotic but I must be honest and admit that sometimes it worries me too.

The word expatriate is defined as someone who has withdrawn themselves from residence in and/or allegiance to their native country. I may have withdrawn myself from residence in but I have not withdrawn myself from allegiance to America. Living abroad has certainly given me a new perspective on the country in which I was born. However, I think maybe that is a topic to bring up again in a future lengthier post. One thing for sure is that I will always be proud of where I am from.

I hope and pray for positive change in America just as strongly as I wish for the same all over the world. Let us all hope for the sake of the world, and not just the sake of America, that Obama will lead the United States of America with honesty and integrity and that he will be the catalyst for change that is so desperately needed.

Cereal in your hair?

2008-11-03T16:04:00.004-05:00

Learning the Swedish language has been one of the most fulfilling and rewarding aspects of living in a foreign country for me. It was an incredible thing when the pieces, or should I say the words, started coming together and all of a sudden I understood the people around me. Slowly but surely I could answer simple questions with one word and then I could even ask some. I am now at a level where I read, watch television and listen in on the conversations of the people around me without translating everything in my head. I am fluent by definition, but it is definitely one of those cases when the more you know, the more you realize you don't know. I still search for words that don't come to me, mix up past and present tense and sometimes I say ridiculous sentences without meaning to. I am proud of how far I have come but I still deal with the daily frustrations of trying to take it to the next level.

I have good Swedish days and I have bad ones; days when I stumble over every word and say crazy things and days when I can fool some people into thinking I am actually Swedish (okay, maybe not but I like to pretend I am that good). Lately, the difficult days have been more frequent and there never seems to be an end to the "funny things Cami says wrong in Swedish" anecdotes. All of my friends have them. I thought I'd share a few:

Yesterday was a bad Swedish day. I woke up and started calling some hair salons to try and make an appointment to get highlights. Most places were closed so when someone picked up, I was caught a bit off gaurd. This is exactly what I said in Swedish to her over the phone: "Hi, my name is Camille and I would like to make an appointment to get cereal in my hair." See, the word for highlights is slingor and the word for cereal (or corn flakes more accurately) is flingor. In the heat of the moment, and probably because I use the word cereal more often, I told the poor girl at the salon that I wanted cereal in my hair. Needless to say she was silent on the other end for a few moments before I realized what I had said. I laughed and corrected myself and successfully booked an appointment in the end, but not without embarrassing myself first.

Later on that evening, I was letting one of Klas' students into our apartment building because he was staying in the guest apartment for a few nights. (He lives in another city but comes to Stockholm to take lessons from Klas and needed a place to stay for some school thing he was involved in). Anyways, Klas is out of town and there is no room for him in our place so we offered up the super cheap apartment in our building that you can have guests stay in. I took him up to the room, made some small talk and then wanted to make sure he had everything he needed. I realized there were no sheets on the bed so in Swedish, I said to him, "Do you have everything you need? Do you have your swim suit?" The word for bedding is sängkläder (which literally translated to bed clothes) and the word for swim suit is badkläder (which literally translates to bath clothes). So you can see how a girl might get the two mixed up, but he looked at me like I was a crazy person. This is probably because it was below freezing outside and he was pretty sure we weren't going swimming any time soon. Once again, I tried to laugh it off and corrected myself so that he understood but I'm pretty sure he had a good laugh at my expense when I left the room.

As you can see, I have a long way to go with the whole, mastering the language thing. For now, I guess I will just have to laugh it off, accept that I am going to make mistakes and continue to entertain those around me with my attempts.

Wedding Weekend

2008-10-27T16:39:00.006-04:00

It's Monday and another week has begun. The weekends just never seem to last long enough, but they go by especially quick when we have a lot planned. Friday night Klas and I treated ourselves to an expensive dinner to celebrate pay day. Woohoo! Here in Sweden, you only get paid once a month so it is a very exciting day :) We decided to try something new and ended up at a Pakistani restaurant called Lilla Pakistan. We are always the adventurers when it comes to food since both Klas and I love strong flavors. Indian and Thai food are still my favorite, but we enjoyed our fancy dinner.

Saturday we attended the wedding of one of Klas' close friends Stefan and his now wife Elisabeth. It was a beautiful ceremony and great party with all the charm and simplicity of a Swedish wedding. There are some wedding traditions here that are different to me, like how there is always assigned seating for dinner and you don't get to sit with your date. I suppose it is a tradition that has evolved here as a way to force the guests to get know eachother, since talking to strangers can be tough for some Swedes. It has made for an interesting experience for me at the two Swedish weddings I have been to where I didn't know anyone except Klas. Both times I ended up making great friends with all my table mates and now I have decided I like the tradition. We had a fun night of great food (Brasilian food) and some wild dancing (Klas even played with the band for awhile) and we felt lucky to be a part of Stefan and Elisabeth's special day.

Staffan, Ida, Me and Klas before the ceremony. Apparently the theme for the night was gray and black. The "I do's"... except they said it in Swedish of course :)
Cutting the cake(s)!

The Klas Toresson Quartet

2008-10-21T16:03:00.004-04:00

There are are a lot of exciting things going on right now for Klas. He has a crazy busy schedule and is pretty much playing somewhere with someone every night of the week. If it isn't a recording gig in a studio, it's a Norwegian tour with a big band or a weekly gig at a jazz venue in Stockholm. That boy never stops. On days when he doesn't have a gig, he is at his rehearsal studio practicing and writing music. Both he and I like to refer to his saxophone as his mistress since he spends as much time with the thing as he does me :) I admire his discipline and his passion for his work and am not so sure I would do such a good job of being self-employed.

In December, Klas will be releasing his first album, called Statement. While he has recorded backgrounds on several albums and been a part of other people's projects, this album will be his own. All the tracks are songs he has written specifically for his quartet, which is a band that holds a special place in my groupie heart.

When Klas and I were in the early stages of dating (one and a half years ago) I went and saw him play with his quartet. It was an experience I will never forget, and not just because he was winking and smiling at me from on stage. It was a musical experience that changed me and created a desire in me to learn more about jazz. While we were at the photoshoot for the album cover this past Sunday, I remembered that I had taken a short video that night when I first saw them play. I wish it was longer...

These four guys have some kind of magical musical connection between them and with Klas' music, the magic comes to life. I am so proud of him and all the work he has put into the album and I can't wait for its December release. Don't you worry, I will be exporting several copies to the U.S.

Photos by Anna Larsson

2008-10-16T04:44:00.008-04:00

There are plenty of reasons why I love my life in Stockholm, but one of the most significant reasons is of course the people in my life. Somehow, I have managed to surround myself with incredibly creative and inspiring individuals that have given me a new perspective on the reality of making a career out of something you love to do.

Anna Larsson, my very best friend, is an amazing photographer. She has never even considered a career in any other field, because taking pictures is what she loves. Although being an artist is not exactly the easiest road to take in life, I do believe it can be one of the most fulfilling. Anna's dedication and passion for her art inspires me and has given me the desire to seek out my own ways of being creative and leaving my artistic mark on this world.

Anna already has an impressive resume. She has worked as an assistant to a successful photographer here in Stockholm and completed the certificate program at the prestigious International Center for Photography in New York City. She has started her own business now and works as a full-time photographer.

I have taken advantage of my friend's amazing talent and have asked her to take a lot of pictures of me over the years. On the other hand, she has taken advantage of my incredible poise and beauty and has asked me to be her model on several occasions so it works out for the both of us ;) hahahahaha... Here are a few of my favorite pictures she has taken of me:
After work...Taken in our NYC apartment. This is from one of our first "photoshoots" taken in Stockholm in September 2006 Fall in Prospect Park...taken in Brooklyn in Autumn 2007 This picture is from the photoshoot Anna did for her final exhibition at ICP. The project was called Almost see through.Taken in Dalarna, Midsommar 2007 Backyard BBQ party in Williamsburg, March 2008

Believe it or not, Anna does in fact take pictures of other things and other people besides me :) Travel and food photography are her specialty but she doesn't limit herself to just that. Check out her new website to see more of her work.

Shadow Creatures

2008-10-12T16:03:00.004-04:00

This is how we spend our Saturday afternoons when the autumn sun light comes through the window just right...

Roses

2008-10-11T09:06:00.005-04:00

I had a rough day at work on Thursday and had called Klas on my lunch break pretty upset. When I came home, Klas, who had been rehearsing and working hard himself all day, was out grocery shopping for dinner. I was still settling in at home when someone knocked on the door. I tip-toed over and looked through the peep-hole, but no one was there. And then a knock again...this time I saw it was Klas and when I opened the door he handed me a bouquet of the most beautiful roses I have ever seen.

It's pretty amazing how one person can turn a bad day into a great one in a matter of seconds. I am a lucky girl to have someone so caring, and I know it. Not trying to rub it in, I just wanted to share a few pictures of these absolutely gorgeous flowers that are now sitting on my kitchen table. Aren't they incredible?

Hobbies

2008-10-05T12:01:00.003-04:00

It seems as though the older I get, the faster times goes by. The days just come and go, and sometimes it easy to look back on the week and wonder what I did just for myself. I am a strong believer in the fact that everyone needs to have some "me" time and having a hobby is one of the best ways to do just that. Aren't we all a little happier when we do something creative, something athletic, something musical...something that doesn't feel like work?

I have been making an effort to find some new activities for myself because I realized that when I was not at work or out with friends, I was usually at home, wasting my precious free time paralyzed in front of my computer screen. Don't get me wrong, blogging is a good hobby, but facebook, peoplemagazine.com and youtube...not so much.

So first, and probably most importantly, I have purchased a one year gym membership and have set a goal for myself to work out three days a week. They have really great classes at the gym I go to including aerobics, dance and step that I am already having a blast participating in. Working out can become a hobby when you find a physical activity you truly enjoy.

My other new hobby is learning how to play the flute, as you know, and you may be glad to hear that I am getting better!

I dabble...

2008-09-27T08:23:00.009-04:00

I decided that I wanted to start learning how to play the flute. Even though my professional musician of a boyfriend (who plays the piano, sax, clarinet, and flute) is a great teacher, it's pretty clear that I am a hopeless case. Klas makes it look so easy but after two lessons I can still hardly get the dang thing to make any noise at all.

Here is a little example of my mad skills for your listening pleasure :)...it's not easy I tell ya!

Klas takes a ride in a time machine...

2008-09-21T05:46:00.006-04:00

Last night Klas played a gig where they were asked to dress up in 18th Century drab. It was the theme of the party so the guests were dressed up too and from what I have seen, they went all out. It must have been quite the experience to be there with all the costumes and the band playing music one might have heard at an 18th Century ball.

He sent me a picture on my cell phone while I was home doing laundry and I almost died from laughter. I think he looks pretty hot. Gotta love the powder wig...

p.s. I did get permission from Klas to post these lovely pictures, as long as I also reiterated the fact that it was a very well-paid gig :)

An Autumn Walk

2008-09-14T04:19:00.007-04:00

Weekends are officially my favorite. Yesterday, Klas and I took a long walk, which has become one of our favorite weekend activities. This time however, we decided we would photo journal our walk and take silly pictures along the way. There are so many great places to walk, run, bicycle and just plain be outside in this city. I never fail to be amazed by the beauty of Stockholm when are out on our walks and sometimes have to pinch myself to realize that this is where I live.

Autumn has officially arrived over here and yesterday was a good wake up call to the fact the summer is now far behind us. I had to get my winter clothes down from the attic because fall here really means the beginning of winter. It's cold, and it will be so for the next six months. So, we bundled up and headed out for an autumn stroll...Yes, cold enough for a winter coat and scarf.It says, "Those of you riding your bike...think about us!"Notice the hot air baloon in the sky
We treated ourselves after an hour long walk.

What a week its been

2008-09-07T14:09:00.003-04:00

I survived my first week at work and my first weekend of recovery. Actually, the week went really well and there was not so much to recover from except for maybe a little less sleep. As expected, it will take some time to get back into the routine of working every day but I know that it will only make me appreciate my weekends and days off even more.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I went into work at 6:30am to learn some of the morning routines. Hopefully, there will not be too many of those early mornings, but I realized over the course of the week that I will not be working 9-5. My schedule will be unpredictable and most definitely different from week to week. I like that. My collegues are great, the work is fulfilling and the possibilities to learn and grow are endless.

Friday night, Klas and I celebrated a busy and successful week for the both of us with a fabulous dinner at our favorite Greek restaurant Kalimera. Saturday I went to a friends house for a girl's day with some old friends and then I went to see Klas play at night. Today has been a sleep-in, grocery shopping and laundry kind of day...exactly what a working woman needs to recharge and prepare for the week ahead.

First day of school...I mean work

2008-09-01T12:45:00.003-04:00

I survived my first day at work as an editor and publisher! It was a successful and fun day for me but was a bit overwhelming too, as all first days can be. Everyone I have met so far has been so friendly and helpful and I feel like I am a good fit with the team. One of the girls that sits next to me is American and grew up in Fremont, California!!! Can you believe it? Such a small world I tell you.

I have to post this picture only because it is so dorky/cute of my boyfriend...He snapped a picture of me all ready for work before I got into the elevator this morning. As if I was going off to my first day of school or something :)

Kräftskiva!

2008-08-25T09:57:00.011-04:00

August is crayfish season in Sweden. It's a short period of time when you are allowed to fish for crayfish yourself. It has become a tradition to celebrate the season by having crayfish parties. This year, we decided to head out to Dalarna to go crayfishing and to have our own little party. Klas, Anna, Fia, Niklas and I had a blast spending the weekend out in the countryside where Anna and Fia have a family cottage. Even without running water and a proper bathroom, it feels a bit like paradise out there in Svärdsjö. Good friends, good food, gorgeous weather, beautiful surroundings and a whole lot of fun!

Yes, the hats are mandatory!

What a process...

2008-08-20T08:55:00.003-04:00

I've been waiting for three weeks to write this post...It was three weeks ago I received a phone call about a job I had applied for over the internet. Since I had been planning on studying this year, I had not really been actively looking for work, but I couldn't pass the posting for this position up. It was a dream job. So I sent in my resume just because.

I was pretty surprised when they called me in for an interview, even though I knew I was qualified. After meeting with "the boss man" they called me a few days later and asked me to come in to meet with someone else (which I took as a good sign). Following the second interview, I didn't hear anything for almost a week (which I had taken as a bad sign) until they called and asked me to come in once again. On my way to interview number three I was pretty sure they must be ready to tell me whether or not they wanted me for the position. Interviewer number 3, someone from HR, asked me all the same questions about my background, experience, why I am in Sweden and what I like to do for fun, only this time we took it in Swedish. When I had to leave for the third time with no answer, I realized how much I wanted this job. I had seen the magestic building the office was located in. I had met several friendly would-be-co-workers. I had been given very specific details about the job...but no one had even given me so much as a hint if they really wanted to hire me or not. I swear! I finally got a little rude and asked how many people they were still interviewing. They told me they had started with 50 applicants. They saw 15 and now, it was down to me and one other guy.

After a very long weekend of speculating and trying to read into everything they had said and done, I received another phone call. "Can you come in tomorrow at 10am?" I almost screamed into the phone, "Just tell me whether or not I got the job!!!" But I didn't. Instead, I went in for interview number 4 and told myself I wasn't going to leave the room without knowing. I had been through such an emotional roller coaster for three weeks and really just wanted to know.

The truth is, I ended up leaving for the fourth time without them saying the words, but when they called me a few hours later and said "We would like to hire you for the position," it was all worth the wait. I got the job!!!!!!

As of September 1st, I will be working at Handelsbanken Capital Markets and my position title will be Editor and Publisher. I have been practicing how to tell people about the job and what it entails in Swedish but as I sit here, I am realizing that it is difficult to explain in English.

Handelsbanken is one of the largest most prestigious banks in Sweden. The Capital Markets sector is made up of financial analysts, stock brokers as well as the editing and publishing team. To put things in pretty basic terms, Handelsbanken financial analysts in Sweden, Denmark and Norway write financial reports in English that are sent and published all over the world. These analysts will send said reports to me to edit. I have some learning to do since I have never worked in the financial sector before, but I am confident in my editing abilities and am more than up for the challenge. This job is such an incredible opportunity for me. I feel so blessed. I have Swedish friends that are looking for work and even more immigrant friends that have been here for a long time and are still jobless. I have been back in the country for two months and have just landed my dream job. This is going to change everything about my life here. Most significantly, it is going to mean that I will be a financially stable working woman instead of a struggling and poor masters student. Klas and I couldn't be happier.

Sheep!

2008-08-04T14:07:00.010-04:00

Klas and I were excited to take a little bit of a longer bike ride today. We had decided to ride around a nearby lake, a distance of about about 6 miles (10 km). Well, we got a little lost around the lake and ended up off-roading on some trails, weaving through some fields, riding over a couple of bridges, carrying our bikes up and down some stairs and having some adventures along the way. It was fun not knowing exactly where we were or where the trail we were supposed to be on had gone. The highlight of the trip was when we came to a field full of sheep and a sign was hanging on the fence inviting us to go in and visit them.
They were friendly sheep.

Baaaaaah!

Feeding a sheep...

...being a sheep. Silly boy.

My new bike!

2008-07-31T12:07:00.006-04:00

I came back to Stockholm and received a wonderful surprise. Klas bought me a bike! And he bought one for himself too so we can ride around together. We had talked about wanting bikes for a while but I had pretty much decided it was something that had to wait. While I was in California, he took it upon himself to make a little project out of finding the perfect bike for me. He did such a great job that when he asked me which bike I would want out of all 50 of the bikes parked outside, I picked my bike!!! It's a silver and black three speed cruiser bike with a basket in the front. I love it and have already discovered new places and new sides of Stockholm while out on our rides. Having a bike in this city is like having a car in California. Not to mention I am going to get in shape by riding everywhere!

The cutest part of all is that he bought us both helmets too and makes me wear mine everywhere. Even though I look like a dork, I know it is the safest thing to do. Especially when we are riding around the city with car traffic.

10 Random Things

2008-07-30T14:08:00.003-04:00

I was tagged by my mom to post 10 random things about myself. So, here ya go...a little bit of useless information about Camille Roberts for those of you who ever wanted to know:
10. I read magazines backwards--from the last page to the first.
9. I can remember lyrics to a song after hearing it three times.
8. I cry when I laugh, even when I'm not laughing very hard. (thanks for passing that lovely quirk on to me Mom)
7. I almost always drink milk with dinner.
6. My fingernails grow freakishly fast. (maybe because of #7???)
5. I really don't like to play board games.
4. I have visited ten countries.
3. I can't whistle.
2. I wear earrings every day.
1. I speak Swedish. (does it get more random than that?)

Blogger's block

2008-07-12T10:05:00.009-04:00

I've been contemplating what I should do about this blog. Things always change for me when I move to a new place and settle into a new daily routine. Spending time on the computer has not been so much of a priority for me the past few weeks, which in some ways feels nice. I haven't found the time and have had no real desire to update my blog regularly, but I don't want to give up on it just yet. I guess this can be my plea to ask for some patience while I decide how and what I would like to share about my life these days.

It's been an enjoyable few weeks for me here. I've caught up with old friends and spent some quality time resting and soaking up the sun. One highlight has been my trip to Finland with Klas where he played at a Jazz festival in Dalsbruk. It was a magical weekend with perfect weather and all of our accommodations paid for. Pretty sweet deal. See pictures below :)

I'm heading to CAlifornia next week to be in my best friend's wedding and to meet my new niece Brynn! While I'm not looking forward to getting BACK on another plane, I am certainly excited for all the fun that awaits me there.

Home Swede Home

2008-06-25T08:57:00.004-04:00

It's been exactly one week since I arrived in Stockholm (and much longer than that since I last posted) so I thought now might be a good time to finally update everyone on my life as a Swede once again.

It feels so nice to be back in this beautiful city that truly feels like home to me. I've said it before and I'll say it a million times...there is no place more beautiful than Sweden in the summer. In some ways it feels like I never left and that my year in New York was all a dream. But in other ways I can really feel how I have changed over the past year and how things this time around are different. I feel ready to settle in one place for more than one year and it feels so right that Stockholm is where I have landed.

I haven't stopped going since landing on Swedish soil last week and have no plans to do so anytime soon. The first few days, Klas helped bring me back to life here. We went to the bank and got my bank account up and running again, fixed my cell phone so that I could have the same Swedish number I used to have and went on long walks so that I could re-aquaint myself with the city. We then spent the weekend up in Sandviken (three hours north of Stockholm) at Klas' mom's place where we celebrated Midsommar. Midsommar is the greatest holiday ever. It is a day to be with family, to dance around and sing funny songs about animals and sunshine, and to eat all the best foods that Swedish summer has to offer, including pickled herring, fresh potatoes and dill, and wild strawberries with cream. Klas' mom has a summer cottage in a quaint village by the water where we spent the day and stayed the night. It was when I was laying on the hammock reading a Swedish book in the Swedish countryside that I felt as far away from New York City as one can possibly be.

I am definitely in a new world, but one that feels so familiar and comfortable to me. It's been nice to hear Swedish all around me again and yet challenging at the same time. I've gotten a little rusty and am still in the process of turining the switch in my head from English to Swedish. I'm looking forward to getting back into studying and practicing every second of every day. Lifting the Midsommar Pole.Klas' mom danced in the festivities...And Klas played.Klas and his mom on the chair swing at the cottage before our Midsommar dinner.Two of the small cottages.
Down by the water.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2008-06-03T17:24:00.006-04:00

My wanderlust has struck again. I'm leaving New York and am moving back to Stockholm in two weeks time! I guess there is more to blame than my wanderlust this time though. There's the man of my dreams who has waited patiently for my return back to Sweden and my own longing for that country in the north that feels so much like home to me.

What an amazing year this has been for me. Such an opportunity of a lifetime to live and work in New York City at my age and stage of life. I can hardly believe how quickly the time has passed and just how much I have done since moving to the Big Apple. To think that I actually moved here without a job or a place to live...what was I thinking?!? I suppose I knew deep down it would all work out just as anything you want enough and are willing to work hard for will. Not only did I get a good job, but we ended up in the most perfect apartment too. They say if you can make it in New York you can make it anywhere and it is kind of true. I feel a bit invincible myself, to be honest, like I could move anywhere from here and survive. Like I could move anywhere and thrive.

I admire people who not only "make it" here but those who can stay here permanently because, I'll tell you what, I'm exhausted. New York is an overwhelming and over-stimulating city like no other place I have ever been and after one year, I am somewhat anxious to escape the crowds, the traffic, the crazies, the sirens, the subway, the concrete...everything that makes this place incredible also makes it a difficult place for someone like me to really call home. Someone who likes to think of herself as a city girl but actually enjoys the peacefulness of the countryside when it really comes to settling down.

New York will always feel like my city in some ways. I know my way around, I know where all the great restaurants and cafes are and I even know which places to avoid. I so look forward to coming back and visiting this incredible city with all the fond memories of the time I spent living here. So, in my final days here I have taken every opportunity to soak it all up. Picnics in the park, a trip to Coney Island, a visit to the MoMA, one last meal at all my favorite restaurants, nights spent up on our roof looking over to Manhattan...all things I will miss dearly.

It is bittersweet leaving New York behind. I know I will miss the pulse of the street and the sirens outside my window but I am also so excited about this next phase of my life. I'm heading to the paradise of Swedish summer and am making a stop in California first. Who wouldn't be excited about that? I promise to keep you all updated as the days move on and as I settle back in to life in Sweden.

Coney Island

2008-05-26T20:44:00.009-04:00

I had really been wanting to go to Coney Island for a while now. Especially since the weather turned nice. I have been there once before, but it was several years ago on a day when it was raining and the carnival was closed. I understood then that I wasn't witnessing the real Coney Island, the famous Coney Island.

Today, Anna and I witnessed it first hand. Memorial Day is either the best or the worst day of the year to visit the famous beach boardwalk in Brooklyn, depending on how you look at it. We rode the world famous wooden roller coaster, The Cyclone, because it is open for its last season and will soon be shut down. Now we can say we survived a ride on that wretched, rickety and impossibly uncomfortable piece of ancient history....I sure haven't laughed, screamed, or cried so hard in a long time though. We ate corn on the cob and had a hot dog and lemonade from Nathan's and walked down the pier. It was a little too windy (and crowded) to enjoy laying out on the beach, but we had a great time.

Sunday In The Park

2008-05-25T17:40:00.007-04:00

Anna, Stellan and I made a picnic of pasta salad, strawberries and some brie and headed to Prospect Park. We weren't the only ones with such a great idea on this beautiful Sunday before a holiday; I have never seen so many people in my life, as a matter of fact. But we managed to find a spot halfway in the shade, halfway in the sun...just how I like it.A little game of frisbee :)
She just got back from Mexico but I am white as a ghost.Look how many people!!!

20 Things I Love Right Now

2008-05-20T19:50:00.014-04:00

I don't think I was tagged on this one. But I am going to share anyways. I've really enjoyed other people's lists because it offers a unique peek into their life in the purest form. The things that make us smile, the things we reward ourselves with and the people that enrich our lives...the things we love are what makes life worth living, after all! In no particular order, here are mine:

1. my ipod- that little music gadget is amazing and really makes my daily commute more bearable. (I'm going to let this one count for music too because it is definitely one of my greatest loves)

2. bagels- I don't know if it's a New York thing, because I know they are popular everywhere, but you can seriously get any bagel, with anything on it, anywhere you go in this city. My new favorite is a multi-grain bagel with lite vegetable cream cheese...yummm

3. independent/foreign films- I have made an almost weekly habit of going to see an independent or foreign film at an indie theater or at the Scandinavian House in Manhattan. I usually go by myself after work so I don't have to worry about what the person next to me thinks about the film. I have opened my eyes to a whole new world of film I never knew existed.

4. the warm chocolate brownie sundae from Chocolate Room- best dessert on the planet. no contest.

5. text messages- every time my phone beeps with a new message I still get excited. It's like getting a letter in the mail or something and some days it's my only form of communication with Klas.

6. naps in the middle of the day- there is nothing like falling asleep with a book in my hand on a Saturday afternoon.

7. the Swedish language- kinda silly maybe, but Swedish brings a lot of joy into my life-hearing it, speaking it, reading it. It is something I am proud of having accomplished, the fact that I understand this crazy language, and is also something that I am humbled by, when I think of how much more I have to learn. I love the experience of adding new words to my vocabulary every day and setting goals for the level I hope to get to.

8. people watching- it's one of my favorite past times...especially in this city.

9. iced lattes- my summer drink of choice for sure.

10. Prospect Park- it's my little piece of heaven right here in Park Slope.

11. undressing after work- I remember my mom telling me when I was young how nice it felt to take off her pantyhose when she got home from work and I never really understood what the big deal was. I get it now. One of my favorite parts of the weekday is the minute I get home, rip off my work clothes and slip into my comfy pants.

12. crossword puzzles- (see previous post)

13. hanging on the roof of my apartment- we have a seriously sweet view of Manhattan from our roof top which we have access to through a cute little trap door with a ladder in our hallway. There have been many fun nights up there and some great days of sunbathing too.

14. talking to my family on the phone- I miss my family more than they know and I always love hearing about what every one is up to. Phone conversations always make me feel closer even though we are so far apart.

15. cute animal videos on youtube- Klas sends me about a hundred videos a week of cute animals that he finds on the net. They make me happy. This little guy is one of my favorites. (watch with sound on)

16. laughter- I am a happy person, but even for me it is a rare occasion that I find myself rolling on the floor laughing until my belly aches. Those moments are priceless.

17. gossip magazines- I've said it before and I'll say it again, "hello, my name is Camille and I am addicted to celebrity gossip." It's kind of horrible and trashy, but it's also kind of cool that everyone comes to me for anything pop culture trivia related. I love love love sitting down with the latest issue of People and Us Weekly.

18. pictures- taking them, posing for them (my roommate is a photographer), looking through the millions I have on my computer...pictures are such a wonderful way to capture life's small moments just as much as the big ones.

19. evening walks around the neighborhood- I got into the habit when Klas was here and now I can't stop. It's calming and fun to explore every nook and cranny of my neighborhood.

20. spending time with Klas- last but certainly not least...time with my love is something I love more than anything and something that is even more precious to me because we have been living apart for the past year. I am happiest when Klas is around. He makes me smile more, laugh more and overall brightens up my life.

They're Just Jealous

2008-05-19T09:18:00.005-04:00

This article from today's NY Times about Park Slope, the nighborhood where I live in Brooklyn, cracked me up.

It analyzes the phenomenon of Park Slope haters and why they so strongly profess their dislike of the neighborhood. The article focuses a lot of attention on the fact that Park Slope is full of stroller pushing "latte moms" (a Swedish phrase I stole), which is in fact true, but I never knew it aggravated so many people. I guess that's probably because I am one to ooh and awe at all the cute babies in their expensive strollers and hip clothes. I don't mind them or their parents patroning the same cafes, restaurants or boutiques as I do.

As I have said before, we are happy as clams living in the peaceful yet bubbly Park Slope and have really found our niche there. Even this weekend, I went into Manhattan to do some shopping and ended up back in The Slope, only to find what I was looking for right around the corner from our front steps. I've made a habit of walking to and hanging out in nearby Prospect Park and have only recently enjoyed the beauty of the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens (see Cherry Blossom Festival post). I have my favorite bagel place, coffee shop and of course my favorite little second-hand store all within a two block radius. I love the place, and agree with the explanation one guy quoted in the article has about Park Slope haters..."They're just jealous because they can't live here."

Saltines and Ketchup

2008-05-15T16:41:00.004-04:00

I just ate some saltine crackers for my afternoon snack. Something funny has happened to me everytime I have ever eaten a saltine cracker since I was in the sixth grade. It always makes me think of a story we read in school about a young homeless boy in New York City who lives on rations of saltine crackers and ketchup packets he takes from the nearby diner. For some reason, it is one of the only details I can remember about the story. I don't know what it was called, what the boy's name was or even what happens to him after he eats his dinner of saltines and ketchup in his cubby hole somewhere in the subway station. But I do remember the details of how he would only take one bite of the cracker every so often to make it last, and how the crackers with ketchup on them were worth savoring even more.

The human memory is so funny sometimes. How is it we remember such seemingly insignificant details and yet can often forget more important ones? This story-whatever it is called- touched me enough as an eleven-year-old, that I still think of the young boy and still feel grateful that I have always had more food to eat than just crackers and ketchup. I sure wish I could remember more about the story and what it was called. I would love to read it again.

I'm a Crossword Maniac

2008-05-13T15:54:00.003-04:00

I have a new hobby and it's doing crossword puzzles. I know...pretty nerdy, right? Ehhh, oh well. I can't help myself OR my nerdy tendencies sometimes.

I have gotten into the routine of picking up the free amNY newspaper every morning from the guy who apparently gets paid by the paper to scream in everyone's ear, "GOOD morning, get your AM News right here!!!!" At first, I started taking one from him in hopes that it might make him shut his trap for a minute, but he never quit. Nowadays I just nab one from him and run because I have become addicted to the best part of the otherwise okay daily news print...the daily crossword puzzle!

In the past, I have been frustrated by crosswords because they always seemed to be either way too difficult or super easy, neither of which made me feel good about my vocabulary and word fitting skills. This paper however, has puzzles with the perfect mixture of easy clues, clues I have to think about or use other letters to help me out, and the clues I need to look up on the Internet. (It's not against the rules, I swear. p.s. I make up the rules). It is the perfect activity for someone like me who sits at a desk all day and needs some kind of distraction from Corporate Law once in a while...ok, more like once a minute. I love the feeling I get when I finish one. It's a great sense of accomplishment. Even more so than finishing a whole day of work. hmmmm. Strange.

Here are some clues from today's paper. They are pretty much impossible to solve without the grid, but still, go ahead and try anyway. You'll feel good if you come up with an answer, I promise.
1 Cutting remark
18 Univalent radical
62 Eye amorously
45 Kettle and Barker
34 Dots and dashes
4 ___ carotene
50 Agronomists' study
53 Old cash in Pisa
61 Chilean mountain range

Buncha Crazy AMinals

2008-05-11T17:05:00.008-04:00

Klas and I went to the Prospect Park Zoo yesterday here in Brooklyn. We have this thing with animals...both of us act like kids when we see cute critters. And it's a good thing because we blended in with the million other kids running around. We even blended in with some of the animals :) You never get too old for a day at the zoo, right?Cute California sea lions all the way over here in New York.Turtles sunbathing.The cutest turtle of all.The Baboons were my favorite to watch.Feeding the llamas.
Klas hanging out with the prairie dogs :)

Friday Foto

2008-05-09T17:09:00.004-04:00

Is it already Friday again? It's kind of lame to have only one real post between my photos of the week but this week seriously flew by. I didn't even have a second to think about writing. I'll try harder this next week.

For now, here's a beautiful black and white (or is it blue and white?) that caught my eye. I think I especially noticed it because of our recent trip to the cherry blossom festival. By the way...can someone buy me all of these gorgeous prints I am finding so I can hang them up in my apartment?

Untitled by Nick Lisitsin

Robyn and Sakura

2008-05-04T19:09:00.011-04:00

I had a fantastic weekend and am hating the fact that my weekends seem to go by waaaay too fast these days. I guess that's what happens when you work full time but your roommate and house guests do not. I feel like I am missing out on all the fun during the week but do a good job of making up for it on the weekends.

If you were a teenage girl in the early 90's then you know who Robyn is. But did you know she's Swedish and that she's making a comeback? Even though I definitely rocked out to "Show Me Love" in 7th grade I never knew back then that she was Swedish and I haven't really followed much of her career since. On Friday night Klas and I went to see her show at the Grand Ballroom in Hell's Kitchen. Of course Klas just happens to know all the musicians in her band so we got on the guest list and got in for free. I didn't really know what to expect from the pop star that I had at one time idolized, but I figured that like me, she had probably grown up and changed quite a bit since 1997. And indeed she has. She has a new album out that she has released under her own label. She's way more pop/techno/synth now than in her early days, which is cool and she put on a pretty awesome live performance. We had a fun time during the show and were able to hang out with Klas' friends in the band afterwards while people awkwardly kept coming up to them and asking for their autographs.

Saturday was a fun day too. It was the annual Cherry Blossom Festival (Sakura Matsuri in Japanese) in Prospect Park. It's a huge festival they have in the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. We are lucky to live close enough to Prospect Park to walk there and that's exactly what we did. They had Japanese dancers, Japanese food and music, a temporary tattoo booth where I got a sweet cherry blossom tattoo on my hand, and some interesting people dressed up as manga characters. I think I was bugging the heck out of Klas because I kept singing the song I learned in fifth grade called "Sakura", which means cherry blossom in Japanese. Good times.

Such beautiful flowers on ALL the trees. Klas enjoying some Japanese noodles.
yummmm...sushi.

After the festival we headed up to Williamsburg where a friend of a friend was having a backyard BBQ. There were a few Brooklyn indie bands playing as well as hot dogs with all the fixin's and of course a plethora of Swedish folks...'tis the story of my life :)

Photo of the week

2008-05-02T17:03:00.003-04:00

The pictures I put up of myself don't count for my photo of the week that I said I would post every Friday. Here's a jewel I found that I've been staring at since Monday. There's just something about it I love.
Untitled by Erik Lewandowski.

Pictures

2008-05-02T00:02:00.006-04:00

I've been thinking lately about how much I enjoy seeing the pictures my family members put up on their blogs. Especially of my adorable nieces who are growing up so fast. Sadly, I realize that it is especially important to me because I don't get to see them enough in real life.

So, I don't have any cute kids to put pictures up of...but I do have a cute boyfriend :) Here are some of me and Klas from the past two weeks.

Book Tag

2008-04-26T11:34:00.006-04:00

I've been book tagged by my sister-in-law and here is what I am told I am supposed to do:

Pick up the nearest book (one with at least 123 pages)
Open to page 123
Find the 5th sentence
Post the next 3 sentences
Tag 5 people

"That attitude takes all the crassness and stupidity of the world and makes it the occasion for a game. This is pearl making at it's best. Copland's remark indicates that whatever he may find in the world, if a creative person has a sense of humor, a sense of style, and a certain amount of stubbornness, he finds a way to do what he needs to in spite of the obstacles."

My book was Free Play by Stephen Nachmanovitch. These are pretty good lines in the context of the rest of the book which discusses all the ways we as humans improvise and how to be more in touch with ourselves and our ability to do so. It's kind of funny that the one book closest to me was non-fiction because I don't tend to read non-fiction books very often. This one was given to me as a gift and is a real gem. I recommend it to anyone who is looking to put some more creativity into their life. Anyone who is an artist in some way (and aren't we all?) will enjoy this book.

I tag Jamie and only Jamie to this. I don't have five blogger friends who haven't already been tagged. Sad.

Picture of the Week

2008-04-25T14:48:00.004-04:00

I've been checking out some different photography sites a lot lately and have decided that I am going to post my favorite photo of the week every Friday. Here's my favorite discovery this week. It makes me smile. And of course it makes me think of Klas. The Band - by Ellen van Deelen

я являться pоссийский

2008-04-24T09:57:00.007-04:00

Nationality is a pretty big part of a person's identity and it plays an even more significant role when you aren't living in your home country. Suddenly, it becomes a defining personality trait, if not THE most defining trait about who you are and what makes you different from those around you. I remember that in my first day of Swedish classes, I learned how to say, "Thank you," "My name is Camille," and "I am American." In a classroom full of immigrants from all over the world, taking turns introducing ourselves by announcing our respective nationalities was a way to say the most about who we were in the fewest words possible.

The more fluent I became in Swedish, the harder it was for people to know right away that I was American...obviously. But a funny thing started happening. For some reason, I was constantly taken for an Eastern European. It happened so often in fact, that it became a running joke between me and Anna whenever we would go out and meet new people. After 15 minutes or so of talking with strangers (which is about the time they would start to notice something fishy about my Swedish), they would inevitably ask me where I was from. Then, I would always ask them to guess. Anna and I would hold our breath in anticipation of the answer we knew was coming. The person, without fail, would guess that I was either Finnish, Polish or Russian, and every time we would laugh in their face. Typically this lead to confusion on their part as to what was so funny, and an explanation on my part as to how Swedes always guessed wrong.

Anna was always sweet in saying that because I don't have an American accent when I speak Swedish, it really throws people off. They have trouble placing me and turn to the super blond hair for help. I'm learning now, however, that my appearance may have had more to do with it than the language. Two times in the past three days, I have been asked if I was Russian. The first time was by an Indian man working a jewelry booth in Greenwich Village, who, after hearing Klas and I speak Swedish asked me, "You Russian, no??" To which I answered, "Nope, I'm Swedish." The second time was at Subway when the guy making my sandwich stopped, smiled, and said something I could not understand. Vladimir, as I saw was his name on his name tag, saw the utter confusion on my face and said in a thick Russian accent, "Zorry, I shot you was Rush-in. Where you from?...Pol-land?" I broke into laughter and this time told the truth, "Nope, I'm American."

I've gone through different stages when it comes to my feelings about my own national identity. There have been times when I have been very proud to proclaim my American-ness in a room full of Europeans and there have been other times when I would rather avoid the subject. No matter what the reason may be for me wanting to avoid the topic, I would NEVER deny that I am American outright. It is not something I have ever been ashamed of, but is also something I would never want to define me 100%. I think I'd rather keep people guessing because it's a pretty fun game. I just need to learn some Russian and dye my hair brown and then people will be really confused.

btw...The title to this post says "I am Russian" in Russian...I think. Contrary to popular belief, I have no clue how to pronounce it.

A Prairie Home Companion

2008-04-19T14:57:00.003-04:00

Klas is back in town and this time he is here with a whole Swedish band (Kustbandet) to play a few gigs in New York and at a jazz festival in New Orleans. Last night I had the pleasure of attending his performance on the famous radio broadcast show A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor. I am not a frequent listener to the program but I knew what it was because of the movie that came out in 2006 based on the broadcast starring Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin, among others. Garrison Keillor has been hosting the radio broadcast show for over 30 years and is one of the most famous names in public radio history.

Yesterday was a dress rehearsal for the actual broadcast airing live tonight at 6pm Eastern time. It's taking place from Town Hall in midtown Manhattan and is performed in front of an audience of about 3,000 people. The radio show itself has over 4 million listeners across the country. You can look up the station airing the program in your area on the website and tune in if you have the time! It's a special treat...and Klas even has a few solos.

The Cost of a Prayer

2008-04-17T11:37:00.002-04:00

There are a lot of interesting characters doing some creative things for money underground. There's the man that rides my train home every day carrying a can that says "Help me buy liquor and cigarettes," the break dancers at the Union Square station, the man who plays the saw as a musical instrument in the walkway underneath Bryant Park, the people working the "stress test" tables at Atlantic/Pacific station (only $5 to find out how stressed you really are!) and a handful of other class acts asking for whatever you have in your pockets. An experience I had yesterday though, topped the list of "strangest things you want me to give you money for doing."

Anna, Stellan and I were on our way home from a lovely dinner out when we were approached in the station by some people wearing red aprons with white lettering that read, "God is a good listener." One woman was handing out brochures and asking, "Are you in need of a prayer, sir?"... "Mam, you need a prayer?" It wasn't so unusual to see religious people "selling" their ideas about a higher power, but I was caught off guard when one of the gentlemen proclaimed, "First prayer is free!"...And then what? You are going to charge me to commune with God on my behalf?? I never bothered to ask what the going rate for the second prayer was but I kind of wish I had. I want to know what kind of good deal I am getting on the prayers I say on my own. I'm a bargain hunter afterall, and I happen to know that He'll listen to me for free.

First we make our habits...

2008-04-15T23:22:00.007-04:00

...then our habits make us. Or so the quote goes. For some reason, I have been thinking a lot about habits today. It all started at work when I went to the water cooler to refill my water bottle for the third time in two hours (yes, I take frequent bathroom breaks). I leaned into the cooler and put my bottle under the tap with the blue handle and held it there as the water slowly trickled out. I kept it there for a minute and a half before I remembered that I had already earlier discovered that the blue tap was clogged and the water from the white tap came out just as cold. Why did I repeat the mistake and head straight for the familiar blue tap to the right, even when I knew it wasn't working? Refilling my bottle is something I do four or five times a day maybe, and I now clearly go through the motions without thinking. It has become habitual. It was when I repeated my actions for the fourth time and held my bottle under the non-functioning blue tap once again, I realized just how difficult such a silly habit is to break.

I consider myself lucky that I am not a prisoner to any seriously damaging habits. Especially considering my bloodline, which is full of characters who have both thrived because of, and fallen victim to a predisposition to addiction and habit. I don't smoke, I don't like soda and I have never ever been a nail biter. Some of my worst habits include twiddling my eyebrows, eating after midnight and checking my email five hundred thousand times a day. I have tried to change my ways on several occasions, but as I have learned first hand, bad habits most certainly do die hard. I think I remember hearing that it only takes three times of doing something for it to become habitual, but it takes more than twice that amount of times to kick a habit. And even so, are we ever really safe from our bad habits that we have overcome in the past? How long until we fall back into comfort and show ourselves as the creatures of habit we really are?

There are clear and obvious benefits to our human ability, dare I say skill, of picking up habits. I admire those who are in the habit of waking up extra early, those who have made working out a habit and those who truly have the habit of eating healthy. I am a positive enough thinker to believe that we can conquer the habits we no longer want as part of our routine, but I am fascinated by the struggle and the psychology behind it all. Why is it so easy to become accustomed to something we know is not good for us, and yet so difficult to change our ways for the better? What are some of your "bad" habits?

24

2008-04-12T16:52:00.006-04:00

Last year on my birthday I wrote a "happy birthday to me" blog post. I don't feel it necessary to repeat the offense this year, but I did find some fun facts on wikipedia about the number 24:

- The number of hours in a day. (really?)

- The number of Carats representing 100% pure gold. (I am golden)

- The number of cycles in the Chinese solar year.

- The number of frames per second at which motion picture film is usually projected.

- The number of letters in both the modern and classical Greek alphabet.

- The number of Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays, retired by the San Francisco Giants.

- The atomic number of chromium.

- 24 is considered an unlucky number in Cantonese culture because its pronunciation is similar to that of "easy to die". For this reason, many buildings skip this floor number. The same goes for 13, 34, 44, etc.

Hmmm, I think I will just forget that last one. Here's to being 24!!!

One of Those Days

2008-04-10T16:32:00.003-04:00

Today has been one of those days for me when everything is just right and life can't seem to get much better. You know, those days when you are walking down the street with your headphones on and the perfect songs keep coming on, each one better than the last. The songs you are listening to transform and become something greater than just music in your ears. They become the soundtrack playing in the background of your life.

I had such an experience today while walking down the street in the Upper West Side on this beautiful 73 degree-weather, sunny day. Trees lining the streets in full bloom, kids eating ice cream cones on the corner, skyscrapers appearing larger than usual imposed against the bluest sky. Life is good in the Big Apple today and I am loving every minute.

I know that some of my current zest for life is sprouting from the fact that I have so many exciting things to look forward to in the months ahead. But mostly, I think it is because I have reminded myself not to forget to soak up everything that is fabulous about living in this city, everything that is wonderful about my life right now.

Música

2008-04-08T10:38:00.004-04:00

According to iTunes, here are my top ten most played songs these days. Well, at least the songs I listen to while I'm at home since it only keeps track of the songs I listen to while on the computer. I am guessing the list would be a little different if it was the top ten most played songs on my iPod while out and about the city. The list looks pretty legit though, meaning I am definitely rocking these tunes on my iPod on a daily basis. There are simply a couple of jewels missing here that I would add if I were making up the list myself.

1. Detlef Schrempf- Band of Horses
2. Ocean of Noise- Arcade Fire
3. Some Girls are Evil- Jennie Abrahamson
4. Green Gloves- The National
5. Challengers- The New Pornographers
6. California- Joni Mitchell
7. Vy Från Ett Luftslott- Kent
8. Lovesong of the Buzzard- Iron & Wine
9. Lost Cause- Beck
10. Silver Lining- Rilo Kiley

My First Job

2008-04-05T14:10:00.004-04:00

Call me lazy, or just call me resourceful, but I just went to a website where you can get automatic blog prompts. The first prompt that came up for me was this :

suggested by Spelling Search

"Describe your very first job and what you learned from it."

It's a good prompt I think. It made me think back to my very first working experience and all of the crazy jobs that have followed since.

My first job ever was at Blenzers in Downtown Pleasanton. It was a smoothie place competing with Jamba Juice when smoothies were all the rage. I'm pretty sure it was the summer before my sophomore year of high school, which means I was about 15 years old. Everyone that worked there was 15-16 years old and female, including my best friend Monica who got me the job. I remember that we had a lot of fun concocting weird and revolting smoothies when there were no customers and I also remember that there were boys coming in to visit one or all of us all the time. I also recall that the managers of the place were basically never around. Seems weird when I think back on it now that they would leave their place of business in the hands of a bunch of teenage girls but back then we had no problem with it. It was a pretty sweet deal: no real supervision, friends to gossip with, free smoothies and plenty of gentleman callers.

What did I learn from that job? I learned even then, that the working world has a lot to do with who you know. I knew Monica who knew one of the managers, and so I got the job without even so much as an interview. I learned how to handle money and use a register, which I would use again later. I discovered that I definitely did need to go to college so as not to have a job where I had to do dishes and mop the floors at the end of every shift for the rest of my life. And I learned that kiwi, pineapple and peanut butter are not as tasty of a combination as you might think. All important lessons that I would take with me in some way or another.

What's in a name?

2008-04-01T11:10:00.005-04:00

I have always loved hearing my mom tell the story of how when she named me Camille, she absolutely did NOT want me to have a nickname. I was to be baby Camille, not Cam, Cami, Milley or anything of the sort. She tells me that I was Camille and only Camille until my Aunt Patti started calling me Cami when I was a toddler and it caught on like a wildfire my mother could no longer control. My cousins, aunts, uncles and pretty soon Brooke and Ian picked up on the convenience of dropping off a few letters. Even though it's actually not much of a shortening since it has the same amount of syllables, before long, the only name I ever answered to was Cami. I'm not sure exactly when my mom crossed over to the other side, but she did and throughout my whole childhood my father was the only person in the world who ever called me by the name given to me at birth.

It was on the first day of my junior year of high school that a fairly close friend of mine found out that Cami was actually my nickname. I remember how confused he was on that first day of algebra 2 when the teacher was taking roll and I raised my hand when she called out Camille. "It's Cami," I said and then smiled at my friend who was staring at me as if I had lied and betrayed him for years. The truth was, the only time anyone heard my real name was at the beginning of every school year when the teacher would read my name off the list. Unlike some of the kids in my class who were humiliated by the teachers' butchering of their name, I never minded the proclamation of my secret "real" name out loud.

I have always liked the name Camille and as I got older, I began to feel like it suited me more. College seemed like the perfect time to reclaim the name my mother had intended for me but I knew it wasn't going to be easy since I went away to college and lived in the dorms with my best friend since elementary school who had never once called me Camille in the entire 12+ years we had known each other. She would pretty much flinch when I introduced myself to the people living down the hall as Camille so it's no surprise that my other housemates followed her lead and called me Cami regardless of what I said. But I had already made up my mind about reinventing myself in college and other than those in my immediate proximity, my college friends came to know me as Camille.

Fast forward 6 years and now my friends get a total kick out hearing my family members call me Cami. I am Camille to them and Cami seems like a cute pet name or something to be used used only by those who know me very very well. My high school friends, plus my other roomies in college, on the other hand, find it extremely difficult to address me as Camille. To them, no matter what it says on my voice mail recording, I am and always will be Cami.

For me, I am and always will be me. The name someone chooses to call me simply says something about the period of my life that they came into the picture. I like that and I don't want anyone to call me something other than what they know to be my name.

*Side Note Fun Fact: Camille, when said as I normally say it, sounds exactly like the Swedish word for camel. I have gotten some pretty funny looks from the Swedes when I introduce myself and say to them in Swedish "Hi, nice to meet you. My name is camel." I'm working on a more Swedish pronunciation to avoid such desert animal confusion.

Pet-Peeve-Me-Nots

2008-03-26T15:30:00.010-04:00

It is a rare occasion that I get to teach my boyfriend or Swedish friends an English word or phrase they don't already know. While experiencing the horror of riding the subway home together during rush hour last week, I used and subsequently explained the expression pet peeves to Klas. Now it's been coming up all over the place... yes Jamie, including your most recent post :)

There is no direct translation for pet peeve in Swedish. That is not to say that Swedes do not suffer from the particular or often continual annoyances that get under our skin, they simply do not have a word or phrase to describe them. The English language, I have realized, does not have a word or phrase to describe the opposite of a pet peeve--something small or particular that brings you delight. I find that strange, and as someone fascinated with language, I have been struck by the idea that there seems to be more English words to describe negative feelings and things than there are words to describe all things positive and wonderful. (If I ever go to grad school, I think I may just have a topic for my dissertation right there.)

So, in the spirit of being positive, and because my personal list of pet peeves is longer than I'd like to admit, here are a couple peeve-me-nots:
 People who give up their seat on the subway for pregnant or elderly women
 Young children with very good manners
 People with large vocabularies
 Roommates who do their own dishes
 Punctuality
 Chewing gum with a closed mouth :)
 When someone holds the door open for me on the elevator
 Strangers who make eye contact when walking by
 People who are humble...especially when they have good reason to be proud

Weekend Trip to Washington DC

2008-03-24T19:29:00.010-04:00

Klas and I took an enjoyable four hour bus ride from New York to the nation's capital and spent this past weekend exploring a city that neither of us had ever been to. It was fun for both of us to be tourists together for once. We managed to do and see everything we had hoped to in such a short time. The highlights included The Mall (Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, etc), the White House, the Arlington Cemetery and dinner with a friend of mine who goes to school in DC. We also really enjoyed riding the extremely clean and modern metro which was a nice change from what I have become accustomed to in NY.

Everything went smoothly and I think we were both pleasantly surprised by how much we liked the city. It was a perfect vacation for me and was great quality time for the two of us to be together.In front of the Capitol Building.
View of the Washington Monument from the Lincoln Memorial.
Klas at the WWII Memorial.
JFK's grave at Arlington Cemetery.
Washington Monument behind the boy. Magnolias and cherry blossoms were out in full force.

In Her Shoes

2008-03-19T16:30:00.016-04:00

Shoes are funny. If you stare at people's feet long enough shoes become comical. Why do we wear these covers over our feet? The obvious answer being to protect them of course, but why do we wear the shoes we do?

I have always been kind of a shoe person. Not necessarily in a Carrie Bradshaw kind of way but I always notice what people have on their feet. I am of the opinion that you can tell a lot about a person simply by checking out their footwear. Are they professional or casual? Do they go for comfort or style? Are they American or European? I swear it. I have the peculiar ability to tell what country someone comes from just by glancing down at their feet. European men, for example, tend to wear pointier shoes than American men. Italian men and women have a thing for snake skin shoes and sadly, Americans are pretty much the only people who think a clean pair of white sneakers are cool enough to wear for a night out on the town. I have, in fact, been known to be able to pick out all the Scandinavian men in the club when we are out in New York. What I never admitted before though, is that I often do it by first noticing their shoes.

I think my mind has been on shoes more recently because I just bought two new pairs of high-heels. Seeing as how I am 5'8" and have never felt the necessity to make myself any taller than I already am, I typically don't sport any shoe with more than a one inch heel, if any heel at all. Lately though, I have embraced my tallness and had the urge to learn to walk in more challenging (and inevitably more uncomfortable)shoes. Why you might ask? I'm not sure other than the fact that I see women of all shapes and sizes walking in gorgeous heels everyday and that I have a 6'2" tall boyfriend for the first time in my life. The experience of learning to balance in my seriously stylish kicks has made me pay even more attention to people's shoes around me. I now marvel at the women who walk down the street in strappy four inch stilettos without looking like a wobbly toddler learning to walk and I have a new found respect for runway models who take on the sport of high-heel walking for a living.

They say you can't understand a man until you walk a mile in his shoes. I agree with the statement whole-heartedly, both on a metaphorical and a more literal level because the shoes we wear really do say something about who we are. Go ahead, take a look down at your own feet and think about what your shoes say about you. I think the more modern version of the quote might be, "You'll never understand a woman until you've walked a few city blocks in her Manolos."

Spring Fever

2008-03-17T14:34:00.004-04:00

There is a proverb, "Spring has come when you can put your foot on three daisies." I've been searching desperately for daisies for a month now and as far as I can tell, it's definitely still winter here in New York.

I am currently suffering from the worst case of spring fever ever experienced. I am restless and anxious and angry at the world for still being cold. All I want to do is to leave my winter jacket at home and head outdoors with nothing more than a light coat. I want to wear sexy heels to work instead of my fake uggs. I want to spend the weekends roaming barefoot across the Great Lawn in Central Park and I want to sit at a sidewalk cafe and read in the warmth of the sunshine for hours on end. Really, is it so much to ask for a little sunshine this time of year?

More than anything, I am longing for the rejuvenation and rebirth of spirit that comes along with my favorite season. Spring has always been a magical time of year for me; one of fresh starts and new beginnings. For one, spring means Easter and Easter means my birthday is not so far off...except for this year, of course, when Easter comes freakishly early. (Just another tease to make it seem like it should be later and warmer than it actually is). Spring means tulips and bunnies. It means chocolate and eggs, sun dresses and mary janes. What I'm learning now, however, is that it mostly means those things when you grow up in California where spring weather starts as early as the end of February.

I'm learning to cope with the winter downers in my own little ways but it hasn't been easy. All I can do is be optimistic in knowing that it will eventually come. In the meantime, I will wear sunglasses even though the sun isn't out. I will eat peeps even though I don't like them and I will, by god, wear my light springy sweater to the grocery store even though I'll freeze the whole three blocks there and back. Mostly, I will just keep pretending that spring has, in fact, already sprung.

Ray Banalicious

2008-03-13T17:24:00.008-04:00

As if having him here is not gift enough, my boyfriend surprised me today with a present that nearly brought me to tears. Ray Ban Wayfarers!!!!!!
I have wanted these sunglasses for more than a year now but could never bring myself to cough up the cash for them. I had trouble justifying the "unnecessary" purchase but my desire to own a pair only grew stronger over time. Klas has been with me on several occassions when I tried them on, debated whether or not to buy them and walked out of the store empty handed. So today, for no good reason other than the fact that he is wonderful, he bought them for me and gave them to me over lunch. What a lucky, lucky girl I am.
You gotta give the hard core look when you are wearing these babies.

Unicycle Man

2008-03-08T16:38:00.004-05:00

There is a man in our neighborhood who rides a five foot tall unicycle while walking his dog. I guess technically, unicycling his dog is a better way to put it. I see this one man,one dog circus act once in a while in the mornings on my way to work. I always take it as a sign that it is going to be a good day.

Thanks Unicycle Man, for making me smile.

The Most Bang For My Buck

2008-03-06T22:48:00.006-05:00

I just paid $25 to have my bangs trimmed. Is that a lot? Not cut, just trimmed. They were starting to get in my eyes. Granted, I did go to a swanky Greenwich Village salon, but I was in her chair for only ten minutes. No wash, no dry...just a few snips. My idea about what is expensive and what is not is blurred since all I see around me are designer bags, fancy suits and people with money coming out of their ears. I'm feeling like it is more than okay that I paid such a high price....maybe my perception of reality is skewed. It is totally normal here to pay $25 for good service at a trendy salon, but is it logical? What is it, like $10 per square centimeter of hair they touch? I'm not really sure, but I sure do like my bangs.

Supporting the Arts

2008-03-03T21:10:00.005-05:00

On Saturday night, Anna and I made the trek up to Williamsburg to go to an opening at an art gallery for an exhibition called "31 under 31: young women in art photography". Williamsburg, although still in Brooklyn, is impossibly difficult to get to from where we are and because the gallery is actually an old warehouse in the run-down industrial hoods, it was really a trek. We came up from the subway, walked down a dark and desolate street, past a seemingly endless row of empty warehouses and factories with broken-in windows and graffiti on the brick walls. Just before we started to wonder where we were and what we were doing there so late and so alone, we saw the lights and the long line of seriously awesome Brooklynites waiting to get in. That's when we knew we were in the right place.

I won't tell you exactly how we managed to cut in front of about a hundred people to get right in but I will say that I am sneakier than I look. I had a serious "wow" moment when we got in. The place was impressive in size, the crowd was ridiculous and 31 amazing photographs lined the gallery walls. Everything about it was so New York. Young, hip, arty New York and we were smack dab in the middle of it all. I didn't feel out of place for a minute, especially with Anna by my side. She is, herself, an amazing photographer and so, when we bumped into some friends from the Slope, I used her as my excuse as to why I was cool enough to be there. It's funny when I think about it... I have pretty much surrounded myself with artists these days. Musicians, photographers, artists...these are the people in my life. Aside from my writing, I don't consider myself very creative but I am sure used to being surrounded by people who are.

There were a couple of photographs that I was mesmerized by and it was fun to pick Anna's brain about the kind of camera that had been used or whether or not she thought the print had been digitally enhanced. I fell into the world of an art photographer and art critic and I liked it. We mingled at the gallery for long enough and then took off to meet some Swedish friends at a restaurant in Green Point. All in a night, all in Brooklyn. Really, truly...I heart NY.

Kool-Aid On Your Feet...Oh, Yeaaaahh!

2008-02-28T11:32:00.012-05:00

In one of the strangest examples of cross-branding I have ever seen in my life, Reebok has released a new line of shoes that smell like different Kool-Aid flavors. That's right, you can walk around smelling like the yummy sugary drink in strawberry, grape or cherry flavors. Not sure why any respectable person would want their feet to smell like sweaty fruit, but hey.

This definitely gives new meaning to their Kickin' Kiwi Lime Flavor :) As well as to the term "Kool-Aid stand"....hahaha, it's too easy.

Call it a Quarterlife Crisis

2008-02-26T10:27:00.007-05:00

I think I am going through a growth spurt. Not a physical one, but more of a psychological one. I have always believed that I learn and grow as a person every day, but I'm not so sure that's how it happens for me. Sure, the passing of time inevitably means there will be change and growth but I can narrow it down to a few really distinct periods of time in my life when I have asked more questions, had more inner monologues, done more soul searching and grown as an individual because of it. It is as if my mental capacity to understand the world grows over a couple of weeks or months at a time, just as when my body was growing and I grew 4 inches in one summer. And just like the leg cramps and pain I experienced while my body was growing so fast, the subliminal growth keeps me up at night and makes it hard for me to fall asleep.

Most of the time psychological growth spurts are brought on by major events, be it tragedy or good fortune, or when we come to certain forks in the road and are faced with life-altering decisions. Sometimes though, there are just times in our lives when we inexplicably turn inward. Something sparks a desire to be more contemplative. Right now seems to be such a time for me. I've been analyzing my own life, my own future and have been thinking more deeply about the human condition and state of the world. I've been doing this all to a point of annoyance, quite frankly. A kind of non-stop babbling brook of thoughts and dreams running through my mind.

I have suffered no great tragedy recently nor have I celebrated any great triumph. So, why do I all of a sudden find a crucial message in the lyrics to a song I have heard a million times before? Why do I lay awake at night philosophizing about global warming and how it might affect my unborn children? Even the word philosophizing gives me a headache. Maybe it's because I have a routine and a schedule, and am content with who and where I am, seeing as how I do have an admittedly difficult time with stagnancy. But I'm in New York for goodness sakes. Stagnancy and monotony do not exist in this city that never sleeps. Maybe that's it. Maybe living here has made me go all metaphysical. With so much life and diversity all around, it's hard not to look and think about the world differently.

I'm thinking more, reading more, choosing the music I listen to more particularly. These are not bad things to be doing, I guess I just wish I could control my newfound urge to dissect the world and to focus so much on the future. More simply, I wish I could lay down at night without so many thoughts running through my head. But then again, Socrates said it himself: "The unexamined life is not worth living."

Currently taking advice from the philosopher of all philosophers. Go figure.

Mom, Happy....30th....Birthday!

2008-02-25T09:47:00.004-05:00

Just call it a birthday blog extravaganza. Today is my mom's birthday and there is no way I could pass up the opportunity to express how grateful I am that she was born 56, I mean 30 years ago today :) Not only because if she hadn't been, I wouldn't be here, but more importantly because this world would not be as good of a place without her.

The older I get, the more I realize that anything good, loving, kind, honest, or positive about who I am as a person comes from my mom. She is the world's greatest example of what a mother is meant to be to her children: a teacher, a comforter, a cheerleader, a disciplinarian, a confidant, a rock, and a friend. She has shown me, Ian and Brooke what pure and unwavering unconditional love looks like and we are all better people because of it.

My mom is the most selfless person walking the face of this earth. She has and will always do ANYTHING for the ones she loves, and to be honest, for any stranger in need of help. She deserves to have a fabulous birthday more than anyone, and I wish I could be with her today to celebrate and to tell her face to face how lucky I am to be her daughter.

Anna

2008-02-25T00:08:00.010-05:00

Shoot, I am just 8 minutes late for this to post on the correct day. Dang Academy Awards made me late. Just pretend this is not after midnight and therefore posted on February 24th.
I would like to wish my roomie, best friend, and the coolest Swede I know (come on Klas, it's her birthday) a very very very happy birthday!!!! I can't begin to express what an amazing friend Anna is and all of the ways she has been there for me over the past two years. It really seems like I have known her forever and it seems this blog entry would take up way too much room if I were to attempt to inform you all about just some of the shinanigans we have gotten ourselves into (and out of, I might add) together. I think I will save some of those stories for future blogs, or better yet, for my as-of-yet-unwritten book entitled Story of my Life as a Swedish Imposter: The Golden Years. So, for now, I just want her and everyone else to know what an amazing friend, photographer, artist, and person I think she is. Thanks for being the best friend a girl could ever ask for. Happy 26th Bestis!

P.S. So, we could basically create a blog solely dedicated to pictures of Camille and Anna. Not even sure there would be enough room out there in cyberspace to post them all. Anna, just be grateful I didn't post THE picture of us...I was tempted. Man, so many great memories; so many more to come :)

Pure Comedy

2008-02-19T11:30:00.005-05:00

Anna, Jamie and I went to the Broadway Comedy Club last Friday in Times Square. Yes, it's the place where Jerry Seinfeld does the opening sequences to his show in front of the brick wall. Even though I am actually not the world's biggest fan of Seinfeld(sorry Evan), I am a fan of stand-up comedy in general and it was pretty cool to go to such a well known spot. I've been to a few live stand-up gigs in the past and am pretty much addicted to Comedy Central's Premium Blend (Have you SEEN Demetri Martin's flip chart or Jim Gaffigan's Hot Pocket sketch?) There's just something about laughing so hard my stomach hurts that I can't get enough of. I have always believed that you have to be intelligent to be funny and I respect any profession in which your job entails making other people happy. Comedians are cool people, and struggling comedians chasing after their dreams of making it big in New York City, well, even cooler.

We decided to go to the midnight show (which was mistake number one) and we sat in the front row (big time mistake number two). This means that there was a lot of crudeness going on and that I was relentlessly picked on and humiliated. If you've never been to a comedy club before you should know that one of the ways comedians try to get everyone involved and warmed up is by asking members of the crowd questions and then humiliating them by cracking one-liners in response to their answers. Unbeknownst to me, Friday night was apparently "ask the blonde sitting in the front row humiliating personal questions and crack jokes at her expense" night. Not that I was the only one singled out, but three times I was picked on, and three times I got red in the face. Sounds fun, huh? Well, in spite of a few embarassing blushing moments, it was. If you can't laugh at yourself, really...what can you laugh at? I guess you have to take it all in stride if you are going to put yourself in a room where the person on stage's sole job is to make people laugh at ANY cost...especially if you decide to sit front and center.

We had a really great time laughing the night away and thanks to about three of the seven or so comedians we saw, we were impressed. I'll definitely go again whenever I am in need of a good chuckle. Next time though, I think I will take a seat in the back.

Band of Horses

2008-02-16T18:38:00.003-05:00

I went to see one of my latest favorite bands play at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple on Valentine's Day and my, oh my, oh my, was it a great one. It's been a while, too long in fact, since I have felt the goosebumps that come from hearing the opening riff to my favorite song being played before my eyes, or had the ringing in my ears keeping me awake after coming home from a show because I stood too close to the speakers.

Band of Horses has some serious potential to make it big (even though I am actually much happer seeing them at the Masonic Temple than Madison Square Garden). Lead singer Ben Bridwell has a voice so pure and piercing it seems unreal. His lyrics are both deep and approachable and can often be both serious and playful at the same time. You can't help but judge a band by their recorded work, and both of their albums are fantastic, but it has always been a great live performance that has cemented a band into my "top ten". And after Thursdays performance, Band of Horses currently holds position numero uno.

p.s. Does anyone know what the heck a Masonic Temple is anyways?

The Cheese to My Macaroni

2008-02-14T00:00:00.005-05:00

So, Valentine's Day is not really my most favorite holiday. Maybe it's because I've had too many lonesome ones. But really it is because I believe that we should do sweet things for our loved ones and tell those that are important to us that we love them all the time. I am, however, a romantic at heart and these days, I am very much in love. It seems it would be a waste for me to let this day go unnoticed when I find myself struck by Cupid's arrow more than ever before in my life.

Although I cannot be with my sweetie on this special day, I feel his love from a far and I am thankful for his presence in my life. There are a million reasons why I love Klas but here are just a few:
1.) He's very funny. Whether it's his jokes (usually puns), his silly faces or the songs he makes up for me on the spot, I am always smiling and laughing when he's around.
2.) He's intelligent. He's multi-lingual, well-traveled and just plain smart!
3.) He's incredibly talented in many ways... musically he's a genius.
5.) He loves me for me. Even with all my imperfections and quirks.
6.) He is the most handsome man I have ever met.
I know...sorry girls but he's taken

Love is grand. And I feel truly blessed to have such an amazing person in my life. Here's to you my love! Today and always.

Eeeeek!!!....a mouse

2008-02-06T13:32:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of glamorous things about living in New York City. There are also some not so glamorous things and sometimes those things have four legs and a tail.

Two weeks ago, as I turned the corner from our living room into our kitchen to go and put my glass in the sink, I made eye contact with a little critter peeking his head out of the burner in our gas burning stove. In true slap-stick comedy style, I screamed like a little girl and threw my glass into the air which hit the ground and broke into a million pieces. Once my nerves settled and I realized he had scurried back wherever he came from, I picked up my phone to call Anna and tell her we had a new pet.

Husmusen, as Anna lovingly named him (it means house mouse in Swedish), came out to visit us a few more times before we decided he had overstayed his welcome. We discovered that he was coming out of a hole in the wall and would climb up into the stove from the back. It just wasn't okay to have the dirty little scoundrel living where we did all our cooking; something had to be done.

There is never a pleasant way to get rid of unwanted houseguests and this was no exception. Anna would argue that there is however, a humane way to do it. She requested that we set a trap to catch Husmusen but not kill him. I was okay with this as long as she was willing to be the one who set him free. The problem was that he didn't go after the peanut butter in the trap until the day that Anna was in class. When I came home from work and realized he was in there, I didn't know what to do. I couldn't listen to him moving around in there for a few more hours while I waited for my brave roommate. Then, what was the point of trying to be humane towards the little guy in the first place? I put my newly discovered rodent-phobia aside and decided I was going have to get the trap out of the stove, run with it down the street as far as I could manage to hold it, put it on the ground and open the tiny trap door to set him free. And that's exactly what I did. When he darted out of the trap before I had hardly opened it all the way, I let out another little scream and then tried to act cool when I realized I had startled a passerby.

I ran all the way home, sprinted up the stairs and slammed the door behind me as if the little monster was chasing after me for trapping him in that small black box when all he wanted was the warmth of our stove and a measley taste of peanut butter. Silly to be afraid of mice, I know, but there is something about their beady little eyes that just irk me in some way. Now I guess we wait and see just how smart Husmusen is and whether or not he will ever be able to find his way back to our home and our stove.

Celebrity Sightings

2008-02-01T10:30:00.000-05:00

I am a self-proclaimed pop-culture/gossip magazine addict. Meaning, I care way too much about the lives of people I do not know. Here's a list of all the celebrities I've seen since moving to New York.

1. Enrique Iglesias- I was in a cab and saw him crossing the street the day after I moved here.

2. Al Roker- I used to work in Rockefeller Center and saw him heading into the NBC studios a few times.

3. Bruce Springsteen- Saw him perform on the Today Show in Rockefeller Center.

4. Katherine McPhee- She was with her bf outside the restaurant where I used to work.

5. Geraldo Rivera- Twice! Once on the street and once at my favorite Cuban restaurant.

6. Bob Saget- bumped into him in front of the Empire State Building and totally heard someone say, "Uncle Jesse was way hotter".

7. Conan O'Brien- I have attended the taping of his show twice. Man, he is even funnier in real life.

8. John Cusak- was guest on Conan

9. James Lipton- was guest on Conan

10. Lou Dobbs- was guest on Conan second time I went

11. Pink- was the other guest on Conan second time I went

12. Sarah Jessica Parker!!!!- By far the most exciting sighting... Anna and I stumbled onto the set of Sex and the City: the Movie at like 1am on a weekday. We saw her up close and personal, taking a break at the food table.

A few other celebs I've run into in my lifetime include: Drew Barrymore and Fabrizio Moretti (when they were an item), Robin Williams, John Mayer and Orlando Bloom.

Klas...like closet without the "et"

2008-01-29T21:13:00.000-05:00

My boyfriend Klas has been visiting me for the past three and a half weeks. He left today to go back to Sweden and everything feels a bit empty now. It was a perfect visit, and even though I had to work during the week, we managed to do A LOT while he was here. He had no problems findings things to do during the days (like hanging out with all the friends he made) and we took full advantage of our time together during the evenings and weekends.

Klas is a jazz musician. Therefore, New York is his mecca. It is the trip every jazz musician must take to the city where it all began, and I was kind of along for the ride. We saw the Peter Asplund Quartet (a Swedish jazz group) perform at Lincoln Center, the Don Byron Quartet and Brad Mehldau Trio at The Village Vanguard as well as several smaller gigs in Brooklyn. Klas saw a few more gigs without me and played in two of his own. I have really enjoyed being exposed to jazz by someone who knows so much about it and appreciates it as much as he does. I'm thankful for him introducing me to the music and of course, the scene here in New York. Now I know that I can go check out some amazing musicians playing here pretty much any night of the week and make him really jealous :) I enjoyed myself and took something from all the performances but I must say that both of Klas' gigs were among my most favorite. I always enjoy his music and seeing him perform, but it was really special for me to see him play here with New York musicians and to know how much it meant to him.

While we weren't busy listening to jazz music we also managed to eat out at all my favorite restaurants (as well as try some new ones), see a couple of movies, do some serious shopping, go to the top of the Empire State Buiding, ice skate in Central Park, and do a lot of hanging out in fabulous Park Slope. I'm pretty sure another highlight for Klas was being a part of all our "girly nights" when my roommate and friends and I cut eachother's hair and watched some romantic comedies. We were tempted to paint his fingernails too but he refused for some reason.

It's always fun when you have someone to share in all the excitement this city has to offer. Especially when it is with someone who means so much. What an amazing three and a half weeks it has been... and he'll be coming back in March so it won't be too long before I get to see him again.
He came to visit me at my office.

The gig in Williamsburg.
Klas and his tenor sax.
Oh, the things you see in Times Square. We couldn't resist.

The Slope

2008-01-25T12:45:00.000-05:00

I have pretty much decided that I live in the coolest neighborhood in all of New York City. Forget Greenwich Village, The Lower East Side or anywhere in Manhattan for that matter...Brooklyn, and more specifically, Park Slope is where it's at! Okay, so maybe I wouldn't turn down a super sweet loft apartment in the East Village if it didn't cost five million dollars a month (actually more like $5,ooo/month in reality, but it may as well be $5M since it is way out of my budget)...but I can honestly say that I'm not sure I could be much happier anywhere else than where I live now.

Park Slope is located in the western section of Brooklyn and is just south of Williamsburg. The closest subway stop to my place is only one stop off of Manhattan so it takes anywhere from ten to forty minutes to get anywhere I could ever want to go in the city. My work commute to midtown Manhattan takes almost exactly 25min. Peace of cake. The only downfall in regards to transportation is that some lame-o taxi drivers refuse to go over the bridge to Brooklyn and tell you to get out when they hear that's where you're going. It's against the law for them to turn someone down so I have made a hobby of arguing with the jerks when necessary.

The Slope (as us trendy folk like to call it) is a community with a lot of young artistic/musician types (dare I say hipsters?) as well as young families that live the historic brownstones lining the east to west streets of the neighborhood. It is named after the fact that it is the area located on the west slope of Prospect Park; which I would argue is as nice a place as Central Park in Manhattan. The two main avenues, 5th and 7th are packed full of charming restaurants and cafes as well as the best second-hand shopping any bargain hunter could ask for. These places, along with the plethora of chill bars and concert venues make Park Slope a hard place to ever leave. In fact, most weekends, Anna (my roomie) and I don't.

I continue to find more and more cool places and more and more reasons to love where I live. Here are three of them:

1. The Chocolate Room - Super cool cafe with only chocolate on the menu! Yeah, I won't tell you how many of their famous chocolate sundaes I have consumed in the past few months.

2. Gorilla Coffee- Voted best coffee in all of New York City, and is less than two blocks from my front door. Yummy baked goods too. Hotspot to see celebrity regulars including Maggie Gyllenhaal.

3. Beacon's Closet- My fav second hand shop. I've been getting more and more into wearing vintage these days.

Want to come visit???

Back in action

2008-01-21T15:39:00.000-05:00

Finally! The long awaited and anticipated return of my blogging career :) I must say, I feel a bit rusty. So expect some major changes in the layout once I get back into it and have the patience to reformat a few things. For now though, I am just anxious to hit the virtual journal writing trail once again...a perfect metaphor for this, the first post of Wanderlust.

I will admit that one of the reasons I have been lagging on getting this blog up and running is the fact that I have not been able to come up with a name I was content with. I have a whole page in my notebook of possible names that I have scribbled down in the past few months. Some of them are pretty lame, which I guess is only testament to the fact that I was getting kind of desperate. They are kind of fun to look through though, as they reflect some of the greater themes of my life these days. Here are a few that I came up with but decided against: "Deliriously Happy," "In Harmony," "World at my Fingertips" and "Glass Half Full." I know, kind of annoyingly upbeat...but I can't help it.

Defined by Wikipedia as "a strong desire to travel, or, of having a strong desire to explore the world," wanderlust is a word I have always liked as well as a condition that I have always had. It has been over the past few years however, that my condition has become pretty severe and apparently, incurable.

As most of you know, I moved from Stockholm this summer, spent a few months in California and am now living in Brooklyn, NY working in Midtown Manhattan. Don't feel bad if you have been out of the loop during my long blogging hiatus and was under the impression that I was still living in Sweden. I can hardly keep up with myself sometimes. I'm not quite ready to slow down just yet either. It' s a great big world we live in and I am having the time of my life soaking up as much of it as I can. I look forward to sharing some of my experiences and thoughts here about my world and of course, about livin' life in the Big Apple.