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. 
July 31, 2008
My new bike!
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!
July 30, 2008
10 Random Things
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?)
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?)
July 12, 2008
Blogger's block
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.
June 25, 2008
Home Swede Home
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.
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.
June 3, 2008
Leaving on a Jet Plane
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.
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.
May 26, 2008
Coney Island
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.
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.
May 25, 2008
Sunday In The Park
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!!!
A little game of frisbee :)She just got back from Mexico but I am white as a ghost.
Look how many people!!!
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