Back in San Diego!

Ok sorry for falling off with the blog there.  I have had quite the experience abroad... and you all will hear ALL about it!  I'm back in San Diego.  The trip has officially been completed :)

Switzerland!!

Tomorrow, I leave Switzerland after spending about a month here.  My reactions to the country and where I have been:

First and foremost (and most importantly): this is the most BEAUTIFUL country I have even been to.  This was, to be honest, something I was not expecting.  But the Swiss really have a way of life that caters to the better things in it, and their cities truly reflect that attitude.  Nice place.

General observations:

- Google Switzerland.  Find out where it is and the rest of this will make more sense

- Four languages are spoken here: Swiss German, French, Italian, and Romanish.  But you can get by everywhere on English.  But no one will approach you speaking English, but responding in English is usually a good indication that you didn't understand what the hell they just said and they'll switch for you.

- The country has something like 7 million people and is about the size of New Jersey.  You can get to one end of it to the other in a few hours (I don't know, maybe 8?).  What's most interesting though is that as you travel through the country, the languages shift from Swiss German to French (or Italian, if you go south).  

- Direction on the train are NOT announced in English.  They are announced in whatever language dominates the area you are in.  Could me just Swiss German.  Could be just French.  But usually, it's announced in both (but again, NOT English).  So you really gotta pay attention to the city names to know when your stop is coming up

- The dollar is worth crap, and this is particularly evident in Switzerland.  If I have understood this correctly, there was a time when the rate was something like 2 CHF for every dollar, so basically their stuff would be like half price for us - BUT their prices and incomes are double what ours are.  So what does all this mean?  Just that once upon a time, stuff in Switzerland costed about what it did in the U.S.  We were about the same.  But when the dollar became less valuable, Swiss money stayed the same but their prices have not changed.  So for example. a slice of pizza costs 6 CHF.  Back in the day, that would be about $3 (which is about average for us now in the states).  But not today, now that 6 CHF is more than $6, making that a very expensive slice of pizza for an American.

- Be prepared to eat lots and lots and lots of chocolate.

- The german in Switzerland is Swiss German.  It is different.  It sounds different.

- Train rides are expensive.  A one way ticket from Bern to Zurich costed my 47 CHF.  But there is this Targeskarte thing (spelling?) that is a 40 CHF all day train/tram pass.  If you know someone who lives in Switzerland, ask them about it.  They are pretty much the only ones that can get it, tourists don't have direct access to it.

- Stuff closes at 6:30 pm but stay open until around 9 on thursdays.  Most things are closed on Sundays.  But the shops and grocery in the RailCities (train stations) are usually open later.

- If you have a big dog on the train or tram, you have to buy them their own ticket.

- Learn as many languages as you can.  Sitting down to dinner and having 3-4 languages going on at once seems to be the norm in big groups.  

The cities I have been to:

BERN

- I stayed here with Jessica and Brian (and Leroy!) and had a FANTASTIC time.  I can't express my gratitude enough to them for taking me into their home and giving me a place to call home while here.  

- This is the capitol for the country, but it is probably the size of Annapolis.   

- Swiss German

- Interesting place, the people act sorta like you would expect German people to act.  

- Salsa dancing - a lot of cuban style (I think) but wait for the monthly Mambo Soul Parties, people come from all over the country for them.  It's On2 and the DJs are AMAZING!  :)

- Quiet hours are from 10 pm to 6 am.  No showers or loud music.

- Really, a quaint city.  Church bells will wake you up on sunday mornings though, they're everywhere.

LUZERN

- They have an incredible lake, it really looks more like a crater, with the alps all around it.  The train station dumps you out on it, you can't miss it

-Swiss German

BASEL

- Really close to France.  But they speak Swiss German.

GENEVA

- Top 10 most beautiful cities I have ever seen.  Right up there next to Arcadia, Maine.

- They speak FRENCH and may as well be French, the city has such a French feel

- The lake is beautiful, the alps are beautiful, the architecture is beautiful

- I didn't do any dancing there, but the Geneva dancers I have danced with in other parts of the country are On2 and SMOOTH.  Very light leads and a lot of fun, in a French way lol

- CERN and the UN are HUGE here.  So you will find that the population is super diverse, but still they all seem to speak French.  but you can get by on English (but I recommend learning French)

- If I moved to Switzerland, I would move to Geneva.  That is a city I would wake up each day thinking, wow, what an incredible place to be all the time.  I get the same feeling in San Diego, beautiful places to live are a plus for sure

ZURICH

- Is actually really international, you will find that almost everyone speaks English and Swiss German, usually French too (I think)

- Zurich is not the most beautiful of Swiss cities, but it definitely has the feel of being a world city (a lot like London and San Francisco) but just happens to be in CH.

Other: Switzerland SalsaFestival

- You cannot call yourself a hard core salsero if you have not done an international congress.  This should be on your list

- The bands played dancable songs, the shows were world class (saturday) with a lineup back to back of all the people we youtube pretty much.

- These people are ORGANIZED!  No late starts here

- Huge dance floors, everywhere

- I heard the last 2 years were better, but this one was still pretty badass.

- Considering going?  Then just go, you will not regret it.  We stayed at the Bristol and got first class service there, I would recommend that place again.

Would I come back to Switzerland?  Absolutely!  Would I live in Switzerland?  Only if I got a job.  Incomes are higher here and cost of living is higher here, so I would need one of those Swiss jobs to even out the high cost of everything.  But my career goals do involve at least extended stays in Switzerland (UN = Geneva) so we will see. 

Thank You to all my new amazing Swiss friends and family.  I have had an amazing time...

... but tomorrow, I go "Holm"... back to Stockholm!  The forecast says the weather should be 0 degrees (celsius) and sunny, so it should be a warm day for Sweden!  :)

Til I write again... 

FINALLY my impressions of Dublin and Liverpool

Hello all!

Sorry it has taken me so long to get something on here, I have been quite distracted by Switzerland!  More on this incredible country later though...

LIVERPOOL
I was only in Liverpool for one night.  I stayed at a hotel, which shall remain nameless, and was my first European hotel experience.  It was the dirtiest hotel I have ever seen, it was really "minging" as Lucy Blaze put it.  I don't think it had been cleaned in two decades.  Gross.  Aside from that, Liverpool was ok.  Not a tourist destination, I didn't see tons of Beatles stuff everywhere like I more or less expected, but I'm sure it was there.  Would I go back there?  Only if I had to.  Why was I there in the first place?  For a salsa festival, of course.

DUBLIN
I was in Dublin for almost a week, I stayed with a couchsurfer and had a great time.  A few things about the area though.
- Weather.  Be prepared for 5 different kinds of weather at any given moment.  I thought the wide shifts in weather and temperature were just happening when I was there b/c of the season, but apparently it's like that all year.
-  They use Euros there, make sure you have some before you go there.  Cabs from the port take Euros, not Pounds (even though you are probably getting there from England if you're in the port).
- Make sure you know what the political news is before you go.  When I was there, Ireland was (is) in a recession.  And that bride had just been murdered, that news is in the U.S.  Make sure you know what the people in the place you are going to are going through before you get there.  For example, now would probably be a great time to read up a little on Libya if you are one of the unfortunate people planning to go there...
- Irish pastimes: drinking and... drinking... Guinness is huge
- There is a LOT of green there, I was actually surprised at the amount of green everywhere.  Green buildings, green outfits, green green green
- You can survive in Dublin on a bike for a week.  Believe me, it's actually pretty awesome.  I only took public transportation once and it was to take the hour ride to the airport (2.20 Euro, btw and the bus only takes exact change.  You can't give them a five either, they won't let you on)
- The Irish and the English... pretty much have the relationship you'd expect them to.  It's a good idea to be sensitive to that.
- I'm part Irish, but I didn't really feel any "calling" or emotional connection to the country.  Sorry.
-Oh and how did I get there?  Well, Ryanair wanted me to pay them $300 to fly from Liverpool to Dublin, so I booked train and ferry (together) with raileasy.co.uk and got from Liverpool to the Dublin port for 38 Pounds.  It took about 8 hours, but it was cheaper.  So, I went from the tube (which can be caught from the main train station) for 20 minutes to the train (few hours, I think) through the English countryside (beautiful, btw), to the ferry (an experience everyone should have at least once, it was interesting) for 2 hours I think (from Holyhead) and then arriving in the Dublin port.  There is a bus that will take you to the main bus station, it takes cash.  You can exchange money on the ferry.
-Don't go when it's suppose to snow.  2 centimeters of snow shuts down all the airports in all of the UK apparently.
- Oh and this England, Great Britain, and United Kingdom thing... talk to people in London, they say one thing.  Talk to people in Dublin, they say something else.  I still actually do not know what countries are included in what or what to call the big island that London sits on.  But you do need a passport to get to Ireland so LOGICALLY, it's a different country... hhmmmmm
- Oh and no salsa dancing.  Irish dancing seems to be the only option.
- Would I go back to Dublin?  HELL YES!  I had a great time and would absolutely go back to explore the country more.

:)

Dublin was Great! Now off to Bern!

Just a quick update... I'm at the Copenhagen airport waiting for my connecting flight to Zurich where I will be meeting Jessica and then heading down to Bern.  Liverpool was nice, Dublin was GREAT!  I will update more later!!!

Leaving London... omw to Liverpool

Hi everyone!!  I am set to leave London in a few hours, I will be on my way to Liverpool for the Salsa Kingdom festival and then over to Dublin the next day to spend a few days in Ireland.  I don't know what my wifi situation will be like over the next few days, but I will try to post that I got to these places safely.

My last impressions of London after being here for a week is that it's somewhere I would love to visit again, absolutely.  There is history and really old buildings everywhere you turn.  But I do not think I could live here, it's a little too... international for me.  And I don't mean the diversity is bad, I love the diversity.  There is so much more here than in Stockholm and even San Diego.  I really felt like I was able to fit in here, at least in the crowd.  People usually didn't know I was an American until I started speaking.  

What London lacks is a sense of cohesion.  I've noticed this before in cities like DC, San Francisco, and other places that seem to have a large transient international population.  And I know I don't help the odds, I'm a foreigner too.  I don't think that London is like this simply because it's a big city.  Places like San Diego, New York, and even Baltimore are larger cities but the people who live in the places I just mentioned are all somewhat attached to and defined by the place that they live in.  You will be hard pressed to find a New Yorker who wouldn't defend New York to the death.  I don't know if that would happen here.

A lot of the young people here are into this sort of Amy Winehouse look.  There is also a significant crowd of goth/punk people who basically control Camden.  I went to Cyber Dog today too and discovered that yes, there are department stores that exist to solely sell you glow in the dark rave gear and puffy Janet Jetson dresses.  

I saw the sun one time during my stay.  It was only for a moment, it went away right after it appeared.  But I did see it!  I fear though that I won't be seeing it again until I reach Switzerland.  I hope that's not the case.

Dancing:

London is mostly On1.  I only went out dancing on two nights though, a tuesday and then saturday at the Stars of Salsa event.  It's hard, with my limited experience here, to really judge the scene here outside of that.  But I did notice a big problem with dance space, I didn't get stepped on so much as I got bumped into.  It got to the point where I started dancing so small and stopping that I would watch the lead let his follow out before she'd hit me.  And then they'd just keep dancing, like that was normal.

Also, they are into this Zouk thing.  The play it here like we play Bachata.  This, I do not like.

Either way, I still had a good enough time here to want to return for a visit, maybe even a longer one.  Special thanks goes out to the YHA London Central staff and Isaak for being so helpful and putting up with me being in the common area at the break of dawn every day.  Also, thank you thank you thank you Sam Mr. Sleek for the coffee and chat, come back to the states asap!!  We miss you!  And also, thank you so much to Alex, my newest couchsurfing friend, for giving me the most thorough guided tour of London I could have hoped for.  I had a great time here! :)

Now off to the shipyards... Liverpool :)

Initial Impressions of London! :)

So, London... I've only been here about 2 days and I'm not so sure how much I like it yet.  I think it's a beautiful city, most of the buildings seriously look like something out of a 18th century movie remake.  

There is A LOT of diversity here.  I've seen probably every kind of person and heard every language spoken on the streets.  The train system... I hate the train.  It's long and a lot bigger than any metro system I'm used to.  One of the things I didn't account for with this trip was that I would have to relearn subway systems over and over again.  So this, for me, is not fun.  I've more or less just decided to walk everywhere and luckily for me, most the places I want to go are within walking distance.  I have also successfully gotten a sim card and UK number, so I can communicate while I'm here.  

I will be going out to Lo-Profile tonight for salsa, so this will be my first social activity outside of the hostel.  I've had some chats with my roommates, grabbed a beer with one of the staffers here, but aside from that, I've been on my own.  No couchsurfers to hang out with on this trip :(

So, do I like London?  Not sure, I've (again) only been here 2 days so far but if the weather stays like it is (cloudy and RAINING), then probably not :(  I can do snow as long as I don't have to drive in it.  But rain just makes me sad.  Which is why drought ridden San Diego is so good for me. 

I hope to get out tomorrow to take some pictures.  Today and yesterday were raining, so no pictures.  Tomorrow it's suppose to rain too, so maybe thursday.  Who knows.  I just hear that London = Rain so booo.

Rain also makes me tired so I'm basically sleepy all day.  Plus, I'm really Stock-"Holm"-Sick, which doesn't help.  I want to go back to Sweden!  I miss my oatmeal!!

So, could I go to school here, in London?  Could I live here?  I don't know.  This rain is killer and I hear it's like this year round.  

I will update probably next week.  I'll be in Liverpool Sunday and then Dublin (couchsurfing with Peter Kane) until Fen 4.  Then it's off to Switzerland for February.  Stay tuned!

Last impressions of Sweden as I sit in England...

Hello everyone!  My postcard to home... I had a GREAT time in Stockholm.  And what's most shocking to me about that is I wasn't expecting to have as much fun as I did.  Seriously, I thought I would go there and be stuck in the snow and just stay inside on my computer most of the time but wow I sure was surprised.  And those of you who know me know that I am not crazy about snow.  I like it, but still not really trying to be in it all that much.  Hence, my move to San Diego.  But in Stockholm, they are so used to it that life doesn't stop just because there is snow.  I'd argue that they are even more active and social than people in the U.S. who live in states that annually get snow.  I can't wait to see what these people do in the summer.

My travel between Stockholm and London though... something I never want to do again.  Unless I'm traveling with no bags and have a later flight, I don't want to do that again.  Getting from Fruangen to Arlanda is not fun.  I had to take the tube to Cityterminalen then to Arlanda on the Express train.  Then, since I booked my flight with Scandinavian airlines, I had to walk some crazy distance to the gate.  It must have been a 2 km walk, seriously.  The flight was a little over 2 hours, which was fine.  But then London.  Oh my goodness London.  I'm staying at a Hostel but getting from Heathrow to here was more than a notion.  London has got this underground then overground then buses and on top of that, construction so random lines are just shut down.  Compared to Stockholm transit, super confusing.  I got so turned around in the tube that I just wanted to sit in there and not even try to get around anymore lol.  How sad would that have been haha.  But after about 11 hours of straight transit, I finally got here.  Finally.  I was so tired, I fell asleep at 7 pm and it wasn't like "I went to bed."  I just passed out from exhaustion.  

So, dear friends and family, I am fine/safe/ok.  I have about 3 months left of travel left and then I will be back in the states.  Miss you all!!

I'm in London

This is just a quick note for those of you who are wondering, I just got to London probably 3 hours ago.  I will write more later (much later today most likely) but this is a note for those of you who worry (mom).

And the photo is of Sweden from the plane, shortly after take off.

My initial reactions to SWEDEN!!

So I have been in Sweden since January 6, 2011.  That makes today almost 2 weeks, it's 2 am Tuesday here right now as I write this.  It's 5 pm Monday in San Diego and 8 pm Monday in DC.

I am in Stockholm and will be here for another 4 days.  Then I'm off to London.

My initial reactions to the country are this:
1. Temperature- It's frickin cold!  Daily temp hovers between -5 and 3 (celcius, so around the upper 20s/lower 30s F).  Some days it's snowing, some days it's not.  Yesterday, it rained.  But above all else, COLD!  But of course, it's winter.  I hear summer is just divine, so most of this won't apply then (I hope)
2. Road Conditions - As a part of the constant coldness, ice is also everywhere.  And I mean everywhere.  It's on the roads, on the sidewalks, hanging from the tops of the buildings... teams of government employees actually go around all day knocking snow and ice from the roofs so that it doesn't unexpectedly fall on somebody and kill them.
3. Daylight - The sun appears for approximately six hours a day.  That's between 9 am-ish and 3 pm.  So it's basically dark all day.

My initial reactions to the way things are run out here:
1. Public Transportation - You can get ANYWHERE using public transportation.  You people from San Diego know that this is something we are used to going without.  I have survived on the tube, tram, bus, and now ferry (all using the same pass - it's a lot like an unlimited metro smart card).  This is an incredibly easy city to navigate.
2. Housing/Cost of Living - This seems to be consistent with what people pay in any expensive city in the U.S. to include San Diego, Washington D.C. (basically, anywhere I have lived already), New York, LA, etc. It's expensive here, but it's just as expensive as it is in any other expensive place.
3. Boots - I have never understood the need to have shoes that cover your ankles to be so vital as I have here.  I came prepared, but wow from high top sneakers to booties to full on tundra gear, if you come to Sweden you better come with boots.

My initial reactions to dance here:
1. FRIENDLY!!! - I wonder if when people come to D.C. and San Diego, if they think we're as kind as I've come to find that the Salseros/West Coasters here are.  I truly feel like, after only a few days, I have already become a welcomed part of the scene here.  These dancers are some of the nicest you could meet, you guys are awesome!!  Special shout out especially to Aram!  My salsa ambassador who has lead the way in introducing me to everybody, your help has been invaluable!  Come back to San Diego, asap!!
2. Salsa On1 or On2? - most the dancers here that I have seen dance On1, with a handful of really awesome On2 dancers.  But all in all, the scene is a lot of fun.  The groups seem really dedicated to helping make the scene grow.
3. WCS - there is a little scene here, maybe two dozen people?  They are all from salsa (right?) so I met the WCS people at salsa (thanks Jose!!).  Again, super friendly and awesome dancers.  You guys especially should come to San Diego... it's the WCS mecca!

My initial reactions to the people in general are this:
1. Everyone speaks English.  And speaks it with an American accent.  It's actually sorta trippy.  Every single person I have encountered who didn't know me automatically began the conversation in Swedish, I would tell them I only speak English, and then BAM it would be like I was suddenly speaking to an American.  And these accents are not Swedish-American.  These are American accents, spoken like anybody from the east or west coast.  This is weird for me, but comforting especially when I need something.  But still weird, I totally want to learn Swedish now so I can do the awesome switch too.  I'm doing well though lol I had my first conversation entirely in Swedish the other day that consisted of using only the words "Hej" and "Tack" lol
2. Sweden must think it's in competition for being the nicest country in the world.  I have had such an amazing time here so far, I actually am a little disappointed that I will be leaving.  Everyone here has been incredibly kind and generous.  And I mean everybody.
3. Swedish people have a definite "look."  I notice it more when I mention someone and try to describe them... blonde hair, blue eyes, Swedish... oh wait.  That's basically everybody lol.  But what a beautiful people, truly.

Other things I have come to learn/realize:
- If you use it in the states, bring it with you.  Bring travel sizes, but don't assume your destination sells it.
- Pack light.  There are washers and dryers (or sunlight) in the world.  One week's worth of clothing should be fine.
- In Sweden, you need chapstick!  It's hella dry here!
- Wear layers.  Assume you should dress as if you will be skiing at all times.  But in a very fashionable way.
- "Tack" means thank you.  "Varsagod" pronounced like "Varshagood" means you're welcome.
- "Hej" means hello, but it's pronounced like "Hey."  So people are just saying hello, they're not really saying "what's up" or anything when they say it.
- Things that need "adapters" and not "converters" - basically anything that's a charger will work on a 110 to 240V system.  This includes laptops, phone chargers, camera battery chargers, etc.  But anything that powers directly from the power source and not a battery (like blow dryers/flat irons/etc.) need a voltage adapter.  Otherwise, it will explode.
- Everything here looks like it was designed at IKEA and a lot of it is
- Where is the Swedish food?  A lot of ethnic restaurants here, so expect to eat plenty of greek, thai, lebanese, McDonalds, etc. if you go out to eat.  But no Swedish food.
- And in case you were wondering, there are no black people here.  Only me.  And Amber.  lol

As my trip in Sweden comes to an end and my excursion in London approaches, I MUST say THANK YOU'S to...
- My FAMILY for being super supportive.  Mom, Dad, Zeke, Granny... you guys are my life.  Thank you for understanding everything and for always being there.  I can't express enough how much I love each of you.
- Amber and Erik - I have taken over your living room and am eating up your yummy food (Amber - hot damn, I never knew you could cook like that! Awesome!!) and really "living" with you.  Thank you SO MUCH for giving me a home away from home, being with you two has truly made this trip even more memorable.  Incredible, I don't know what I would have done without you two.
-My Salsa (and WCS) Friends! - Aram, Christian, Jose, Malin, Patrik, Yordanka (and Mattias!!)... thank you soooo much for helping me get around and for introducing me to other people (and for speaking English around me lol).  You guys have been a godsend, I wouldn't have had nearly as much fun as I have had without you.  The salsa clubs, house parties, chats over coffee, late night eating, Swedish nightclub... all have been amazing!
- My Couchsurfing buddies!  Karim and Martin... thank you both for being such amazing tour guides and for the "fika," dinners, conversations, etc.  And I give you both big props for giving salsa a try!!  I hope that when I come back, you both are expert dancers and we can all dance the night away.

In case you're wondering, I'm having the time of my life.  I am definitely coming back to Sweden.  I miss you all already :(  But I'll be back to Sweden soon! :)

After being abroad 2 weeks, I'm starting a blog!

Hello friends and family!!!  Most of you know that I have taken some time away from sunny San Diego and have relocated abroad to look into schools/travel/meet people/dance/etc.  I have been keeping a daily log of what I've been doing (and how much I'm spending lol) and sharing some photos and reactions via facebook.  However, I've come to realize that I have several friends and family who do not have a facebook account or maybe just don't check them and while I'd love to send personal postcards and messages to everyone, there simply isn't enough time.  So this blog will serve as my message to you all, hopefully it reaches you all in good spirits!!