Provincial Life Goes Global: Old Friends and New Places

I made it!

Today started the first of my European lasts. Last early morning arrival after a weekend of traveling, last final, last day of class, and last day in Olomouc with the friends that have become more like family. These events have really started to solidify how close I am to closing this amazing chapter of my life, and the feeling is very bittersweet. I am not going to focus this blog on saying goodbye just yet. (Because I still have two more blog assignments left) Instead, this blog will be focused on my amazing solo trip to Stockholm, Sweden to visit one of my favorite people, Anna. I met Anna three years ago as a junior in high school when she studied abroad in Nebraska, and I told her I was going to come visit her one day. Three years later I made good on my promise and our friendship is still growing!

This was definitely a memorable trip with quite the early start; but hey, if I am going to voluntarily wake up at 2:30 in the morning for anything, it’ll be for traveling. I had a wonderful weekend catching up with Anna and her family and touring the beautiful city. We began by exploring the gorgeous neighborhood of Mälarhöjden (don’t ask me to pronounce it- it isn’t pretty) where they live, and then spent the evening watching the sunset on a hill while sipping some wine. Afterwards, we did some bar hopping around southern Stockholm (in the ‘hip’ part of town according to Anna). The next day after breakfast and the Saturday-morning-musical-radio-show-crossword-puzzle, we walked around Old Town so I could fulfill my tourist duties of taking too many pictures and buying too many souvenirs (still not convinced there’s such a thing). Sunday night, we had an amazing dinner with Anna’s parents and friend, Frida, before heading to a Eurovision Finals viewing-party to hang out. Sunday was also Mother’s Day, and if I am going to spend Mother’s Day away from my incredible mom, at least I was able to spend time with another mother (and family) that is just as amazing. The rest of my day was spent sitting by the water studying for my Czech final (If you have to study somewhere, waterfront Stockholm is far from the worst place to do it).

In a blink of an eye, the weekend was over, and I was heading back to Olomouc. I am so glad to have met Anna and her family and cannot put into words how thankful I am to them for opening their home to me and making me feel so welcome. I absolutely cannot wait to plan my next (hopefully longer) visit!