Copenhagen, Berlin and Amsterdam in a FLASH

After the finalization of the season in Sweden, Jake and I decided to take a much needed vacation. We had our sites set on 3 cities in particular. Copenhagen, (Denmark) Berlin, (Germany) and Amsterdam (Holland/Netherlands). These 3 because A.) both of us have never been to any of them, B.) They all have wonderfully interesting histories and C.) because we thought they would be cool places to visit. It was easy picking places to venture to since we could hop on a train and virtually go anywhere in a matter of a day. However, sitting on a train for 6 hours is not everyones paradise, but we managed with card games, reading, sleeping and maybe a beer or two. Plus we knew what laid ahead which in turn made our minds think about something way more exciting instead of the, "are we there yet" factor.

We began our trip in an unexpected yet beautiful place, Lidkoping, Sweden. Jake's family friends had just moved to Sweden due to their jobs and were stationed in Kalby near Lidkoping, a small town to the mid western coast of Sweden. We were picked up at a train station in Falkoping where they told us we were to drive to Lake Hornborga which is a resting/mating place for thousands of Cranes each year. While we were there, the count was 22,000 cranes. The way they kept track of all the birds was from counting them individually. Sounds simple but I wonder how simple it really is if they are constantly moving, flying in and flying out. Must be frustrating. When we arrived, you could hear the cranes before you saw them. We had to walk up to the top of a hill to see them and once we got to the top the site was overwhelming, the noise they made was awesome. There were birds flying over our heads and flying out constantly, one or two or more at a time. You almost didn't want to speak just to listen to them squawk to one another. We stood there for a while just staring out into the vastness that was the lake. I told Jake that I felt like we could be in Africa, minus how cold it was. Once we had seen enough, we moved on to the Läckö Castle in Lidkoping. The castle was once occupied shortly by King Gustav Vasa and was established in 1297. The location of the castle was beautiful but remote. It stood on the edge of a small hill that sloped down to the lake below. There was water all around it except for the entry way which was smart if the inhabitants wanted to fend off invaders. Unfortunately the castle was not open at the time, it was not the right season yet. We were a week early. However, we walked the outer limits of the castle anyway and I was able to snap a couple shots of the castle grounds and its surroundings. Jakes family friend, Sebastian, owned a nice Nikon camera as well and was able to take a couple shots of us. They turned out to be very nice pictures, I was quite impressed. That night we had dinner in town and then spent the night at their cute apartment in Kalby, a couple kilometers outside Lidkoping. There I learned how to play Mind Kraft and I could have sworn I saw a tear in Jakes eye because of how proud of me he was (wink). 


COPENHAGEN:
The next morning we left for Copenhagen, a 4 hour train ride via Falkoping. I could tell we were both very excited. We reached copenhagen around 3pm and went straight to the hotel to check in and get settled. The day was gloomy but the next day promised better weather. Therefore we made what we could with what was left of the day by walking around town and seeing some of the sites. Unfortunately we walked a little to much with out food in our bellies forcing us to find whatever cafe may have still been open for some dinner. We stumbled upon a great place that was across the street from a market where we picked up a snack of cheese, crackers, fruit and a six pack of Danish beer. By the time we got back to our place we were exhausted from walking all over. We settled into bed fairly early knowing we had a long day ahead of us. 

The next morning we rose, ate a great breakfast of croisants and mussli, got our stuff in order and headed out to meet up with our guide for the FREE tour being put on by Sandemans New Europe tour group. The company puts on free tours of the cities it sponsors and then has alternate tours you can sign up to attend for a fee. The guides who work on the free tours work for tips and let me tell you they do a damn good job of being a good tour guide. On our first stop, Copenhagen, we encountered a 20 something named Gareth, hailing from Dublin. His energetic spirit and amazing amount of information was a great way to start our stay in Copenhagen. He took us all over the city, showing us the royal palace, Nyhavn harbor, museums to see, the oldest street in Denmark, Tivoli, etc. His tour ended with a story about how Denmark is such an amazing place not just the sites but the people as well. He talked about how Danes tend to pay it forward and that we all could learn from them and use their way of living as our own some day. Jake and I decided that his tour was well worth it and gave him a good tip. We also signed up for a harbor tour that was going to be given later on that day by the same tour guide, perfect. The Harbor tour cost about 20 USD but ended up being totally worth it. We saw the Litttle Mermaid statue (something to see yet something you can easily dismiss if you don't have time), the Church of our Savior (if you have seen the Amazing Race where they stop over in Copenhagen you will catch them scaling the tower of this church in search of their next clue), the military base that posed as the defense for the city in the olden days as well and Christiania (a place that is not part of Denmark or the EU, they dont pay taxes or have a jail. Its a place where people are free to be self responsible and basically live a peaceful and hippy lifestyle.) Interesting place to live if you don't mind the drug dealers selling "soft drugs" on what they named Pushers Street. That was what we saw first going in there and I was not that fond of the place, but we were repeatedly told that they were peaceful people and tourists where their main source of income. If anything happened to the tourists who came in then their businesses would fail. Also we were not allowed to take pictures because of facebook and any other social network out there that could hurt the reputation of the people who lived there, fair enough. 


The next day we decided to check out early but have the hotel watch our bags while we ventured out for a little more site seeing. We took some pictures at the Hans Christian Anderson statue (also on Amazing Race). Walked past Tivoli, the second oldest amusement park in the world. Took a look at the Denmark Resistance museum and also the National History museum as well for some really old decomposed bodies still in their burial caskets. From the resistance museum and our tour guide we learned that Denmark has the lowest percentage of Jews who were murdered or died at the camps, then any other country during the occupation of the German Nazi party, due to the actions of their government. Pretty incredible what a small country dared to stand up to. After hitting the museums we planned to take the "free" bikes for a spin. They are located all over the city and all you have to do is put 20 krona in the bike to unlock it and when you lock it back up again you get the money back. Or so we thought. I put the money in and when we got to our next destination and locked them back up, the 20 krona was gone, it had fallen out on our trip over! Jake and I decided to go look for it and retrace our path. Luckily it wasn't that far to walk but unfortunately we never found the 20 krona. However, we got lucky with the changing of the guards ceremony at the summer homes of the royal family. It was not as spectacular as the one in London but you could say it was a mini version. Our guide told us an interesting fact about the guards, who dress in blue uniforms with high bushy top hats. He said that if you get to close to them (one meter to be exact), they are allowed to yell at you to back off. The same goes for if you stand next to them or if you decided to take a picture in one of their resting posts. They are allowed to yell, nicely push you away, run at you yelling, or even throw you to the ground. Jake and I made it a point to stand as far away as we could as to not provoke them. 


Our train time to Berlin was quickly approaching so we needed to get our stuff from the hotel and head to Copenhagen central station for one last visit from a volleyball friend who was playing in Copenhagen, Erin. Jake and I found a small open faced sandwich shop (famous in Denmark) for our feast on the train later. we met up with Erin for a short catch up session and coffee, then we headed to our train for the journey to Berlin, Germany. 


BERLIN:

The trip to Berlin was interesting. We had the chance to take a ferry across the "pond" to Germany. The train we were on actually drove onto the ferry and locked itself there, letting us all off to roam around the deck of the boat until we reached our destination. Our first stop was Hamburg where we had a little over an hour to relax and eat something before our next trip taking us to Berlin. I was so excited about how everything was a bit cheaper then scandinavia. The Euro is a little weaker and the Krona a bit stronger so that meant good things for Jake and I in terms of currency exchange. We arrived in Berlin around 11:30pm and realized the city never sleeps. There were people everywhere in the metro station. Jake quickly found our destination on the map and we were on our way to the Marriot. The next morning we went up stairs for a quick breakfast and then walked to Pariser Platz to get tickets for the tour of the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. This camp was mainly for POW's and political prisoners and not so much of an extermination camp although there was a fair amount of that going on there anyway. Like all the concentration and extermination camps during WWII, the soldiers running this camp made sure to humiliate and make life hell for all those who were imprisoned there. Many people died at this camp through starvation, disease and execution.  I was nervous walking into the camp knowing what I knew about them. I got emotional when we were taken over to the place where they would execute people and burn their bodies. Jake did not say to much on the tour but looked at me every once in a while confirming that he was upset about what he was seeing, as was I. Our guide finished the tour by saying that he hoped that we didn't enjoy the tour but learned from it instead. Jake and I later clarified that it was true, the tour wasn't fun but definitely a day to remember and think back upon. That night we felt the need to go out so we bought tickets for the same companies Pub Crawl. Needless to say, the night was extremely fun and the last club we went to was unbelievable. We also experienced how artsy the city was when we encountered an alternative rock band playing in a tunnel that goes under one of the many train stations in Berlin. We both went home satisfied and danced out. 


The next morning we headed back to Pariser Platz for the free tour of the city. Our guide was English and very animated, probably one of the best guides we had on the entire trip and with tons of information. We proceeded to see the Pariser Platz, The Brandenburg Gate, The Reichstag, The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, The Site of Hitler’s Former Bunker, Luftwaffe HQ, The 17. June Memorial, The Berlin Wall, The Former SS Headquarters, Checkpoint Charlie, The 1920s Cabaret Mile, Gendarmenmarkt, Bebelplatz, The Old Royal Boulevard, Neue Wache, The TV Tower and Museum Island. The most moving site on the tour was the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Our guide asked us to take about 5 to 10 minutes to walk around it ourselves to feel how the memorial makes us feel and then come out for a discussion on the other side. It was extraordinary and uncomfortable walking through the memorial. High cement blocks towered above our heads in the thick of it and the ground was uneven, sloping and wavering every so often. If you look at the memorial from the street it looks to be all one level but when you walk down into it there is so much more then you think. We saw some of the wall and the famous, Check Point Charlie. He ended the tour with the fall of the wall story (which I never really knew of). I will attach the video below. After the tour Jake and I went to the east side of Berlin to take a look at a long stretch of wall that still stood. On each concrete slab, art replaced the ugliness of the east side of the wall. It was beautiful and strong, a picture in my mind that I will never let go of. Back at the hotel we gathered our stuff and rushed to the train station and headed to our next and final destination, Amsterdam. 


AMSTERDAM: 
We arrived late that night at central station. Luckily our hotel was right next store so it was a short walk to our bed. Walking out of the train station I looked up and realized it resembled the ride at Disneyland, "Its a small world". I am not a 100 percent sure if Walt Disney took his idea from that station but it definitely looks oddly familiar. The next morning we headed to the National Monument located at the center of the city, were the free tour from Sandemans started. Our guide this time around was a beach guy, straight from the heart land! He was a man in his 50s hailing from Palace Verdes, CA. Couldn't believe it. He had a very lax feel about him and was very smart. He took us around to the Old Church, The Red Light District, the Jewish Quarter, Royal Palace, the Jordaan District, the Anne Frank House, the Dutch East India Company, the Begijnhof Convent, Masterpieces of Dutch Art and the Widest Bridge and Narrowest House in Amsterdam. The most interesting to me was actually hearing about the Red light District and how prostitution was a profession in Amsterdam. Later that night we planned to take the Red Light District tour which was just as amusing as it was informational, with a guide (hailing from Australia with a goofy walk) as hilarious as he could be about the history of the famous area. You would think the Red Light area would be seedy with trash everywhere, you would be surprised to see, thats not the case. People are walking around at all hours of the day and the place is fairly clean. That night we found a place that served traditional Dutch meals. We ate saur kraut, mashed potatoes and sausage with brown sauce. 


The next morning we planned to take a trip to Keukenhof, a garden for certain types of bulbs such as Tulips, Narcissus, Hyacinths and much more, that bloom only 2 months out of the year. We just happened to be there at the right time (and Jake just happened to notice a flyer for it, go Jake!). The garden was immense and there were millions of flowers everywhere. The most popular one in the garden was the tulip in every color and combination you could think of. Beautiful colors reached out in every direction and we couldn't get enough of the scents the flowers gave off, breathing in as much as we could constantly. I dont think I stopped taking pictures on that trip and neither did Jake. Sometimes I would look over and catch him bent over taking a close up shot of a red tulip. We were reluctant to leave but once back in the center of Amsterdam we made our way over to the house of Anne Frank. There was a really long line but it went by quickly. It was only 9 Euros for a ticket as well. Viewing the house and the original writings of her journal and other writings she did took us about 45 to 50 minutes.  The house was quiet and held no furniture but was set up the way it would have been if the black out curtains had been drawn. I felt very odd going through her house, I wondered what she would think of all of us in there looking at her old room or reading her stories. It was interesting to watch the interviews of her friends and father. At the end of her fathers interview he says that "as parents, we really never know our children." I believe that can be very true in some instances, definitely. The remainder of the trip we spent walking the canals and wandering into souvenier shops. The next morning we made our way to the Amsterdam international airport for our flight to Copenhagen. Once we got to Copenhagen airport, we had a 4 hour wait until our train back to Orebro for the night. 
Overall, our trip was filled with many sites and adventures that won't be forgotten. If anyone is going to Europe soon, I would highly recommend the Sandemans tours. They are extremely informational and the people who run them are energetic and never monotoned. Its a new and cost effective way to see/learn about a city your visiting. I was sad to be at the end of our trip but luckily we had a breakfast date with some of the girls from my team and a half day in Stockholm to look forward to before heading back to USA. Hopefully Jake and I will have another opportunity to see some more of Europe after next season, until then we will enjoy our time in California and be gearing up for whats to come. 


NOTE: My blog page is having some difficulties so my pictures look weird when I upload them. Hopefully I will figure it out soon. Hope you enjoy the writing for the time being. Thanks!

Safe!

As an umpire screams in baseball when a player takes a base, by sliding on his side in dire hopes that he will make it, "SAFE!" This word signifies this year's season's end, Orebro Volley is in fact, safe, from dropping down to a lower division.

As we traveled to the other teams home court, oh a short SIX hour drive from homebase, I thought to myself, "We have to win this match! There is no way I am going to let them beat us!" We walked into their new gym, amped and ready to go. We decided that we would be 100% focused the moment we set foot in the gym. Meaning, if you had a friend on the other team you could say hi but thats it, no chit chatting until after the match. If you had someone in the crowd you can meet with them after the match. If there was enticing music on, you withheld from dancing like crazy until after the match. All of us held true to our commitment to stay 100% focused, even though some of us had a tough time refraining from dancing. Overall, we looked like a professional team coming into the gym, ready to do work.

The first and second sets were golden, we came out attacking the other team like our lives depended on it. The 3rd set was a slow start which led to us losing 25-27. This score sent us into the next set with vengeance and we then again, attacked! It took us 4 sets to finish them and what fun it was to do. Everyone was so happy and the locker room conversation was filled with positive notes and smiling faces.

Once home, we continued with practice as usual with the thought that we were going to have to play at home to finalize the qualifications. Tuesdays practice came around and our coach announced that the federation had decided to not have the last and final playing weekend of the qualifications because it would not matter. Of the 3 teams the top 2 were solidified to stay in the Eliteseries, us and Svedala. We were elated, relieved and excited to get the party started! I was happy to be done with volleyball for a little bit and of course hang out with a team that stuck by one another the whole season. I am proud of the team and how we performed through thick and thin.

The weekend we were supposed to be playing at home we instead partied. Friday night we had a BBQ and SingStar contest, Saturday night we went to a club and a Fika session (coffee and cake) on Sunday that lasted 3 hours. It was a wonderful way to end the season and I am so glad I got to hang out with all the girls outside of volleyball. Jet's boyfriend came to visit that weekend as well. Jake also made it to town for the fun filled weekend.

Now its one more week until Jake and I travel to Copenhagen, Berlin and Amsterdam!!! So Excited!!! Until then, take care!

Qualifications, first match, first win!

After a long week of training and preparation for the match against Gothenberg we were on our way last Sunday morning to their home court. Our team went into this qualification match with determination and a strong will to kick some ass! Which is why I think we were able to pull out a win over them even though it went to 5 sets.

The first set was shaky for both sides, but we were the better team so our shaky start wasn't as weak as theirs. Gothenberg had one good hitter which was their middle. She used to play for Katrineholm (a team that is playing in the championship playoffs now) as I had recognized her during the match. She got the majority of the sets and the other hitters would get sets from bad passes. It was pretty easy to sift out who was going to get the set when the good middle was in the front row which made it easier on our blockers.

The next two sets were off because our team couldn't seem to get a hold on the ball. We weren't in the right places, we couldn't stop the middle and the pressure on our serves dropped a little. So set 4 and 5 we decided as a team to mentally and physically attack the other side. Everyone had fire in their eyes, everyone was prepared to play hard and win hard. The score of the 4th set was something like 25-14 and the 5th was 15-9. It was apparent who was the better team in this match up, it just took us a few minutes to get our barrings and to take them out.

Our team really came together and I was really proud of us for pulling out a win like that. Jet (our setter) had her best match of the season, she really placed the ball well to all our hitters and ran down off balls while making good decisions with them. I also had a personal best in attacking and blocking, where I scored 30 points. The best I have done in my career thus far. At one point in the game, Jet set me against no blockers and all I thought was "open net!!!" and just attacked. Needless to say I have never had that and it was absolute heaven to hit against nothing and seeing the ball hit 5 meters. For that I say, thank you Jet for offering me that experience.

We had a small crowd supporting us which was great! Sofia's (libero) mom, grandparents, aunt, uncle, sister and cousins were in attendance. We were also joined with some of Matilda's (coach) friends and Peggah's (libero) friends as well. It is always nice to see a familiar face in the crowd when you are playing so far from your home court.

This up coming weekend we travel to Svedala (a mere 6 hour drive south, yey) for what we hope to be our last match of the qualification series. The match is very important for us, so I will not be holding back at all in attack. I hope and know my teammates will be sharp and ready for anything this match. Believing we can win is just as important as having the talent to win. We are the better team in this situation so we need and will prove that this sunday. No matter how long the drive, the dust will be shaken off and attack mode will be on once we step into that gym. Its game time, starting now!

Winding down..

There is not a whole lot to say about volleyball except that we are going to compete in the qualifiers in order to stay in the Elite Series for next season. Is it nerve wrecking? Yes. Can we win and stay in the league? Yes. Its all about what we do on our side of the court that makes the difference not what the other team does. The problems? Everyone needs to get healthy for the qualifiers and right now, we are not 100 percent. I believe we can end this season with a win and that win is the qualifiers!


There was a sort of "farmers market" here a couple weeks ago. It is written to be a 300-400 year old Swedish tradition that happens every year, starting in Orebro. Jet and I went into town to check it out and see what it was all about. Originally the market was put on for the mountain men to come and sell their furs, fish and anything else they may have caught or made. There were plenty of stations with candy, donuts, wallets and leather, fish, bread, sheep skin slippers, fur hats, gloves, hot dogs, hand made crafts and fudge, lots of fudge. There were Peruvian flute performers in full dress, dancing and singing. The music was pretty awesome and their outfits were even more amazing. However I dont know how they managed to survive the weather since they were wearing minimal clothes. More beads and head dress then anything else. It was a great time since the snow was lightly falling and people were everywhere. The market went on for 3 days and then closed shop at the end of the weekend. The first day Jet and I roamed the market we bought candied almonds which were roasted right in front of us and still warm, some fudge and I searched for a new leather belt for Jake but came up short unfortunately (funny cause there were so many, but all to big). The market is meant to move around Sweden, ending in Skona, the south of Sweden at the end of the summer. We were told that the same group of people travel with the market every year. Its things like this that make me happy to be living in another country, so much history and tradition.

Last week, two of our teammates work put on an event, welcoming new publishers to their book store. The team was invited to help out, meaning there would be money coming into the club which is always welcomed. Our teammates decided to make the event a "red carpet" event. So they got champagne/apple cider, rolled out a red carpet and made a back drop that looked like an important premier or opening, which was perfect. They also had entertainment and food for the guests. I was assigned to take pictures of the event and of the people walking the red carpet. I must say I was fairly nervous since this was my first "event" taking pictures. Needless to say they came out pretty nicely and looked good for the most part. Jake was there helping as well, serving the champagne/apple cider to people as they walked in. He looked great in his suit jacket and jeans, very handsome. The girls on the team who helped were able to eat a bit of the food and also have a couple drinks as well. The night turned out to be really fun for the guests and the help.

Orebro Volley faces one last team before the qualifications, Angelholm. They are at the top of the league. They have a lot of good players on their team and the last time we played them, our showing was less then satisfying. This time around we will have Jet out there setting, Angie in the middle, Kata on the outside and Sofia in the libero position. It will be a totally different line up and I am excited to see how they react to what we put out there. I know it will be a better fight then the last time we played them for sure. All I can say for myself is, that I won't be holding back.

Until then, have a great day/night/afternoon.

Two losses and a win.

Coming back from the holiday we were ready to give the teams we had been beaten by before a run for their money. First up was Gislaved, an away game at their house. With 2 weeks of training under our belt we were ready. There was nothing more we could have done to prepare ourselves for that match. We took the first set from them but that was all. Unfortunately we lost in 4 sets. It seemed Gislaved caught on to our game plan and executed theirs better. We could have taken them to a 5th set but it was a little to late for us.

Match two was against Sollentuna. They had recently lost one outside and libero but had brought on a bunch of lower level players to pick up the slack. They put up a good fight and were tough in defense but in the 5th set we prevailed and won! It was a great feeling although I don't think we needed to take it to a 5th set. We could have finished them off in 4 for sure. But we did what we had to do in a tough situation and over came. I was very proud of the team that night and excited that Jet (our new setter) was able to get a win on her first home game.

Match three was up against Ljungby. A division one team who qualified to get into the league last year. They have a really good middle, an outside that if there is no one up on her can make points and thats pretty much it. They are not a strong passing team if there is any sort of serve pressure on them and they are also not that great of a blocking team, if you dont hit directly in their block. Defense wise, if you hit right to them they will get it up but if not its a struggle. So we went into the match feeling good about our chances against them. I was excited because I knew what we had to do to beat them and so did everyone else. We won the first set pretty easily, only letting them in a little. The second set was not very good but once again it was little things that we had to do in order to win, they were not doing anything special. We were following the game plan which was to get the good middle out of the hitting line up and to get them off balance. However they took the next 2 sets off us winning in 4 sets. We gave them the match. We were the better team in this situation, but we ended up making to many mistakes and dropping the serve pressure in the end. The chance for a turn around was to late.

We have talks in the locker room after the match and everyone was disappointed more because we all knew that we should have won that game. It was right in front of us. I mentioned during the talk that we need to stop waiting for points to be given to us and instead take them from the other team. No one is going to give us anything in this sport or any other sport for that matter. We need to stop playing safe and to go for it. At least at the end of a match, where we all knew we really went for it, we wouldn't be as disappointed in losing. In the Sollentuna game, there was a sense of fighting on the court. Last night when it was down to the last couple points, it felt as if we had been there a million times and that was just what was supposed to happen to us. It was routine. We can't be afraid of losing because then all we will do, is lose. Something needs to change within all of us on the team, we need to stop waiting for someone else to do our job and to just go for it. What have we got to lose really? INGET.  I'm not going to give up, there is still a lot more season to go. So lets get to it then!

Christmas Time in Stockholm

Once again it is that time of year, the most wonderful or most stressful time of the year (whichever way you look at it), Christmas. This year, I would have to say, was more wonderful then stressful. The only thing I had to prevent myself from doing was seeing something that I knew someone would like and just spending, spending, spending. I had to hold back but I still got a bunch of gifts, even after the holiday! (Sales, duh!)

The past 2 years I have been lucky enough to enjoy the holiday that is Christmas with my best friend's (Sara Pettersson) family in Hestra, Sweden. I appreciated and enjoyed the time I spent with them and how they welcomed me with open arms into their home, traditions and family. However, this year I was headed to Stockholm with Jake to meet up with my parents! I was very lucky to have them coming to Sweden for Christmas this year and I am so proud of my mom for letting go of our normal traditions back home to enable us to be together on that special occasion.

We all arrived in Stockholm on the 20th of December. Jake and I took a train in while my parents flew from London (they were visiting my sister and her husband while on their own vacation). Jake and I arrived at the Hotel Rival (owned by one of the main singers from ABBA!) before my parents, so we were able to check in and take a nap before they arrived. We also decided to pick up some wine, cheese and crackers, grapes and an apple for a little welcome gift for them when they got there (well the wine for my mom of course). Unfortunately they had missed their connection and had to wait for another flight an hour later. Anyone who knows me would understand my reaction when I woke up from my nap a little freaked that they were still not at the hotel an hour after they were supposed to be. So I called them, their room, the front desk but came up with no answer. Jake had calmed me a bit so I decided to give up for the moment when the hotel room phone rang, it was them, thank God! Jake and I went down to their room to greet them with open arms. I was so happy they had finally gotten there. My mom came up to our room to have a drink before venturing out for food while my dad stayed in on a 4 hour long conference call with his company. He works too hard sometimes but he definitely gives himself rewards for the work he puts out, so I am glad he gives himself a break every once in a while.

After having a few glasses of wine, cheese and crackers, Jake, my mom and I  decided to leave the comforts of the hotel and try to find a good place to sit down and have dinner on that snowy night. After waltzing up and down one street, we ended up stumbling upon the "Stor Viking" a couple blocks from the hotel. The food was decent and we left all happy and full. Back at the hotel,  my parents were quickly asleep I am sure since jetlag was still vastly upon them, while Jake and I had other plans. Earlier that day we bought candles to light for Chanukah, being it was the first night. Jake set up a make-shift menorah on one of the window sils in our room. He then said the prayer in what seemed to me to be perfect hebrew while I read it after in english. After the lighting of the first candle he proceeded to read about the word "Faith", his families tradition. Each night a new word is introduced and is highlighted throughout a short reading. I really enjoyed listening to him read about the 8 different words (Faith, Freedom, Courage, Love, Integrity, Charity, Knowledge and Peace) each night. I wasn't aware of this but you are not supposed to blow the candles out but let them burn through the night. It was nice to wake up every now and then and see a gentle glow coming from the window sil and the stars from the sky behind. However, I will also say that I was a little worried at times that a curtain was going to catch fire while we slept although nothing like that ever happened, we were careful about it.

The next couple days of our trip were speckled with amazing sites and awesome finds. We saw a lot in a little amount of time. However to fully see Stockholm you would need at least two weeks. We were able to roam the streets of Gamla Stan (Old town) almost everyday since we had to walk through there to get back to our hotel. That area was probably one of the top things we did on our trip. The changing of the guards goes on in that area as well since the Palace is located on that island. Now, the changing of the guards is no where near as much of a spectacle as the one in London, but its something to take a glance at. Old Town also hid away a small Christmas market in one of its many squares. Some stands sold candles and candy some sugar coated roasted almonds and hot chocolate. We waltzed through these streets window shopping and peeking into the many art galleries the Old Town was home to. Tourist shops were abundant and surprisingly cheap.




Walking across a bridge you will find yourself in the center or main island of Stockholm. It was the hub of all big shopping malls and boutiques. There was even a street that reminded me somewhat of Rodeo Drive. Might as well been, all the shops were pretty pricey, Gucci, Prada, etc. While we were walking around, there was also another Christmas market and an ice skating rink. The ice skating rink is something Jake, my dad and I decided to tackle one night after dinner. Unfortunately my Dad was disappointed about how he skated claiming he thought he was going to be better at it. I don't blame him for being shaky, the skates we used were stiff, the blades were dull and the ice was packed with people. Another day we settled into plush chairs and people watched at the Grand Hotel along the water, over a glass of wine and coffee. We also checked out the Ice Bar on the main island. The Ice Bar was located in the lobby of a hotel (the name has slipped my mind) near central station. While we were there, they put you in these hooded ponchos and send you into the ice cold freezing bar for 45 minutes. You get a ice glass and a drink that is included in the price. There were also non alcoholic drinks as well for children and people who did not drink of course. My mom, Jake and I decided on a drink called the Wolf Paw. The bar tender said it was a strong drink and my mom responded with "exactly". If we were only able to get one drink in the price of our ticket, better make it a strong one. Smart lady. My dad settled on a cranberry juice concoction that tasted good as well. Being an ice chewer I tried to chew on my glass which was made out of ice but it was to dense. Almost everything was made out of ice. The seating, the walls, the bar and the cups. It was amazing and super cold! My feet were like icicles! When we were about to leave, Jake decided to take off his shirt and bear hug one of the ice sculptures for a picture. So funny!











There is an island that if you continue past the Grand Hotel, called Skeppsholmen. To get to this island you have to cross over a small bridge with a kings crown on the middle point of the bridge, painted gold. I was told by locals and the internet to get my picture taken here, so I did! There wasn't a whole lot to do that day on that particular island since a lot of things were closed. However the modern art museum had some of its exhibitions out on the lawn in front which were interesting but not curious enough to get us inside the building. We walked further down to the old military barracks that were now converted into a 5 star hotel. We went inside for a little bit mostly because my mom and I had to use the bathroom but also because my dad had told us he was considering having us stay there. I am glad we did not stay there, Skeppsholmen was a boring island and the walk into town or to any other restaurant besides its own was a trek. It was cool to walk around on but that was it.

A couple times we took a water taxi 10 minutes to Djurgarden. This island is popular for the oldest theme park in Sweden, the Vasa Museum, Skansen (the oldest open air museum in the world and home to Stockholms only zoo) and the Nordic Museum. As a family we visited the Skansen, my moms favorite site on the trip, and the Nordic Museum. Skansen is the worlds oldest open air museum, highlighting historical swedish living and also entertains a zoo with owls, lynx, birds, monkeys, seals, wolves, horses, moose, etc. Being that it was very cold, some animals were inside for the winter and the bears were in hibernation. My mom loved this part of the trip, even though our feet were like ice cubes, walking around looking at old houses that once housed poor farming families, windmills, pig pens, and stables was great to see. In the summer time the park comes to life with employees dressed in colonial style dress, acting out what their daily lives would have been like in the olden days. The Nordic Museum was also a great way to see how Swedish people lived from colonial times to the present (or close to it). On display was anything from a Doll house from the 1600's to how people celebrated Christmas.

Unfortunately my parents were not able to see the Vasa because it was closed for the holidays. However Jake and I were lucky enough to be able to go the day we left. The ship was so big that pictures online or from my camera do not do it justice. The whole ship was poorly designed and in a hurry which is why it met its demise all to soon. The ship set sail from Stockholm and with in 25 minutes had sank completely. They say that if the hull was built a meter wider it would have been one of the most dominant fighter ships in the world at the time. 300 hundred years later in the 1960's, a Swedish diver discovered the ship and decided to dig it up from the muddy ocean floor and reconstruct the ship for viewing. If any of you ever get the chance to go to Stockholm, the Vasa should be a must see for sure.

We enjoyed Christmas Eve dinner at the hotel. We dressed in our best clothing that we brought on the trip. Jake wore his new suit and I wore my black dress and heels. My parents were very impressed with Jakes attire and said that we both looked very nice. Jake was and still is very proud of his suit. He looks amazing in it.

It was Christmas night and we were looking to have a nice dinner with the 4 of us. We finally landed on a restaurant in Old Town. It was an Italian restaurant with cozy tables, big windows out to the street and candles on each table that looked like the wax drips had been collecting for ages. We made a reservation for 7pm later that night. I don't myself or my parents, or Jake for that matter have ever had Italian food for the holidays. What I think we should have done was to find a Chinese food restaurant and ordered duck from the menu like the scene in the "Christmas Story" movie. Regardless the food was great and the company was even better. Even though Christmas dinner was a tad unorthodox, it didn't matter because we were all there to celebrate Christmas day together.

Speaking of Italian food, I was asking some Swedes of good places to eat in Stockholm and a couple suggested this place called Vapiamo's. After we were walking for what seemed like forever, we finally found it on Gamla Stan (Old Town). What you do is the host gives you a sort of credit card. You take this card around to each station you want food from, you tell them what you want, swipe the card and move on to another station until you have everything you want. There is even a bar that has the same system as the food stations. At the end of your meal you go back up to the hostess and she swipes your card and tells you what you owe, genius! The food ended up being just what we wanted and needed that night. Mission accomplished.

Both my parents, Jake and I had to leave the 26th. My parents left early in the morning but not before saying goodbye to us. In order to keep my mom from tearing up, I mooned them before the elevator doors closed, they both laughed. Don't worry though we were on the 5th floor and it was 5:30am so no one was around. That day they traveled to Amsterdam for a couple days before heading back to the States. After saying goodbye I went back to sleep and we woke up later around 9, had breakfast and then headed to the Vasa museum. After the Vasa, we walked along the boulevard into the shopping area where he bought me my Christmas presents! A pair of cute slippers and new tights (same style as ones I had ripped earlier in the trip, oops!). That day there were so many people it was nuts! Jake said that it was one of the most crowded shopping days of the year because of sales and returns. I believe it, I have just never experienced it before.

Jake and I were back in our respective towns by 5 pm that night. I missed my parents already however I had gotten an email saying that they had made it to Amsterdam and were having a great time, so that made me feel better. I also missed Jake too as corny as it sounds, but spending that much time with him was amazing since we don't get to do that a lot. I am so glad that I got to spend the holidays with my parents and Jake in Stockholm. I really couldn't have asked for a better gift this year then that. It was a wonderful time and I will never forget it.

REAL New Year's Resolutions 2012

New years resolutions, real or just something to write down and look at occasionally, but really you will never do? 

Side track story time: Since I was a little girl my dad has had a sit down my sister and I to talk about our resolutions for the year. He would have us write them down and then see if we were following them through out the year. They were usually things like: don't get into fights with Ashleigh my sister, clean my room, pick up my toys, do the dishes, help mom, feed the dog, work hard in school and volleyball, brush my teeth twice a day, etc. Little things that could be easily accomplished, but what happens? I get into a fight with Ashleigh 4 or 5 days later about borrowing clothes I didn't ask for, my room looks like a bomb went off in it, the dog is still waiting on its food. school is a struggle, I need to get 4 teeth pulled and the list has some how disappeared but then reappears 4 months later...Anyway, back to what I was saying before. 

I will admit I am somewhat of a culprit to writing resolutions down and either looking at them for the first month or loosing the list all together. However, some years I have really tried to stick to them, but have come up short. Why? is the big question here. Why do we instinctively make resolutions only to break them a day, a week, a month or more down the road? Why not follow through with what you resolutely want to do? There is a simple answer really...it's because you make resolutions that are RIDICULOUSLY impossible to achieve for any one person. Here is a common resolution among a large portion of the American population: "Work out more/ Get a gym membership and use it/ Eat healthier". I mean honestly, how many people actually go through with it?! Not that many but bravo if you did hang in. If you belong to a gym I would suggest doing home workouts for a week after NYE because I guarantee the gym will be packed. Surely enough, people drop off towards the end of the week claiming they will cut it down to a 3 day a week work out instead of everyday like they originally planed, blah blah blah. Finish what you start, it feels so much better when you do. Quitting or making excuses sucks! Feeling like you have accomplished something is a huge weight off your shoulders and calls for bragging rights (if thats what your in to). 

I think I have figured out a way to make resolutions, feel confident about finishing them and to make them rational resolutions. So below I have my own resolutions, one, because I don't have Word processor so I can't write them and then print them out easily, and two because I look at this blog more then I would look at a piece of paper laying on my night stand. I have categorized them into short term and long term resolutions. I hope that if anyone sees this they keep me to my resolutions, everyone needs a little encouragement now and then (me especially). 

Short Term Resolutions:

Save ($$) as much as possible every month. 

Help recycle and take the trash out. 

Water the plants at least once a week if not more. 

Vacuum once a week 

Drink at least 1.5 liters of water every day, or more.

Shut computer down at 10:30pm every night. 

Read (book, newspaper, article) more. 

Write blog once a week or after a match. 

Take more pictures. 

Be patient. 

Get up before 10am (days with out morning practice) 

Try to improve something at every practice or gym visit. 

Walk to practice (when it starts getting warmer) 

Try to learn something new in Swedish everyday. 

Take mascarra off 3 times a week. 

Be a leader. 

Floss. 

Wear sunscreen everyday. (no more burns!) 

Long Term Resolutions: 

Learn more about and do do more with my camera. 

Try to speak more Swedish then listening and responding in English. 

Get things done myself, don't wait on others to do it for you. 

Spend less on things you want and more on things you need. 

Learn how to pay taxes. 

See a concert in the Hollywood Bowl in the summer. 

Reconnect with an old friend US or abroad. 

Be healthier (drink less alcohol, ingest less sugar/candy etc)

Help out more. 

Don't sweat the small stuff. 

Take up Yoga again. 

Rest more. 

Catch up with relatives more often then not. 

Travel. 

Create something awesome. 

Go on more hikes.

Try to narrow down a career path for the future. 

Set up my own website highlighting my photography. 

Read 10 books or more a year. 

This list may seem long but some of the stuff on here I can accomplish with out noticing sometimes. Getting into a routine with some of these resolutions is the plan. I hope that I can accomplish these things with in a years time. However I know some of the things on the list will take a little over a year to achieve so they will likely drop down to the list I will have next new years. However, let it be known that this list will be completed as best as I know how to. I ask you to keep me honest with these resolutions and know that I may add some more later on this year. Day one, begin! Got to go fill up my water bottle ;)