अ बेलातेद न्यू पोस्ट

I realize it's been over a month since my last post-- this is mostly due to laziness and a poor memory for these things.

To sum up my last month, my Swedish is beginning to snowball, I feel. Or maybe I'm just feeling that way today. Whatever the case, it is encouraging. I can say most of the things I want with some coherency and specificity now.

I've landed myself a Swedish girlfriend named Ingrid. She's a very cute and clever girl in my class at school and one of the first friends I made coming into gymnasium. :)

I recently got back from my host club's district conference with the other exchange students. I love everybody there, and it always makes me a little sad to leave, even though being around all the exchange students at once takes a toll on me mentally. I wish we could do those kinds of meetings more often. The next one isn't until December. :(

I gotta start working out or something. I'm feeling less tired on a daily basis, but I think being active will make me a bit less restless and more motivated. If only gym memberships didn't cost a bloody fortune and it wasn't getting so fucking cold out.

Coming here hasn't brought about as many new problems and issues as I was expecting. I'm actually faced with mostly the same problems I had at home-- most of them mental, some not. I'm having some trouble keeping up with some of my obligations and procrastinating like usual. Perceptions of social issues have remained essentially the same, but in recent days I like to think I've come to healthier perspectives on some of them.

Things are still going very well here overall. Autumn is coming on. It's getting gloomy outside. Still, it makes the inside cozy, so it's not all bad.

Love to you all!

स्कूल हस बेगुन, होल्डिंग उप वेल.

I should be sleeping right now. But I'm not. I figured if I have already stayed up this late I'm not gonna be too crisp tomorrow no matter what.

I went sailing last weekend with all the exchange students. Everyone seemed to be a little out of it, myself included. Except the Aussies-- they seemed like they were quite in their element, but they've been here for seven eight months already. I think we're all entering what we were told was called the "disillusionment phase", when the excitement wears off a bit and you really have to bite your lip and push on to keep adjusting. Sometimes it's a little tough to get up in the mornings. But I still find joy in the simple things and make sure I laugh plenty day by day and keep some perspective.

I've been spending a lot of time with the other exchange students, and a few of the people in my language class in the Folkuniversity. Consequently, I've been speaking a lot of English, I admit. I could certainly stand to work at using my Swedish more. I must try to get into the habit.

I haven't really spent that much time lately with my host family, I just sort of leave in the morning and come back at night. This weekend we will have some guests from Stockholm, including an Aussie, so I will be with my hosts more than I have been for a while. I'm glad I have made friends here rather quickly and always have someone to hang around with, but at the same time I also feel that I'm missing out a little on the "cultural" part of the culture exchange. It's good to be among people who really empathize with what I'm feeling though, you know? There's a balance I need to strike, I suppose. I need to hang out with more Swedes. It should get a little easier once I start regular school again in a couple weeks. (I only go to the community college for Swedish classes right now, with a bunch of other internationals.)

I am not missing home, but I am getting a bit fatigued by the adjustment process. It's rough sometimes. But I've been through much worse. Much worse.

फॉर सम रासों थिस कीप्स चंगिंग to संस्कृत

Well, I am about two weeks in at this point. I'm kinda anticipating school's start soon, I am about ready to fall into some sort of sustainable habit. I suppose I have the capacity for setting one up myself, but at the moment, not the will. It's been a while since I took some time to collect myself.

I'm really not feeling very homesick yet. Maybe it's still to come, but I feel very confident in my ability to stand on my own two feet. I feel prepared, like I've got the right attitude for this.

Swedish is coming along nicely. I ordered a sandwich today and the guy behind the register understood me, so that's encouraging. Apparently my accent is so thick and my emphasis so screwy that I'm hardly intelligible much of the time. It's a tough language! Thank God these people speak English.

Oh, I met some of my fellow exchange students today. There's this guy from Charleston named John who I swear to God looks and sounds exactly like a young Coach Inserra. And this Australian-- Tom-- who looks just like Alex Steele. Most seem to be pretty warm and kindly. Others a bit reserved or shy, but that's to be expected. I feel comfortable with them.

I'm in Gothenburg, by the by, which is where I'll be living for the duration of my exchange. It's a lovely city. I'm right at the edge of it. The public transit system is absolutely brilliant, I wish Chicago had something like it.

Oh, the women are BEAUTIFUL here. Like, ridiculously so. I fall in love every five minutes.

School starts on the 24th. Next week I'll be going to Borås for language camp, which apparently is tons of fun.

I guess that's it for now. G'night.

Oh, and for some reason I can't get the title text to write in anything but Sanskrit. Tis peculiar.

Arrival

Well, I am here in Sweden. I met up with my host parents Viveca and Niclas, and have thus far met my adorable 7 year-old host sister Hedvig. Viveca and Niclas are very kind and speak perfect English. They say that they're not going to let me get away with just speaking English, though. Certainly a good thing, though it will doubtlessly be frustrating.

I'm not really frightened and upset like I've been told I would. Maybe it hasn't sunk in just yet that I'm on my own out here. It's gonna be hard getting by without all the friends and loved ones I have back home being there for me all the time. In the end I suppose that will make me a stronger, more independent person though-- certainly one of the main reasons I'm on this exchange to begin with.

I'm pretty friggin jet-lagged. I got one hour of sleep somewhere between Newfoundland and Iceland on the plane. I'm heading to bed in a minute. It's about 9:30 here.

I shared some of my tea with Viveca today. Thanks Tea Lula gang, I'll miss you guys.

I'll be at my family's summer home in Båstad for the next week or so. It's so peaceful here. I'm sure I won't be bored-- if I'm not out exploring I will be practicing Swedish a ton.

We'll see what the following days hold in store emotionally. Standing on my own feet is new. I can handle it though.

Pre-Departure

Hey guys, David here. As you are probably aware, this is going to be my blog for my Swedish adventures. I don't know how frequently I will update but I'm going to shoot for once every other week.

So... yes. Might as well get in the habit of the who-what-when-where-why-how updates. I am still here in the States, visiting folk before I depart. Still don't have a bloody departure date-- I'm supposed to be headed out of here around the end of July, but we'll see.

For those of you who don't know, I'll be staying in Göteborg for a year. I'm getting excited! I'm a bit concerned about my language skill, but I'm sure it'll all work out fine. (I've been kinda lazy about practicing for the last couple weeks.)

More (satisfying) updates to come.