Gott Nytt År (Happy New Year)

2011 was a year with many ups and downs for me. It was both the most difficult year of my life and also the one of the best. I learned so much about myself and I can only imagine how it will be by the end of this year. 2012 is going to be an amazing year!

Yesterday was incredible. I’ve been getting myself around Stockholm by using the buses, subways and trains. For someone who has never used public transportation, I think I am doing relatively well (mainly due to using my iPhone).

Markus and Elin invited me to stop by their place and since I was short on time I was trying to run to catch the subway. I made it there only to realize I was actually supposed to be on a bus. Oops. Luckily the bus stop was right upstairs from the subway. Not to mention the most amazing view at the bus stop.

Oh and of course the view on the bus was also relatively nice.

Had a quick but fun visit with them and then had to RUN to catch the train to go spend New Year’s Eve with Jakob’s family.

It was a night of TONS of food, friends, fireworks and freezing!

Evidently Jakob asked Vu to tell him embarrassing stories about me that he brought up during dinner to make conversation. I have to say it ended up being pretty funny. It’s not every day that 7 people you’ve just met get to hear about silly things you’ve done!

It was hilarious to be watching all of these adorable swedish kids singing to the Beatles rock band.

Then we went outside in the LITERALLY freezing cold and shot off fireworks and let these beautiful paper lanterns up in to the air.

Today I woke up to SNOW!!!

You really have to bundle up in this weather.

One of my favorite things about my New Years actually had to do with Jakob’s kids. Neither of them can speak any english, so although I was around them a lot on New Year’s Eve, all their friends were there so I didn’t spend much time with them.

When I woke up this morning, I walked downstairs and said hi and decided to go back up to the room to sleep for a little while longer (since we were all up till 5). I walked up the stairs and looked behind me only to see that I had two children each following about 5 steps behind me. I sat down on the bed and the two of them sat with me. Okay… now what do I do? Two little kids are sitting with me and we don’t speak the same language. So I did what is universal: play.

It was one of my favorite moments of the whole trip.

Tattooing each other with markers.