I'm BACK!!!

It's finally happened, I've made it home. I was definitely ready to be back. The last few weeks of travel through Europe have worn me down and I'm ready to be back on the lake.

I arrived home around 1:30am last night after leaving Amsterdam 28 hours earlier (a whole other painful story in itself). Mom was the first person at the airport, and consequently the first to get a hug. It didn't really feel like being home though, or at least not what I had expected. I woke up (in a bed!!) at 8am and was more or less bored an hour later after trying to show mom and make a dent in the massive 10GB of pictures. Then it was a call from Tiana to see if I was up for some sea kayaking. I was planning on staying home for a bit more but then thought better of it, loaded up the car with a few bags of clothes and outdoor essentials (life jacket, tent, sandals, etc). It was like Christmas going through all that stuff (probably because it had been Christmas since I've last seen it). I'd find another box, open it up and, BOOM, something cool would be there.

Anyway, the minute I walked up to the Union in Madison, it hit me that I was home-in a jet of water (thanks Tristan). Haha, I was actually excited, showing real excitement for something. Man, I missed everything and everyone so much. I walked down to the lakefront and there were already 10 friends I hadn't seen since leaving just working down on the piers. I went out on the lake in a kayak, the first time of the year. I even had a momentary lapse in memory when I couldn't figure out how to paddle the first 30 seconds. But once out on the lake, it was just awesome, looking back at all of the boats, heading out towards picnic point, just gliding across the water. I even got a boat ride from Jessie. It's gonna be an awesome summer!!

Arctic Backpacking

One week of backpacking, Swedish style! No tent, no stove, no water filters, non-existent 2am trains, random Norwegian girls throwing candy to us, rubber cement flavored ramen, sleeping on arctic shrubbery, turnip flakes, climbing glaciers, walking through rivers, when trails become rivers, Swedish 1,200m summits (sadly no Kebnakaise), lobster man, midnight sun (make sure to sleep face down; also references lobster man), reindeer, cooking on the beach, snowed in at mid-June, hiking through 3am - under the sun, pull my finger, drinking water fresh from mountain streams, inventing our own version of the Swedish language. All this and more to be explained soon...probably after living on trains for the next 15 days. Really, I just wanted to let you all know I am still alive despite aforementioned encounters.

This picture was taken at 3:13am.

My last night in Umeå

The end is near for my time in Sweden. Tonight is my last night in Umeå. I've already said goodbye to most people and we've already lost Lauren who left a little more than an hour ago. It's quite sad, though on the bright side, most of my best friends from here are within a day's drive. I'll see Hannah in England in less than a month, and Hugh will be touring the States next winter with a two week stay in the midwest (including Madison). All in all, it's been one hell of a semester and I've loved every minute of it.

I haven't quite finished packing (or cleaning for that matter) which isn't great considering that I leave on a train heading north tomorrow morning at 8:50am. However, that will be well after Matt, Kari, and Tiana (who is going to get an ass kicking) arrive at 6:05am. The ass kicking will be due to Tiana forgetting where to get off the bus. Instead of going to Alidhem Centrum (100 meters from my door) they are getting off at the downtown bus station (4000 meters from my door). Also, the local buses don't run that early thus I will have to walk down at 5:30am. Not so bad, except that the bus they are on comes right to me, we have to catch the last train to Abisko at 8:40am, and in the meantime get food and supplies as well as come all the way back to Alidhem to drop off extra gear. Oooh she's gonna get it.

The last few weeks have been pretty laid back. My last class ended a few days ago (with an oral final, no less) and in the meantime there have been hikes around the lake, games of ultimate frisbee, catching up on tv shows, and of course, nights out. Now that everyone is leaving, including me, I don't know what to do. The next month is going to be nothing but non-stop traveling and sightseeing. As much as I'm looking forward to it, I'm ready to head back home. I'm really starting to miss the nights on the terrace, Hoofer trips, sailing socials, the lake at grandma's, and most of all my many awesome friends. Oh well, plenty of time for that when I get back sometime late June/early July. Pictures and stuff from the last few weeks will come up soon.