Scandinavian Design + Brands

I feel so lucky to not only be living in such a beautiful country, but to also be constantly surround by amazing design. Street signs, packaging, train stations, houses and buildings all have an immense amount of detail that I've noticed and can admire. I think I overlook a lot of these lesser appreciated things back home because they are so familiar to me and perhaps lack a certain aesthetic that the Swedes carry through with. The landscape and smaller details of Sweden have really influenced me, but I've also drawn a lot of 'creative juice' from these clothing and interior/home brands listed below. A minimal and seemingly effortless approach connects these brands and reiterates the clean and tasteful style the Nordic countries encompasses. Scandinavia has been good to the eyes.

C L O T H I N G
Sandqvist / & Other Stories / H&M / Monki / COS / Weekday / Bik Bok / Acne / Flippa K / Fjallraven

H O M E + I N T E R I O R 

Bolia / Hay / IKEA / Marimekko / Stilleben / Svenskttenn

Fredagsmys, Sugar Toast + Stockholm

There is something about the transition into the winter months that gets me very excited. I think the cozy layers, crunchy leafs and cooler weather may have something to do with it! Fall has always been my favorite season and I may have a greater appreciation for it after experiencing it in Sweden. A couple weeks ago was my swedish buddy's birthday and to celebrate we gathered at her friends apartment and ate waffles. We got to talking about how Swedes love to be cozy or mysig. I absolutely love this aspect of their culture, especially now that it is getting chilly outside, all the little warm touches just makes my soul feel good! Big plushy pillows in the windows at restaurants, candlelit tables at every cafe and the lights are always dimmed to amplify the coziness. Swedes know mysig. I definitely want to take this home with me. They actually have an assigned day for coziness, Fredagsmys or cozy Fridays. I was told that every swedish person knows this phrase and a lot of people enjoy Fredagsmys simply to unwind after a long week and transition into the weekend. My friend-family informed me that a lot of Swedes eat tacos on Friday nights and watch TV with friends or family-- super mysig! Iv'e found tacos to be very popular amongst the Swedes, and just this weekend I ate my fair share. Taco bout' a party... (see what I did there?) Anyway, that's my cue to transition into my weekend in Stockholm.

 Chloe, Elin and I took the 4 hour train to Stockholm Friday morning, I was in a very content mood and just gazed out the window most of the ride, although I probably should have been studying. Elin is from Stockholm, so it was nice having a local show us around and the whole commuting thing was so much faster because of her. It was my first time taking the underground subway... and without Elin I think I would have been totally confused haha! We stayed at her grandmother apartment who's name is also the same as my grandma- Barbra. She cooked for us and made us feel right at home... grandmas just know how to do that kind of stuff! Even though the weather was gloomy, I still had a great time seeing Stockholm, it really is a beautiful city. I couldn't help but to think of how different my experience abroad would be if I chose to go to a bigger city like Stockholm. I think there would be a lot more opportunities, but I also think I wouldn't get such a feel for a community as I do here. I really love the coziness of Växjö, and no matter where you go your guaranteed to see at least one friendly face! I think my upbringing has kind of grounded me in the sense of cherishing the connections and community that small towns offer.

The next morning, I woke up with a craving for cinnamon toast and after I explained to the girls that my grandma always use to make it for me when I was little they wanted to try it. They were a bit skeptical of the butter, sugar and cinnamon combination, but they loved it and we had it again the next morning- they named it Hanna's sugar toast. We went to the Vasa museum on Saturday and that was so cool, especially since I just learned about it in class. We were all pretty tired from the night before so naturally we had to fika! We met Elin's sister who is my age and another friend; we all made tacos before going out. My weekend in Stockholm was so so so good. The three of us shared so many laughs and made some unforgettable memories. I was looking back at my phone and camera and realized I didn't even take that many pictures, but sometimes the best trips are spent with people who make you forget about your phone and picture taking.

My classes are in full swing with a test a couple weeks away and a group project that just started. The history and religion module I am in right now is a lot more dense than my last class. By the way did I tell you I passed the swedish landscape exam?! yay! The beginner swedish course starts next week and I am excited to expand on the handful of words and phrases I can say. I was a little bummed out before coming to LNU because I really wanted to take the design and sustainability course, but unfortunately I didn't have the prerequisites needed. I am happy with the culture course I'm in and learning so much about Sweden. Don't worry... I'm still getting my creative fix by attending photography workshops and various design lectures. I'm very inspired by the traveling I've done and try to document my observations as much as I can in my journal. My heart is as ease lately feeling that this is exactly where I'm suppose to be. I'm so thankful for my support system back at home and I can't wait to see my sweet friends and family in a short 7 weeks! I miss you!!!

hanna

Doors + Details of Tallinn

Last week Chloe and I took a trip to Helsinki, Finland. It was AMAZING. I feel like Finland isn't a place people really think of visiting, but everyone should get it on their lists! We spent Friday exploring the city and all the great markets and shops. The street layouts were kind of confusing, but we easily made it around most of the city on foot in a day. The design district was probably my favorite part... although we never really got to the heart of it. Still loved all the cafes and shops filled with Hay products. Of course we had to stop in Marimekko (a Finnish design company) I bought myself a little coin purse as a souvenir. Saturday we decided to take a ferry to Tallinn, Estonia. We were kind of bummed because we only had the afternoon there, but I think we made the most of our time! From what I saw, Tallinn was absolutely beautiful. This post is dedicated to some of my favorite doors I spotted in old town. The color combinations were out of this world and all the detail put into the architecture was so so so good! Enjoy!

Life as of Late

Whoa! Can you believe its already October? In a few more weeks it will be November and then I'll be saying I'm going home next month. Time sure does fly by. I wish I would post on here more often for all of you back home curious about whats going on, but I find it difficult to maintain a good balance of living in the present, communicating with friends and family at home, journaling about more personal things and then blogging on here. The blog definitely has been getting the short end of the stick. I promise to continue to post more frequently because I think blogging is a good tool to let loved ones at home know whats going on and also a good way to reflect on my experiences and personal growth. I think blogs and social media in general only show one angle of someone and this is something I've been questioning and reflecting on. The pages in my journal are probably a lot more interesting and raw than what I post on here, but also a lot more personal and something I would never want the world wide web reading! Any who... for the rest of my time abroad I'm going to strive for interesting and raw posts about my adventures and everyday boring stuff.

Last week I went to Zadar, Croatia as a last minute trip with some people on my floor. And when I say last minute I mean I booked my flight Saturday night and we flew out Monday. Thank God for cheap Ryanair flights. I was a little bit worried about spending 5 days with people I only met a few weeks ago, but I made a bold decision and booked it knowing there were going to be valued experiences learned no matter what. Something I've quickly learned over here is not to overthink everything... you need to act on opportunities because who knows when you'll get another shot. Croatia was a place I never even really considered visiting, but I'm so glad I did and would love explore more parts of the country. Dubrovnik and Split for sure. During my short stay I noticed a lot of differences between Croatia and Sweden. First off everything is so much cheaper in Croatia... we joked that we were probably saving money while in Zadar. Every morning we would walk to the supermarket and buy breakfast and lunch and some snacks for under $10 USD. Beer was also very cheap, they sold it in liter plastic bottles...kinda weird...kinda good. There was a much older population in Zadar, meaning no youthful blond haired, blue eye scandinavians roaming around. The boys on the trip missed all the good looking ladies! For the most part, everyone in Sweden is so nice and happy, I've had no troubles really with language barriers, until we arrived in Croatia. People in general were a lot less happy than in Sweden, but non the less friendly. Here in Sweden I've noticed that most people aren't religious and don't attend church often. I started my history and religion class yesterday and this validated my observations. Croatia however was a very religious country... even the bus driver had a rosary on his rear view mirror. My teacher suggested that  Swedish people are taken care of by the government throughout their entire life and therefore don't need a higher power to rely on because they are already set (education, health care). I find this very interesting and am eager to learn more about Swedish religion in my class. Overall my trip to Croatia was great... Im so thankful to have a flexible schedule here at school to be able to travel. Check out my Facebook photos to see what we did during the trip!

We got home Friday night and I was very happy to come back to my little swedish apartment on Vallgatan. Saturday afternoon I had my first exam over the Swedish landscape. It felt very strange taking a test on a Saturday in a room full of more than a hundred other students taking different exams. The test was twenty short answer questions and I felt like I did pretty good.(fingers crossed!) I think the history and religion module I'm in right now will be a lot more interesting to me and I'm excited... I already feel like I'm opening my mind to new perspectives specifically on religion just after one class.

In other news, I'm leaving for Helsinki, Finland on Thursday! Chloe and I booked this trip spontaneously and Im very excited to have her as my travel buddy, as we have such similar interests. We plan to take a ferry to Tallinn, Estonia on one of the days to explore that neck of the woods. I love that I'm traveling to kind of random places in Europe- places I would never expect to go. I think its fascinating and thrilling... there is so many things to be learned wherever you go.
Cheers!

hanna

Reflections

I'm in a semester long course called Culture, Identity and Transitions in Sweden. The course is split into 3 separate modules and then a final project. Each module lasts about a month and is followed by an exam.

Module 1- The Swedish Landscape
Module 2- History + Religion
Module 3- Music + Art

Back home I was use to taking five classes at a time and having a full on schedule during the week. Over here, however, I have class two days a week from 10-3. At first, it took me some time to get adjusted to my open schedule and all the idle time I have during the week. I have learned to love open days with few things planned.

Two things that have shaped my lifestyle here are: my bike and my kitchen. Preparing my own food is something relatively new to me, but its something I have enjoyed doing for myself. There is something very satisfying about riding my bike to the shop, picking up some groceries, going home to prepare it and then sitting down and thoroughly enjoying all the effort I put into making my meal. I'm sure when the weather switches I won't love my bike rides as much, but as for now I'm so thankful to have a bike and am happy riding it into town and into campus.

Free time has also brought time alone and opportunities to feel homesick. Learning to embrace times of loneliness is sometimes hard, but a crucial part of life and transitioning into adulthood I think. Appreciating every moment and every feeling is something I'm trying to encompass. I'm learning so much about myself through the little everyday obstacles I face and through the conversations of new friends from all over the globe.

Although living in a new country presents so many differences, I'm starting to see how connected everything actually is. The world really is a small town and its fascinating to discover how you relate to the different people placed in your life.

Have a great week,
hanna

Birthdays n' Stuff

Never in a million years would I  have guessed that my twentieth birthday would be spent in Sweden. I was a little sad not to be celebrating it with my boyfriend, friends and family back home, but everyone here made my day so special. Chloe surprised me with this sign, flowers and balloons when I got back from my field trip. It was so sweet! We joked about how I'm finally in the same age bracket  as her (yay for no longer being considered a teenager). Later that night I had a little birthday celebration at Kafé de Luxe with Amy, Elin, Chloe and Christine. I'm so lucky they wanted to help  me celebrate...I'm so blessed to know such great ladies! I loved the cozy, homey feeling of the restaurant, it was so relaxed and right up my alley.

I met another student who was also celebrating her birthday. Birthday buddies :)

I went to the Systembolaget on Friday and made my first (legal) alcohol purchase. Unlike the US, the beer is sold individually so you can mix and match different brands. When it was time to check out I was a little nervous I had my ID all ready to go AND she never even asked for it! 

Even got sung to by my parents! 

After I got back from my birthday dinner, Aki surprised me with the best birthday back message. It felt soooooo good! He is the cutest.

bikes n' beer

The welcome dinner was a formal event for students to have some great food, watch performances and share a lot of laughs! As we were standing in line to get into the building, it started to rain. Everyone was wet and had frizzy hair... well wait maybe thats just me! I had to buy high heels earlier in the day and the only ones I could find were two sizes too big, but I bought them anyway. After dancing and a few drinks, I quickly regretted the purchase. My sweaty feet were sliding around and my pinky toes kept on coming out of the sides of my shoes. Its a miracle I didn't break an ankle. 

dancedancedancedance

kebab pizza. 

I met My local friend family for the first time last week. They are the BEST! They even got me the sweetest birthday gift. I'm excited to spend more time with them and learn swedish culture. 

My class was on an all day excursion exploring the countryside and learning about the Swedish landscape.  I wish field trips happened everyday!

 Every time the bus stopped for more than half an hour, the bus driver had to take a breathalyzer before he could turn on the bus to make sure he hadn't been drinking... I found this very interesting!

For part of the excursion we stopped by a local farm and learned about a typical swedish farm. The smells and sights were really similar to home and reminded me of my grandparents. This farmer had 200 cattle and a bunch of land. I learned that all McDonalds in Sweden use 50% local beef...I'm not sure about the other 50% haha.

Falafel for lunch! Also, first french fries since being here. Man were they good :)

the beautiful plants don't stand a chance for much longer.

 I've been doing a lot of reflecting and journaling of how scared/anxious/nervous I was this summer to study abroad. I compared it to the year I moved to Sioux Falls in third grade and how I cried and cried for the first few months because of the rough transition. I really thought I would have an awful first couple weeks here adjusting to a new environment, and although its had its moments, overall these first 3 weeks have been wonderful. Figuring out how to pay my rent, do my laundry, communicate with non native english speakers etc...has been a little challenging but I'm slowly figuring it all out. I think in a broader scope that this is a good life lesson. You can worry and drive yourself crazy with all the little details, but no matter what everything will work out the way it is suppose to. I'm really trying to embrace this lesson and live in the present each and every moment. I feel my time here is already going by so quickly and I don't want to waste any of it by worrying about the future. Following through with my dreams of studying abroad was the best decision I made. I doubted myself a lot and feared I wasn't ready... but if I ever truly felt ready for it, I probably wouldn't have ever gone. Taking a leap of faith and having a little optimize can really go a long way... you can figure all the little details out later! Thank for reading.

hanna

THE PAST TWO WEEKS ABROAD

I had good intentions to start this blog weeks before I left America with the purpose of documenting feelings, thoughts and the overall transitions that come along with studying abroad. But here I am weeks into my Swedish experience finally starting the blog! Better late than never right? I have a lot of catching up to do... so here goes...

My day of airport people watching and connecting to shitty wifi was long, but I can't complain too much because I was lucky enough to fly first class. Thank you to the Delta employee who heard about my study abroad plans and wanted to bump me up to have a more 'enjoyable flight'. Let me tell ya... first class rules! I was nervous I was going to sit next to someone famous and not know who they were, but it turned out I had a window sit to myself. A flight attendant came around and served me champagne and a menu. Of course I ordered the ribs! Everything was so, so good, after my huge meal I reclined my seat flat watched some HBO and fell asleep. I arrived in Amsterdam and met a girl from North Dakota traveling to Italy to work for a family as an au pair... the world really is a small town. When I arrived in Copenhagen my bag was one of the firsts on the belt, I was SO happy! 

I took a taxi to Woodah hostel in the Vesterbro district, the driver didn't speak english very well but kept telling me in broken english that I was in a dangerous area and shouldn't be staying here... I had a mini meltdown while the meter was on as we continued to pass junkies coming out of run down buildings. It turned out that he was lost and when he finally got me to the right place I was safe. I barley managed to get my 69 pound bag over all the cobblestone and into the hostel. I sure got a lot of pointing and laughing from all the by passers... Im sure they were saying something about me being a dumb American! 

This was my first hostel experience and it was great! The interior was so cozy and very homey, not usually what you think of when you think of hostel, but this place had style. They offered yoga classes in the morning, but I was always too sleepy to join. Woodah was also the meeting grounds of Chloe and I. Awhile back Chloe messaged me via Facebook when she saw that I was also studying at LNU this fall. We took a chance and decided to meet in Copenhagen and then travel to Växjö together. Its crazy how much we have in common and how we 'clicked' right off the bat. I recently just found out the only reason she messaged me was because my name is Hanna and she has a cat back in Australia named Hannah. We spent the day in Copenhagen exploring the city and getting to know one another. Connecting with Chloe was serendipitous and I feel so blessed to be able to have a friend like her here!

Copenhagen was absolutely beautiful. I throughly enjoyed the little time I spent there and am already trying to go back! We left Thursday morning and took the train to Växjö. Being the well experienced traveler Chloe is, she had already purchased her ticket online. Me being as I am, I waited until we got to the station to get a ticket and in doing so spared us about 5 minuted to find out track and catch the train. I lost a wheel to my bag after sprinting down a flight of stairs... but hey we caught the train! I observed the ticket man and how he would always say "supa-tack" after scanning a ticket. I knew that "tack" is thanks in swedish, so I figured "supa-tack" must mean thank you very much. I continued on that day saying "supa-tack" whenever I got the chance... because it was fun to say! I later learned that this was a not a thing and the ticket taker made it up. Ha! 

These are some of the first pictures I took while here in Växjö. It's beautiful right now and I don't want it to get any colder! The school sets up each exchange student up with a "Swedish buddy" to help you get acquainted. I lucked out with my buddy, Amy! We've only met once so far, but she is so sweet! We had a Fika at her apartment with Chloe and Christine. For those of you who don't know what a Fika is it's essentially a break accompanied with coffee and a sweet treat. I LOVE FIKA! We need to implement this in the states. Amy also set me up with a bike! The bike ride from my apartment to campus is about 20 minutes and its the most beautiful bike ride ever. Lakes, forests and cute mushrooms everywhere! There is a supermarket on my way home from university that I stop by a few times a week to buy food. I've never done a whole lot of cooking but since I've been here I've learned I really love preparing my own food and coming up with new food combinations. 

I have since rearranged my room, but this gives you an idea of what my living space looks like! I have my own bedroom and bathroom and share a kitchen with like 10 other people who live on my floor. My building houses all exchange students outside of Europe, so there are a lot of Japanese, American and Canadian students living in my building. We all get along very well and I've enjoyed getting to know everyone in my building. Instead of sharing one big fridge, we each get our own little cubby to store food. Cute, huh?

Classes started last week and I'm loving only having it two days a week. The semester long course I'm in is called, Culture, Identity and Transitions in Sweden. I'll talk more about what I'm learning in a later blog post, but it is very interesting so far! 

This past weekend I biked, went to a swedish farmers market, journaled, shopped at the first IKEA, had too many fikas, biked to Kronoberg Slott, spent time with other exchange students and dreamed about owning a swedish lake house. I'm so happy here. 

Things I'm looking forward to this week:

- Buddy Mingle with Amy on Tuesday

-Wednesday I get to meet my local friend family! 

-Thursday is my 20th birthday. Trip(s) to the Systembolaget.

- Field trip with my class to the countryside 

- Saturday is the Welcome Dinner!

 I'm going to spend the rest of today planning out the rest of my travels for the semester. 

hanna