I’m on a study break at the moment. Not sure for how long. I need to figure out what exactly to study. Decide on a program which will give me an actual degree rather than taking a course here and there. So all courses I’ve taken but one have been related to web design but it’s time to decide on a actual web design program. Before I can do that I need a break though. For at least six months but more likely for at least a year.

Right now I’m not studying and not working which is leaving me dirt poor but at least free to do whatever I want this summer. Since I’ve recently returned to the big (107 000 inhabitants big) city of Västerås after a nearly 7 year long exile in the small (5000 inhabitants small) town of Hultsfred not having money isn’t a problem. Hey, I live in a city again! I’m quite all right with not being able to afford taking a trip somewhere this summer because I’m not in a desperate need to escape the place I live in any more! There’s quite a lot to do here which doesn’t cost anything. The city festival just ended, didn’t cost anything. This week the world’s largest classical car show with something like 50 000 visitors takes place here. Doesn’t cost anything either! It’s like a huge rock festival but with cruising instead of concerts. One big party for three days. There’s a second city festival taking place in August as well. These are the three big events I’m attending this summer. Besides those there are lots of other things to do as well. Just going to the pub on a Saturday night is an adventure since there are more than one pub to go to. What a luxury! Hultsfred had two pubs, of which one was rarely open. Västerås has lots of pubs and night clubs to choose from. So far I’ve been to six of them. Then there’s of course the beautiful parks, the walk along the small river, lake Mälaren and a whole city to re-explore. I’ve lived here for five months now but there’s still many place left to re-discover. So, no money, not that big a problem this year. Of course I hate being poor. Of course I want more money. But I manage better without it than I would have done in Hultsfred. There’s so much more to do and see here and I don’t long to be somewhere else every single day.

Wow, this actually turned into a real blog entry! And I who thought I’d just write a quick update telling you all I’m well and still busy. Well, I am well and still busy. Laters!

Except for geocaching with my sister this is basically what I’m doing. Enjoying the sun in my parents garden.

I turned 27 the 29th of July and I promised I’d show you photos of what I got so here we go. Besides these things I also got money.

Rug which fit my kitchen perfectly.

Movies: Bridget Jones Diary, Push and Chicago.

Books: Drömmarnas flod (River of Dreams) by Gay Courter and Alltid Amber (Forever Amber) by Kathleen Winsor.

I wanted a cake with strawberries so my family made me one. Strawberries is a must when your birthday is in the summer.

Another lovely thing that happened this summer was the trip to Stockholm I did and the cruise I went on. The 4th of August I took the train up to Stockholm to visit my friend Milla and on the 6th I met up with my family for a one night cruise to Finland. You can look at the photos here.

As you can see the Happenings gallery is up and running again. It’s my photo blog where photos of the things I do will end up. That means everything from parties to walks in the nature. Photos of the latest stuff I bought and such will still be shown here in the blog.

Other than that today is a big day because it’s my first day of school this term. This fall I’ll study 3D modelling, Graphic design for the web, Information Technology and Swedish working class history. The first three classes are more or less related to web design but the last one is purely for fun. Contrary to most people I find politics very interesting so I’m really looking forward to this class. Studying graphics will be great as well since I’m ok at the coding part of web design but suck when it comes to creating graphics.

Anyway, that’s all for now. I want to finish this with thanking those who stick with me and my blog even though I so rarely update it nowadays. Lots of love to you.

Time flies and I’m surprised at how fast! It’s been three weeks since I last blogged but it doesn’t feel like it. I guess it’s because it’s summer and this time of the year time moves way too fast. It’s now it should move slowly, it’s now that you should be able to feel every moment, look at the time and think “Only one hour passed since I last looked, it feels like five!”. But of course the only time when that happens is when life is boring, in the middle of the winter when we’re stuck at work or doing something else equally boring. I can’t believe July is coming to an end. How on earth is that possible?! Summer will be over in about a month and I feel like it was May yesterday! This is such a horror to me since spring and summer is the only time of the year when I’m truly happy. Like I’ve told you before I can’t cope with the darkness of fall and winter. Seasonal affective disorder is a bitch and living in a country where fall and winter takes up half the year isn’t ideal. Because of this I’ll try to make the very best out of what’s left of summer. I’ll spend more time outside, take longer walks and pay closer attention to the beauty of nature – while it lasts. And I have bigger things than that to make something out of the remainder of summer since I’m going to Stockholm to see a friend and then on a cruise with my family in early August.

Since I last blogged the big thing that has happened was “Hultsfred-ändå-festivalen” (The Hultsfred anyway festival) as I call it. You might remember that I blogged about the fact that the Hultsfred festival was cancelled but that people were coming here anyway. Well they did. I’m not sure how many but at least 200 people came to Hultsfred, stayed at the camping (which is part of what used to be the festival area), partied and had fun as if the festival had never been cancelled. Of course there was a big difference. Instead of six stages with some of the biggest bands in the world there was a travel trailer with a sound system and local bands playing in the grass in front of it. Sure, the festival was smaller than it had ever been before but the energy was the same just as the attitude of the people. No, the attitude was even better. Here were people who came to Hultsfred without the big rock festival. Not many people except for German tourist do so because this is a really small and really boring town. But here they were anyway, determined to not let the festival go without a proper goodbye. I love them for that.

One day we stood on the top of Galgberget (Gallow mountain) overlooking the city and the sea. The sun was shining and the view was amazing. It was such a perfect moment. I told my sisters that very moment would be what I’d miss and long for in the middle of the winter when everything was cold and grey.

Here I am almost four months later and when I think about what I miss about the summer that moment is what I think about. It’s a perfect summer memory. Actually that entire trip is one perfect summer memory. Breakfast on the cliffs overlooking the sea, watching the horizon as the sun set, walking through alleys full of roses and wading in the water looking for sea glass. I want to be there again. In those moments. I was so happy.

That’s why I love summer and hate winter. During the summer I’m happy and love life while I during the dark seasons become sad and annoyed at everything. I see no need whatsoever for the season to ever change. I don’t need that change because there’s nothing I like about the fall and winter. Winter depression is a terrible thing and it doesn’t matter that I know that once spring arrives I’ll be happy again because it doesn’t change anything. I still have to go through months of feeling like shit without being able to do anything about it.

Visby

Alley full of roses.

My sisters having breakfast overlooking the sea.

Sunset.

Here I am during my festival job with about four layers of clothes since we worked outside through the entire night.

And with my sister Nathalie who I worked with.

At the festival area with Zandra.

Bathing in Emma and Milla’s kiddie pool sporting a fancy swim cap.

A fancy outfit.

Part of another outfit.

Cameo brooch.

Sarah and Nicky.

A beautiful place by lake Hulingen.

Oh and I got my cell back from repair and I found this cute message on one of those plastic covers you stick on the display to protect it from getting scratches.

Translation: I love reunions. It’s wonderful to be home again. I’ve missed you! If you need more help feel free to call 013 24 45 00.

Summer is coming to an end and as usual I don’t understand how it could pass me by so quickly. I feel like may was just a month ago but soon august is over. I live up during the summer so the fall is always a very sad time for me. I die a little inside watching the summer dying. In november when the trees stand naked and all the flowers are dead my mood sinks and I just want to go into hibernation until spring arrives.

I’m tired and not in a very good mood so I’m gonna stop here. I’ve already worked on this post for an hour and ereased 90% of it since it turned out way too blue to post. After all this isn’t a “I hate my life and like to whine about it” kind of blog. I save that kind of writing for my “for my eyes only” paper journal.

1. Two CD boxes with skulls on. I’m not sure what to use them for but I’m thinking perhaps when I travel or maybe for CD’s with photos and random computer back-up stuff. Whatever. They’re pretty and only costed me 10 SEK (1€) a piece so wether I actually will find a use for them or not is irrelevant.

2. A small notebook. Nothing special. I just needed a new notebook.

3. Garden gloves with strawberries on. Not that I have a garden but I do have a balcony where I every summer place some flower pots. Ok, I don’t actually need these gloves but they’re cute so yeah… I bought them anyway.

4. Plastic plates and cups with flowers on. These I actually need. They’re perfect for when me and my friends sit in parks drinking booze hold picnics in the summer.

AND now I can make finnish summer soup! Let me share the recipe. you’re gonna love it!

You need:
1 plate with flowers on
1 bottle of Koskenkorva (finnish vodka). Well it’s not a whole bottle per serving but you’re gonna want a re-fill, or two, or three or ten, you know.

Ok, so here’s what you do:
Pour the vodka on the plate. Eat with a spoon or drink directly from the plate. Who cares, you’ll end up drunk anyway! Add soda, marguerita mix or whatever for extra taste.

Enjoy!