My blog is happy when I can't sleep.

...because that means it gets attention when it usually would not. I'm not sure why but I've really had a tough time sleeping since I've been here! Maybe I just miss the fan I got used to this summer. I'm not sure. But either way it's 2:15am here and I can't seem to fall asleep. In that case I guess I'll try to be a little productive here and update you all on the life here in Östersund.

As expected, having a bike has really set my world in place. It's great to only take ten minutes to get to campus now (with the bus it was at least 20...). I've decided on a name, too. My new bike's name is Gump, but I'll most likely be calling him Gumpy. Getting to this name took some careful thinking but it's a perfect fit. First of all, he clearly has seen a lot in his day: Not only did I buy him from a secondhand shop, which already screams culture, but he also boasts a weathered rust and a flashy Sweden bumper sticker. If he could speak better I know he'd have lots of great stories to tell. Kind of like Forrest Gump. He also squeaks more the faster he goes. Kind of like Forrest Gump in the leg braces. By the looks of him, one would definitely underestimate his merit. Again, kind of like Forrest Gump. Taking a look at it from another angle, he's so incredibly ugly that it takes a lot of gumption for him to be so proud and brave and show his face everyday. You get the picture. Gumpy and I will be having plenty of adventures to share with you all. 

I have my next trip planned! I'm heading off on October 6th to meet Stacey in Paris on the morning of the 7th, spending a few days there, then taking the train with her to Amsterdam for another few days. So far so awesome! That was planned a few days ago. And then tonight, I got to looking at my wish list and schedule, and I realized I'd only be missing one lecture if I continued to travel until the next week! So at the moment I have a blueprint plan to continue on by myself from Amsterdam to Vienna to meet up with Luke Viertel again, then after a few days meet Stacey in Berlin, then continue to make our way back to Östersund, stopping in Copenhagen for a few days on our way up. (To take a step back and listen to myself speak at moments like this is dumbfounding, by the way.)

Also this weekend, tentatively, I'll be shooting over to Norway with Eva and Anna to see the fjords! I'm not sure I'm all that confident in my understanding of what these even are, but I know they will be breathtaking to see. I hope it all works out; the trip is contingent on a couch surfer being available for us. Did that jog anyone's interest? Because it should...couchsurfer.com is amazing. It's this global network of people who love to travel and meet new people from new cultures, but who don't have a wealth of cash to do so. Basically you can review different "couch surfers"' profiles in the areas you wish to visit, and with a few detailed messages you can potentially set up a free place to stay for a few days! And literally there are couch surfers everywhere in the world. You can read reviews from everyone who has stayed with these people previously, but even so, a certain number of negative reviews will discontinue their affiliation with couchsurfer.com. There's a common understanding of trust and good will in every interaction....it's really humanity at its best. There are a handful of students in the exchange program here who swear by it. So I hope it all works out for this weekend!

Alright well I've caught way too many typos in this posting so I'm going to have another go at sleep again. Missing you all!

kt

ps--Whoever likes Jack's Mannequin MUST and I mean MUST invest in the Glass Passenger...I just got it yesterday and really haven't stopped listening to it since then!!