Busy and longer days

Hej alihopa!

Jag är i min tredje vecka SFI!

I think that's correct, but my grammar could be off. For those of you who don't know Swedish, I attempted to say "Hi everyon! I am in my third week of SFI!" Class is going quite well. Today we had a "mini test" since the intro course is only three weeks. Once they review the test, then they place you in either SFI course A, B or C. A being lowest/easiest and C being the most difficult/advanced. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I think I'll be placed in C. The teacher I met with first, back in November, told me I would most likely end up in group C since I have so much education already. Also, so far Swedish has been coming relatively easily to me. So we shall see!

On another note, back in November/December the sun clearly started its descent around 2:30pm. Yesterday, I realized at 4pm that the sun was still up and shining! Although most definitely setting. But even closer to 5 there was still a tiny bit of light left in the sky. Maybe all of you in the States are thinking "Why is she so happy to have the sun setting at 5pm? That's so early." Well, come and live in a Nordic country for a while, and you'll see why! The changes are so drastic here, in Sweden. The summers don't get so hot and muggy like in Ohio, but it still gets relatively warm. Last summer it had been in the mid 80s Fahrenheit for a while here, and yet the winters are quite long and super cold and snowy. But I think the most noticeable thing for me is the sun. To have it completely dark around 3 or 3:30 in the midst of winter, and yet in the midst of summer it stays light until 11pm? It's a pretty neat thing. Yes, I am rambling about something that seems insignificant, but it has a huge impact on me, at least. I am rejoicing in the return of the sun!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of driving to the nearby town of Lidköping. I enjoy driving through the Swedish countryside. It really doesn't look all too different from the Ohio landscape, but still, you can tell you're somewhere else. There are so many trees, and I happen to find them enchanting, perhaps because nearly all of them are pine. We don't have hardly any pine in Ohio. Also, rather than having straight flat roads, Sweden likes to wind in and out of the woods, it's not nearly so boring to drive an hour here in mid-southern Sweden than an hour in most of Ohio. Southern Ohio is pretty, yes, with the hills and all. But that's just a small bit.

Anyway, it takes about 45 minutes or so to drive to Lidköping. I had a meeting with a coworker (yay employment) about my job. Things are moving! I am a busy bee. It's nice to feel, as I said to J yesterday, "like a person" again. I have a purpose. And truly I love learning again. Learning yet another language has made me realize that I missed learning Spanish, or maybe just learning a language in general. The time of day that I don't have class, I'm either working or cleaning around the apartment, or perhaps food shopping. Tomorrow I have booked laundry from 7am - noon! Yes, call me grandma if you wish. I'd rather get that chore done and out of the way so I can enjoy the rest of my free day! It'll be the first entirely free day I've had in weeks. Besides weekends of course.

Randomly, you might ask, "Why does she never mention being homesick?" Yes, I miss home in the States/Ohio. The people, the place I was raised, the American-ness and culture. But now, Sweden is becoming my home, too. I'm quickly creating ties and bonds here. At first it was simply being here because J is here. I had moved to J's home. However, interacting with the people, the place, and feeling a purpose and involvement in the happenings around me has really contributed to Sweden now being my home, too. I am happy. =)