Boarding a New Thought Train.

Sometimes, I believe in that colonial technique of bleeding a patient to get rid of the bad humors infecting the body. In my case, it's bleeding my mind of all the poisonous thoughts and feelings that inundate it at times. Here I am, on a new and much more positive thought-train. I would like to thank all of you for being so patient with me, reading during the sad times as well as the happy ones!

To celebrate my independence from my crippling emotions, I did something that my dad and I would normally do on any Sunday morning. I went for a bike ride. I biked all around the suburb of Uppsala where I am living. I tried to bike out but the funny thing (and albeit frustrating one as well) was the circular circumstances of those roads. In the end, after arriving back at Flogsta or in Uppsala, I concluded that all roads lead home.

It wasn't bad at all except for the sun being a little strong.

Side note: This part of Sweden has been locked in a heat wave. Get ready for it, all you who suffer with USA heat: It was 87 degrees. I actually had a good sweat! Granted it was restricted to certain (dare I say, NORMAL) parts of the body, like the arm pits. I only mention this detailed bit because, from experience, even your fingers sweat in Pennsylvania heat.

I biked, enjoying the freedom of having wheels. I had time to think back on all the fun bike hikes my dad I and I did, like the Perkiomen Trail. I really want to go biking in Pennsylvania again. Anyway, it was good to think of other things, to get outside, and to move. I ended up finding a new way to the distant grocery store, where I got some refreshment and spent about an hour relaxing and people watching.

Then I went back to the room, cleaned up, and went out to pick up Carl from the train station. There is one thing that I will never get used to and that's riding on the back of my own bicycle. It's unbelievably fun and unique to just sit and chill while someone else peddles. Granted, it was only last night on the way back from the movie theater that we discovered the comfort of putting a towel on the metal rack that I have to sit on. Eh, live and learn.

Yesterday was tons of fun! Carl and I got up at a decent hour and made breakfast of cereal and french toast (note: french toast really does work on any bread. Even the dark and nutty kind). Then we did some errands in Uppsala before getting on a train to Stockholm. We had grand plans to visit the Zoo because Carl had never even seen an elephant in real life! Visits to the zoo have always been treasured memories in my life, from huge birds with diarrhea to ring-tailed Lemurs. When Carl told me that he'd NEVER experienced such a thing, my new life's mission appeared.

Under the setting of another glaringly hot Swedish summer day, we went to "The Zoo." It turns out that my perceptions and Swedish perceptions of caged animals aren't exactly kosher in agreement. Many people - I say this because I hope I'm not a minority - envision African animals when they think of zoos. Swedes, ironically, think of Scandinavian animals. For me it wasn't that much of a let-down because I'm not familiar with what runs around in the bushes up here. But what about the Swedes?

My favorites were the baby wild boars, the moose, and the terrifying bunnies. Most of the zoo was a petting zoo for kids with cows, horses, sheep, and goats. The rest of the park was a mixture of farmsteads from all over Sweden. Now THAT was neat. We got to see all the different kinds of buildings and farms. One home had its' walls covered in beautiful faded murals, painted by traveling peasants. It might be the way I grew up but I'll never get tired of looking at (and smelling. mmm...) old houses.

After a few hours in the "Zoo", we walked back to a Japanese restaurant near the station and ate about 25 pieces of sushi between the two of us - shout out to Anna who is off in Japan eating the real deal right now! I really want to revisit that Japanese restaurant in Dayton, Ohio again. Good food! Mom and I are going to the Fair at New Boston out there come end of August. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that a trip into town could happen. *wink wink*

But I'm skipping ahead! The walk to the restaurant was amazing. We'd taken the bus to the zoo and had decided to walk back along the pier and waterfront. There were many wooden boats and some that appeared to be for fishing pleasure. Across the harbor we could also see the huge cruise ships. "Is this close to what the Titanic looked like," I wondered as we walked along. Their tall decks completely covered the Stockholm skyline, the ships were that big.

I always imagine the waterfront and docks to be jovial and active. The water never rests and the ships are always moving, even if ever so slightly, rubbing against the dock and crooning like sleeping dogs. People are always running about the docks too. Hauling luggage, walking along, or buying food from vendors. During the day, it just seems like the happiest place to be.

Full of sushi and yummy wasabi, we jumped a train home. In town, we bought tickets to go see Prince Caspian at the theater. Good movie, I have to say. Probably good for all the wrong reasons. The Narnia films are so CLEAN. It's hard for me not to like the freshness of the backdrop over the quality of acting or dialog.

As for today, I started this post yesterday and didn't get through it till right now. I'll have to write more later.

Season's greetings!