They Call Me Sweden

Whilst friends back in Sweden are posting on Facebook and Instagram of how much they are enjoying the sun, I’m not attempting to step outside the house today. It’s such a nasty (Welsh) weather, it’s raining and seems to be quite windy. No, way better to stay in my comfy bed and work here instead. There are now only a few weeks left of second year, can’t believe how fast it’s gone.

Though, I’m actually looking forward to move to a new house and leave the old one behind. All the problems are getting on my nerves. One of our fridges is not working, we’ve got mould in the living room and the bathroom and I’m also suspecting there might be some behind my closets. What is it with British houses; how come damp and mould are so common here? How can people stand it? My house mates are not too fussed about it, they’re saying: “Oh, it’s because it’s a student house.” No, that’s not true in any way, or partly perhaps as many student houses only keep the heating on for a couple of hours per day. But the major reason for these kinds of problems is how the house is built, or am I wrong? And the landlords doesn’t seem to care either, maybe they just want the money. Our new house is a bit smaller but it feels more like a home. It has a proper garden, a light and good sized kitchen and a really nice lounge with dark wooden flooring. Let’s just hope that house will have smaller and less problems…

Our mouldy bathroom… The landlords have been here on house viewings so they must have seen it, but they haven’t done anything about it.

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I’m obviously not the best blogger as I’m letting days go past before I post another blog post… There have been so much to do though and too little time. Although the ‘amount of time’ is debatable, it’s more about what you choose to prioritise I guess. My boyfriend always complains when I spend ‘too much’ time on reading blogs, he says it is damaging to the brain cells. Even though I’m mostly trying to convince him he’s wrong he could have a point. Instead of reading a meaningless (some are actually quite uninteresting when you think about it) blog I could have been writing my own texts. There are so many things that I have attempted to blog about, for instance the Breivik trial. I have so many opinions about it, mostly regarding whether it should be broadcasted live or not, but let’s save that for another post…

My Easter break in Stockholm was (to describe it in ‘Welsh’/Cardiffian’ terms) just lush. Although I didn’t get to do everything or see everyone I’d hoped for I’m really satisfied. My ‘favourite’ week must have been the days I spent at Dagens Industri. It was so inspiring and beneficial to get an insight and take part of an editorial/news office. I learned so much from doing practical tasks, I got to do research, interviews and I wrote a couple of articles. I’ve never really understood the importance of work experience until now. It’s more than a way of building a network; it’s also an opportunity to get an idea of how the profession works in the ‘field’ and not just in theory. Before I came to DI I doubted whether I really want to work as a journalist in the future. I experienced something similar to an epiphany during my work experience and afterwards I felt clearer than ever. Of course I should aim at a career in journalism. Anyhow, my biggest ‘job’ at DI was that I got to co-write the article about the blog queen Isabella Löwengrip. The article got quite good response and I felt so proud of seeing my name in print. If that’s not an ‘egoboost’, what is?

By the way, I’ve recently become obsessed with Instagram. So here’s some recent photos. My nickname is ‘marylinandi’ if you want to follow me.

Dagens Industri’s lounge.

The weather in Stockholm was quite mad. It suddenly started snowing one day..

A beautiful sunset seen from my boyfriend’s apartment.

Went back to Cardiff where spring had arrived. But it rains a lot :/.

Me studying at the library.. One essay soon complete, two to go..

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Took a break from everything over Easter and then I had to focus on my essay in social psychology (why I haven’t been present at the blog). I’ve just started a new and fun week here in Stockholm. Reason for that is that I’ve got the opportunity to do some work experience at Sweden’s biggest financial newspaper, i.e. Dagens Industri. I’m going to be here until Friday and I really hope I’ll gain quite a lot of experience, advice and inspiration. As well as an opportunity to do some actual journalistic work. Some of the reporters and supervisors have said that I can perhaps write an article even today. Yes please!

I just got a task to do, quite exciting!

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I always tend to forget how fun it is to ski until the two last days.. We’ve had such a fun couple of days up here although the weather hasn’t been that great. It’s been snowing a lot as well as windy. But I prefer a lot of snow compared to mushy snow (like sorbet or icecream…) in the slopes. Would have been nice with a sunny day though.

Traveling back to Stockholm tomorrow really feels like going back to reality. I have three essays to write which will take a while to do. So I’ll probably spend all next week at the Stockholm University’s library. At least they have microwaves close by so I’ll be able to eat properly. This is a luxury for a student! Leaving beautiful Ã…re for a heavy study week feels a bit depressing.. Well, at least the essay topics are interesting!

How it looked at the top yesterday. About 12 metres/s and a really bad sight. It was almost difficult to see where you were going. Though, this kind of weather is amazing in some way too.

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I didn’t spend more than two nights in Stockholm before I took the train towards Ã…re. I’ve been here since Sunday morning and  been busy skiing down the slopes. It took like a day to get into the rhythm again, but now I don’t mind some speed. Ã…re is definitely my favorite skiing resort due to the fact that there’s something for everyone here. The pits are amazing, there’s a good variety of restaurants and shops and the scenery is spectacular. Plus it’s possible to live close both to the slopes and to the village. I really recommend going here.

We’ve just had lunch at FjällgÃ¥rden and are about to hit the slopes again. We’d like to go to the top but the wind has been measured at 11.1 metres/s so it’s quite heavy up there.

Åre lake

The view from our apartment .

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So, one of my friends thought that I should start blogging again. I’ve actually been thinking about doing it again as well, so I think I might give the blog one more chance. I stopped writing because I didn’t feel like I had that much that I could share with you. Now however, I have some ideas of possible topics. I guess it might be interesting to read about issues that a normal student is experiencing. Like living in a damp and mouldy (yuck) house, the stress of keeping deadlines and perhaps our tight budget.

I’m in my second year of university and I’m doing quite well. Another reason for not blogging the past year has been that I haven’t been entirely sure whether I want to work as a journalist in the future. It is a tough business after all which demands that you must be rather ambitious if you want to succeed. Well, last week or so, I decided that I at least owe it to myself to give it a try. I do love meetings with new people, the pressure of tight budgets and to express myself through writing. So, to sum it up. I’ve been quite lost in the past year. I’ve always been sure of where I should be heading and how my life will look like in perhaps five years. Basically I’ve been living according to a plan. But it’s impossible to live according to a fixed plan. You’ll never know how life will turn out even in a couple of months. I think I’ve found my way once again. The future seems a bit clearer now.

Welcome to my blog again. I’ll write about things that matter to me, things that inspire me and everything else.

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