Stockholm, SWEDEN

In June 2010, I had the opportunity to travel to Sweden. I had been wanting to do this for awhile, as my cousin Dave and his Swedish wife, Asa, currently live there with their two little boys, Nils and Tim. The timing seemed right as I knew I was about to make a big transition in my life. So, I flew across the country and landed in Europe for my first time to spend 2 weeks exploring Sweden (and Finland, too!)

My timing couldn't have been more perfect, as I was in Sweden during the royal wedding of Crown Princess Victoria and her lover, Daniel on 6/19/2010. The citywas packed full of energy and had many events to celebrate the occasion. Dave and I went downtown to see the wedding. There werepeople everywhere, and EVERYONE had Swedish flags! We watched thewedding f

rom Gustav Adolfs Torg, where there was a large movie-screen sized TV showing the ceremony just inside the castle. After the ceremony, we tried to catch of the glimpse of the royal couple as their carriage rolled by on their ride around Stockholm to celebrate their marriage to the city. There were too many people to really see them, so after they passed we walked down to the harbor and saw them from a distance on their rowboat instead :) Everyone was cheering and had so much love for their country and their culture, it was really cool to see that!

Also going on was the World Cup, which was fun because Europe loves soccer way more than the U.S. We went out to the Hard Rock cafe to watch the U.S. play Slovenia. There were a lot of Americans in the bar, and even a guy from Seattle! The next U.S. game I watched was vs. Algeria. I was in the city and wondered through gamla stan (Old Town) in hopes of finding a quaint little bar to watch the game. Unfortunately, England's game happened to be on at the same time. And, when you're in Europe, the Englishmen have majority rule! So I went into bar, after bar, after bar, with Englishmen in red jerseys everywhere, and no one was playing the U.S. game! Finally, after 30 minutes of searching, I found a bar with a large sign outside "England upstairs, US dowstairs". I went inside, went downstairs and still the bar was filled with Englishmen and no U.S. game :( Finally, I asked a waitress if they were still playing the U.S. game. She escorted me to a tiny room in the back of the basement of the bar with one small TV (and no sound) playing the game. I quickly became friends with the 6 Americans who exclaimed: "you found us!" as if it was asecret little club. HaHa!

Okay, I also have to talk a little bit about Sweden and social progress. For example, In Stockholm, if you take a stroller on the bus, child AND adult ride for free. How cool is that? And, there is a separate door on the bus just for stroller entrance! In Seattle, if a mom tries to get on the bus with a stroller, she is shunned or yelled at to take the stroller apart and juggle her children through the ride. Everyone on the bus stares at her for holding everyone up. I wish we could take a clue from Sweden and give our parents this tool of access, too. And of course, I have to mention the paid maternity AND paternity leave at 80% or more of your salary. Daddies on playdates with their babies in the park... so awesome. And, you still get free day care 3 days/week for your older children you are not on "parenting leave" for!

Another thing I hesitantly admit I enjoyed about being in Sweden is how much I "fit in" with my looks. Albeit, being white always gives me the privilege of fitting in, but I think sometimes white folks don't know how to identify their culture, especially if their ancestors come from many different unique countries, such as me, I am a mix of Irish, Scottish, German, Polish, English, French, and do I really even have this right? Although have no known Swedish ancestors, I look just like a Swede and many people I met thought I was Swedish. I even had a woman stop me on the street and ask for directions in Swedish. I went into a tourist shop and a clerk began giving me advice about how to find information on my Swedish relatives. I just went a long with it; I didn't want to admit that I am not Swedish. Plus, when you have blonde hair, blue eyes, grow up in Minnesota, and attend a Lutheran church and college, who's not Swedish?

Stockholm was so beautiful. There is a lot of old architecture, which was something I had never seen before. There are no skyscrapers. There is water everywhere, and an archipelago of over 30,000 islands and many ferries to travel in between. H&M is on every corner, and Swedes are big on style and design. I'm glad that I got to enjoy Sweden from the life of locals, and not just as a tourist. I really enjoyed reconnecting with my family and getting to know Nils and Timmy. I ended my trip by drinking beer with my cousin on the porch in late-night daylight, discussing our alcoholic grandmother, living away from family, and reflecting on the journeys we've been on in our lives. It was a perfect trip!

Thoughts on Travel, Joy & People

I am discovering the answers to many of the questions I am searching for right here at home in Seattle. It's all about people. I thank the Service Board for everything she has taught me, and for all of the amazing people I have been graced with.

Now... onto TRAVEL, JOY & PEOPLE...

It's true... all I truly want sometime in life is to understand how different people throughout the world cope with trauma and alternatively how they secure joy in their lives. When I observe the society around me, what I see is people fighting for time, my peers bragging about their material goods, and a separation rooted so deep we do not even recognize its existence. Although I find myself right in the middle of all of this, none of these ways make sense to me. I find the temptation into this lifestyle pressing on me harder everyday. Yet, I continue to ignore it, for I will not feel as if I have truly accomplished anything if I only continue to follow in this path of self-indulgence. At whatever cost, I long for a better way. And along the way, what I hope to discover is a source of joy that will surpass beyond my existence.

As Nelson Mandela states, “There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” I am at the point in my life where I am beginning to realize that there is more to my existence than merely obtaining an education, getting married, having a family, and resting in a wealthy retirement before I pass on at an old age. Of course, these are things I will be happy to achieve as well, but even more I want to live a life so full of passion that everyone person I come in contact with will be inspired to live a life full of purpose; a life outside of the comfort zone we are constrained in.

There are certain things in life that cannot be learned from the books in a library. These things remain among the minds of elders, youth and community members, and often among those who the world has left invisible. And it is in search of such individuals that I go looking for. These are the souls that I have found to have the ability to inspire me in a way not much else can. It is their stories and their spirits I wish to capture.

I have begun to realize that it is in our moments of deep vulnerability that we reach into ourselves the most to find the courage to connect with life outside of what we know. The hardest days of my life have been the ones that have brought me to the best places. If I do not make friends out of the strangers I meet, these lands will also remain to me as strange. When strangers become our friends, we are humbled in a new way. The people we were once told to avoid have the capability of becoming some of the most important figures in our lives.

In my attempts to build community in a multiethnic society, I have found that my identity of being white holds more weight than I often recognize. The privilege that I carry is often interpreted in different ways by different people. Securing my role in a diverse community takes effort, and what I put forth will only be the beginning of this process. What I hope to discover along the way is effective methods to communicate with all people across bridges of disconnection.

The above words may be a bold beginning, but I remain with the confidence that I can accomplish what I set out to do. I am not afraid to wander, nor am I afraid of the uncertainty that wandering provides.

Juarez, Mexico & El Paso, Texas Border Immersion

There are so many different stories I could write to summarize about my border immersion trip to El Paso and Juarez, but what sticks out the most is what it was like to go and stand along the fence that marks the border between the United States and Mexico. Here we were, a group of about 15 students from Tacoma, Washington, our individual stories each marked with identities and experiences of privilege, comfort and security. Across the fence were a couple of boys playing, peering over to us with curious eyes. Not much was different about the land on either sides of the fence, but the circumstances of each are completely different. At some point in time, those in power of the society of these people decided to separate these lands, and the side that your ancestors ended up on when the line was drawn has determined the stories of generations into the future.

Being there was one of the most amazing experience I've ever had. Standing there, we could see about 3 border patrol cars, and a helicopter flew over us about 3 times. I was

almost

afraid that I was going to be in trouble for taking pictures. It was amazing how different things were on the other side of the fence. It really hit me how easy it is for us to access their world, but how impossible it is for them to access ours. Country borders are a man-made item. God made the earth, and man separated it. It almost seems as though El Paso and Juarez are just one big city, split in half by a fence that ultimately dictates your life, by no choice of your own.

TASMANIA!

Tasmania. What could I possible say about Tasmania to do it justice? It is simply beautiful. Tasmania is a not-too-little island located off the Southern Coast of Australia, straight down the Bass Straight from Melbourne. It is its own state, and is the place where the population of Australia began as its isolation attracted the location for many prisons to be built for English convicts.

Tasmania is very different from the rest of Australia. It's geography is supposedly a combination between England and New Zealand, although I wouldn't know since I've been to neither. We splurged a bit during this leg of the trip and decided to go on a 3-day tour throughout the "wild" west coast of Tasmania. Could possibly be the best part of Australia, in my opinion.

On the tour, we went on a lot of hikes. We toured many waterfalls and temperation rainforests. We also got to play on some sand dunes for awhile, which was fun, but... didn't compare to Namibia. We also went on a 4-hr. hike around Cradle Mtn. Unfortunately it was a bit cloudy up there, but still beautiful nonetheless.

One of the best part of the tour was getting to know all the random people in our group. We had people from Switzerland, Slovokia, Germany, Denmark, Japan, England, etc. I felt pretty uneducated to only know how to speak Enligh, as the perfect English spoken by most of our tourmates was their second, or ever third language.

I don't know what else to say about Tasmania, because words just can't do it justice. Look at the pictures, and you will begin to understand! :)

Victoria, Australia

Moving on from Sydney, we first made a stop in Australia's national capitol city, Canberra. We checked into a hostel for the night and after an accidental 2 hr bus ride (don't ask, trains are much easier), we made it to the Old Parliament building for a quick 45 minute tour before it closed. Since the town closes down at 5, we basically didn't have much else to do for the night. We walked around to see some of the monuments and other Australia history, which was an important thing to witness. We also walked by what we presumed to be an aboriginal protest against the Australia government - interesting.

After our quick stop in Canberra, we made like a baby and head out (thanks Tara), down to the state of Victoria. When I arrived in Melbourne, I immediately knew that I was going to love this place. The first night we spent in a hostel and were initially disappointed to find out that the only thing available was an 8 bed dorm. Much to our dismay, it ended up being one of the best nights we had during our entire trip. We stayed with a group of 5 Germans, who were the coolest people ever! We spent the entire night (literally) with them down in the bar and talked about all the cultural differences and our different experiences and takes on Australia. We were sad to leave them in the morning, but not too sad cuz we were excited to go and stay with my roommate's aunt.

When we met the Ferguson's (my roommate's aunt's family), we immediately fell in love with their family. We felt so comfortable there, and had a lot of fun hanging out with their son Dave, who is our age. Dave and his friend Chris introduced us to Melbourne by taking us out for Thai food in Chinatown, and showing us the local casino which shoots up huge balls of fire every hour, on the hour.

Coincidentally, the Australian Open happened to be taking place in Melbourne while we were there. Because I'm cheap, I didn't pay to go, but merely enjoyed seeing the action of watching the games on the big screen in federation square and around the quarts. Tara however bought a ticket and got to see Andy Roddick and Serena Williams play!

We also went on a spectacular world renowned drive known as the GREAT OCEAN ROAD. The road curves along Australia's south coast and is very similar to what you would see near Cannon Beach, Oregon. There are many rock formations out in the water, the famous ones known as the 12 Apostles, the London Bride, and Loch Ard Gorge (a famous shipwreck where 2 of 50 passengers survived by climbing up the cliffs to safety).

We also went to Phillip Island, which is known for its area of burrows in which penguins come ashore every night. That's right, I got to see penguins swim in from the ocean in their natural habitat. Why, I even got to see a few mate, and well, "Penguins are noisy lovers". It was a very awesome thing to experience. I'm talking about the penguins in general here. Moving on...

Other cool things we did in Melboure were go up the Realto Rower to the observation deck (too bad it was a bit cloudy), browse through the Queen Victoria Markets, walk inside St. Paul's Cathederal, visit the local icons such as the Arts Centre and the Yarra River, go the the Hard Rock Cafe (yeah I even got a shirt!) and we even ran into our German friends on the city circle's free tram! Talk about random!!

Without hesitation, I can definitely say that Melbourne is my favorite city in Australia. If I were to live there (and I'm not saying I'm thinking about it), that is where I would want to be. It's a liveable city, there's lots of sporting activities, the weather is a bit more liveable, and there are lots of fun and different cultural things to do. And it's got that nice small town in a city feeling I like. I'll admit that the people there may have had an influence on this affair.

SYDNEY, Australia

After a restless overnighter on countylink's wonderful train system, we arrived back into Sydney for a week to explore the area! We stayed with my friend Shell from camp in a suburban area called Lakemba, which has a huge Lebanese influence. Trust me, Australia is the last place I expected to see a woman dressed in robes with a veil only revealing her eyes, but I did.

We spent most of the week seeing the touristy, "hey I'm in Sydney" sites. One of my favorite things we did was tour the Sydney Opera House (which is amazing), and walk across the Sydney Harbor Bridge, which was also amazing (I love walking across bridges). My camera had a long, hard day. One of the funniest moment was during lunch when Tara had a seagull divebomb and steal a piece of chicken from her sandwich, when only moments later my friend Shell had her ENTIRE PANINI lifted out of her hands by a swarm of seagulls. The entire time I was sitting in the middle laughing at them, when all of a sudden a seagull decided to leave me a nice little present and poop on my shoulder. What a wonderful souvenir.

From Sydney, we also took the train into the Blue Mountains, which is incredible (I'm branching out from the word amazing here). There are 3 huge rock pillars called the 3 Sisters which have an aboriginal story behind them which you can look up yourself if you are interested. Tara and I spent a night up there and walked to the 3 sisters lookout to see the sunrise. I felt more peaceful than I had in yonks.

We also celebrated my 22nd birthday in Sydney. We went to the world famous Bondi Beach, which surprised me when we walked in cuz the water was colder than Lake Superior in June. Yikes. But, the air temp was fairly nice (about 85-90), which made the water bearable. I was only sad that I didn't have a boogie board! The waves were awesome! For dinner, we went out to a place called Pancakes on the Rocks where I had Banana Pancakes (no Jack Johnson though, sad), and a Banana Daiquiri (can you tell that I like bananas), and it was great. We finished off the evening by walking around the harbor and taking lots of pictures of the opera house and harbor bridge at night. What could be better?

I must say, that as cool as it was to see the opera house and the harbor bridge and ride the ferries, Sydney was definitely my least favorite place in Australia. Besides the icons, its just like any other city - big, overcrowded, and smelly - and I'm not a city girl. Everything we did in Sydney was fun and incredible, but I wasn't hesitant to move on from the chaos.

Queensland, Australia

After only being in Australia for two days, we boarded a train and headed up north to the sunshine state of Queensland. The weather is much nicer up here, and I have a red belly to show for it. We spent New Years on the Gold Coast, which is very similar to the Miami, FL area. It was hard to believe that it was New Year's - I spent the day going to a rainforest and swimming in the ocean, only to commence the night by watching fireworks in the park. It felt more like the forth of July! It was a lot of fun though.

After being at the Gold Coast for New Year's, we headed up to Brisbane. Highlights included riding the city cat ferry along the Brisbane river, going up to Mt. Coot-tha to enjoy the city's views at night, and visiting Steve Irwin's famous Australia Zoo! It's been a lot of fun, and I think the best part about it has been the generosity we've received from the Earle's, and getting to know a bit of the real Australia, behind the borders of tourism.

While in Queensland, we also took a plane up to Cairns for four days, which is situated in tropical north Queensland, just inland from the Great Barrier Reef. It was very hot and muggy up there, and our hostel was a bit, well, nasty, but we had a great time. I got to visit TWO world heritage sites - snorkeling in the the Great Barrier Reef via a restored sail ship, and the rainforest, which I viewed from a gondala ride and a scenic train ride! Going to the reef was deffinitely the best part of being up in Cairns. This was something that I had wanted to do my entire life, and I finally did! Although, one day simply was not enough to satisfy me. Now that I have seen it, I only yearn to go back and see more and more and more. But money doesn't grow on trees....

Well, our time in Queensland is nearly up, and later this afternoon we take a train back down to New South Wales to spend a week in Sydney. I have had a great time here and and am kind of sad to leave, but I need to keep my eyes opened to the future to see all the wonderful things still ahead in Australia!