When the Ice Melts...

It has finally happened: the ice on the lakes has slowly crept inward until it disappeared completeley. Now, the lakes are alive and moving with the wind that rushes across their frigid waters. The air no longer bites; instead it gently transfers the warmth from the sun to our skin as it brushes against our limbs.

The improved weather has inspired me to do a more external exploration of the beautiful Swedish country. My most recent excursion was to the northernmost point of Växjö in a region called Kronoberg, home to the ruins of a 16th century castle. While the castle itself is nothing architecturally astounding, its setting is nothing short of magical.

Being there at dusk was pure nourishment for my heart. I cannot wait to see seven weeks worth of sunsets more...

And, We're Back!

Hello, oh Mighty Blogging World that seems to have captivated the hearts and minds of the vast majority of my generation... and the two that follow mine! It has been nearly a year since I last updated this blog. First, I was just being lazy. As time progressed, I forgot my password, and was too lazy to look it up. As time progressed even MORE, I somehow managed to forget both my password AND my Google account username. SCORE!

Now, those days of dilatoriness are done. I'm BACK, and I'm back with exciting stories and photos to share.

Just this quick update that should pretty much sum it all up: I have been in Sweden for the past six weeks, and will remain here for the next fifteen. I have engaged in some travel already, which has been nice.

My first trip outside of my current city, Växjö, was to the world's first IKEA, in Älmhult. Älmhult is a really small town in Småland (a southern region of Sweden), and the IKEA is proportional to the town. A busload of exchange students piled out and then into the store to gather supplies for their stay in Sweden. My purchases included pots and pans, a duvet cover and pillow case, candles, a clothes hamper, a towel, and a plant. The walk from the bus to my apartment upon arrival back in Växjö nearly killed my plant, but a few weeks of love and above freezing temperatures has revived it to its natural state of happy, healthy greenery. :)

My next trip was a ski trip! I had not been downhill skiing for a few years, so I jumped at the opportunity to shoot down some dinky slopes in Hestra, about an hour away from Växjö. It was such a nice getaway! I was with a diverse group of friends, some of whom had never skied before and some who skied regularly in the Alps. Then there were myself and Amanda, two girls who have been skiing since age four, but primarily in the Mid-West. So, we were the middle ground, but we rocked it. It was a warm day so the man-made snow was terrible to ski on (especially since it all got clumped together, leaving the other areas scraped of snow with only ice to offer). We all had a great time though, and were just happy to be out and about getting some fresh air blowing through our hair.

My third trip was to Sweden's third largest city, Malmö. My friends Mark, Norm, Annelie and myself all woke up before the crack of dawn to

drive the three hours to the southern coast.

Malmö is known as Sweden's gateway to continental Europe with its Öresund bridge spanning about 4.5 miles across the water, connecting it to Denmark's capital, Copenhagen. Annelie had to take a test in Malmö for the majority of the day, so Mark, Norm and I wandered down to the water,

then to the sole skyscraper in the city (The Turning Torso, built in 2005),

and finally back to the city center where we delighted in the charming squares that Malmö is known for.

On our way back towards Växjö, the four of us stopped to engage in an activity that I was never aware that Swedes did, but DEFINITELY do, and on a very regular basis: candy shopping. Apparently, Swedes average 17 kg of candy per person/year. The candy store we chose was "Godis Flyget," or, "Candy Airplane." Yes. It is true. A candy store inside an airplane. It was amazing.

My most recent trip was this past weekend to Copenhagen, which was an adventure chock-full of stories and photos to share. So, we will save that post for a later date, but soon to come. Thanks for joining me. Keep in touch! :)

One More Monday.

It's that time of year, again... the time of year when all I can seem to do is count down, look forward, and reflect. I do my best not to draw this phase out too much, because it is very emotionally demanding.

I mean, at this very moment I am sitting on my dreamy green bed, gazing out across the tennis courts, soccer and softball fields, and watching birds dive from the giant lights that often keep me awake at night, and my heart is so full that I fear I will have to lacerate it to take some of the pressure off.

Then again, I am almost constantly on my metaphorical tiptoes, ready to run headfirst into summer. Ah, summer... a time when all that matters is, as Carl Sandburg says, "...light and air and food and love and some work..." Speaking of good ol' Carl, I cannot WAIT to tromp around his property, up and down Big Glassy Mountain, around the pond, through the orchard, and down the big, grassy hill.

Tiptoes, I'm telling you. I'm on them.

Compliments of Dr. Marin Burton, Director of TeamQUESt

I just had the pleasure of attending the end of year celebration for the Office of Leadership and Service-Learning here at UNCG, where the director of TeamQuest, Marin Burton, was a guest speaker. She spoke briefly on the merits of experiential education as well as leadership before doing what she does for a living: engaging the entire room in an experience.

The experience went as follows:
1. First, Dr. Burton read us an example of an "I am from..." poem, written by a female student. She then informed us that we were all going to write similar poems, based on our backgrounds. She also informed us that these poems would be amazing.
2. Templates of the poem were distributed. We were given seven minutes to complete our poems.
3. Once the poems were finished, we split into groups of three to share our poems by reading them aloud.
4. From each group, a poet was elected to go to the front of the room to form a "tapestry of voices."
5. Five individuals read their poems, one after the other, without pauses between each. The only indication of transition was the soft snapping of fingers from the audience to commemorate each poet.
7. Then, we discussed. Some of the highlights of the discussion were how we could use this experience as a tool to improve our leadership, how it helps enhance our understanding of and empathy for others, and how it opens others to a raw, creative place in our lives and hearts that might not be otherwise accessed.

I took part in this activity enthusiastically today, for I do not fear words. I was also one of the five voices in the "tapestry". I could feel my increased heart rate pounding in time with the other hearts aligned with mine in the front of the room. As much as I wish I had all five poems to scribe here, I only have mine. And here it is:

I am from...
Baby carrots and Chapstick,
from Swiss Miss steam on my face in a cold warming room beside the little skating rink,
From lillies of the valley, bleeding hearts, and snapdragons, their names inspiring stories in my young mind.
I am from Mickey Mouse pancakes on Christmas mornings, cooked carefully by Uncle Mike and distributed lovingly by Auntie Ann; the best gift of all,
From the assertiveness, strength, and honesty my mother has taught me by example,
From "if it's real to you, it's real," and "always speak the truth."
From believing and following whatever is important to me, and never being forced in a particular direction (thank you).
I am from the Land of 10,000 Lakes and tubesteaks with corn on the cob,
from ghost-in-the-graveyard with the neighborhood gang, and climbing through my neighbor's bedroom window on early mornings before school so she could braid my hair.

Can I get a drum roll, please?

I NEVER THOUGHT THIS WOULD HAPPEN.
Starting a blog, that is.
Okay, maybe that isn't entirely true. I think I've always wanted to believe this would never happen, right alongside the other inevitable life events that I constantly deny. On that note:
I HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN THIS WOULD HAPPEN.
I had a Xanga ("What's XANGA?!" today's hip middle-schoolers scoff) way back in the day, journaling my profound, preteen blurbs... and you know, I loved it! It definitely served as an outlet that my personal journal never quite satisfied for me. There was something about knowing that my words would be seen by others that encouraged me to write better, and to structure concepts better... and.... and...


THIS IS SO BORING.



How about THIS:

This, my friends, is a binturong, also known as a bearcat, despite the fact that it is neither a bear, nor a cat. It natively dwells in the forests of Asia, munching mainly on shoots and fruits but occasionally snatching neglected eggs and small mammals to increase its snacking variety.

Bints are mainly nocturnal and demonstrate mild demeanors unless cornered. What happens when they are cornered, you ask?

AHHHHH!!!

On that note, I'm off. Sweet dreams, everyone!

By the way, I'm

Kendra