• Nostalgia-ing all over the place

    It’s 3.30am. I put down my book half an hour ago and have been waiting for the sandman, but the realisation that I have 10 days left has flipped me out a little. The other day, my buddy, Julia, asked Lloyd and I what our top three memories of exchange have been. It’s an astoundingly difficult question, and one to which I have no definitive answer. We decided we could answer if we subdivided into categories, but, even then, found it troublesome. There are some answers that come straight away (Top 3 trips: 1. Croatia, 2. Travels with Steve, 3. A tie between Baltic Cruise and Munich), but others that spark serious reflection and consternation trying to differentiate memories (Top 3 nights out is virtually impossible). My other worry is trying to tell people back home about my exchange. How can I convey the amazing that has been the past year? So as I’ve lain (???) here every night, I’ve trawled through my memories, and figured I’ll just write them down here, the stuff that stands out, the stuff that has defined my exchange. I guess I’ll come back and edit it, add more stuff, but it’ll never be as comprehensive or as nuanced as I want, but, fuck, it’s better than nothing.

    The more things I add to the list, the more I realise that I have to narrow this to specific moments.

    A week later and I only made it through one semester. So I guess this is part 1:

    • First day, sitting on the train to Uppsala, watching the sun set… at 3pm. Freaking out.
    • Standing at the vice chancellor’s welcome reception with Caity and Lloyd, giggling at the serious guy, getting unintentionally drunk afterwards.
    • Standing in the middle of a frozen lake, somewhere north of the Arctic Circle, watching the Northern Lights appear, albeit weakly… and getting my lip stuck on my can of cider.
    • Screaming “FUCK YOU I WONT’T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME!” with Lloyd at the International Gasque after-party. 
    • Chilling in the waiting room at the doc’s with a very sick Caity.
    • The ridiculously intense feeling of cold on my legs as I walked through the snow between buildings 4C and 4B, wearing shorts, every Tuesday morning, to do laundry.
    • Repeatedly seeing a guy with long, blonde hair, who always walked around wearing leather pants or a leather vest. Nicknaming him “The Viking”.
    • After Swedish class one night, it began to snow as Caity, Jonas and I were walking past the cemetery. Sitting at William’s Pub, we watched it get heavier, massive, fluffy white chunks falling on the spires of domkyrkan. Too pretty. 
    • Getting home after a 10 hour shift at Kalmar, sleeping ‘til 4pm the next day. My first experience of missing the daylight due to sleep. Being completely disoriented. 
    • Walking home and always stopping next to the ice rink to watch the little kids skating. 
    • Having brunch at GH with Caity and Kiri, feeling grown up.
    • Accidentally punching a girl in the face, green beer in hand, whilst dancing on St. Patricks Day.
    • Australian society, once a fortnight. Two hours of class discussion dominated by three Australians, and rarely actually discussing the assigned topics. Daniel Ogden. Greatest.
    • Writing my shopping list according to the layout of Willy’s. Speed shopping so that I’d be finished in time to catch the bus as it came back.
    • Sitting in Lloyd’s kitchen one lazy, Saturday afternoon, with Em, Taco, Olivier and Tina, hungover as hell, playing fuck the dealer in the orange sunset. Everyone struggling.
    • 1.30am on a Monday, Lloyd and I lying on the boardwalk with our feet in the river, watching the moon rise behind domkyrkan, drinking bacardi out of coke cans, screaming, “WHAT IS THIS LIFE???” repeatedly. Then throwing (old, destroyed) bikes in the river.
    • Trying just about every shot on the menu at a bar in Tallinn. Then, early next morning, stopping every ten steps to vomit, including over the back of a Mercedes and in the middle of the road.
    • Wandering drunkenly up and down Nevsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg with Kim, desperately trying to find McDonald’s. Ending up at a Japanese place, drinking red beers, our food all containing dill. 
    • Once again yelling, “WHAT IS THIS LIFE?” with Lloyd, but this time standing in the sun, soaked in champagne, at the Snerikes champagnegaloppen, for Valborg.
    • Finally making it to Värmlands on a Friday night. Getting promptly escorted out after projectile vomiting gummi bears whilst walking down the stairs.
    • Laughing whilst confetti fell on the crowd at the end of the Sufjan Stevens concert.
    • On the train to Stockholm, en route to Croatia, pulling a sprig of thyme out of my sandwich with my teeth. It being a never-ending sprig. Em watching on, in hysterics. Em’s reaction causing everyone else to lose their shit. Being unable to breathe with laugher.
    • Lying on the sun lounges at centralbadet with Kiri, making fun of the Swedes trying to swim, then teaching Mo how to swim freestyle better.
    • Sprite, bakis and malibu in a Max cup.
    • Sitting alone in the moonlight, on the top level of the temporary stands at the bandy stadium, chilling, before indulging in a little convictitude. Waking up the next morning with a massive pile of unnecessary stuff on my floor.
    • The stupidly good smell of donuts every time I walk down Svartbacksgatan
    • Standing with Michelle outside Ikea, watching it mildly blizzard.
    • Sitting by the river with Lloyd before Swedish class, drinking sugary ciders, burping, laughing and being generally obnoxious. 
    • Lying in my bunk and drumming on the roof when I couldn’t sleep.
    • Throwing bacon & egg burger vomit sheets in the shower, leaving them for future-Marita to deal with. Future-Marita being distinctly unimpressed.
    • Playing hillbilly at Kalmar, over and over and over and over.
    • Sitting on the roof at Rackarberget. Walking past the next day (and every time since) and being incredulous and gobsmacked that no one fell off and died.
    • Lying in the park in the spring with Caity, Taco, Em and Lloyd. Sweating like motherfuckers in the oppressive 24 degree heat.
    • Dropping my phone in a glass of cider at some club night at Kalmar. Trying to drink it out.
    • Racing on the waterslides at fyrishov for Laura’s birthday.
    • Always being hungover at Eklundshov Sunday night dinners.
    • Lying in the sun at Kantorsgatan, surrounded by engångsgrillar, gagging at the smell of lighter fluid.
    • The collective happiness at the first rooftop barbecue, with everyone lying around in the sun in singlets and shorts, embracing the 14 degree heat.
    • Overdosing on waffles at ÖG.
    • Doing Stockens laps, completely lost, drunk out of my mind, wondering where the hell everyone is.
    • Dancing continuously for four hours at a rooftop party, refusing to leave until the police asked us personally.
    • Watching the sun rise from a balcony in building 8. Falling asleep with my head between the railings.
    • Desperately trying to find a seat in the ridiculously crowded beer garden at Uplands.
    • Looking up through the trees at the sky, lying in the dirt in the forest. Trying to stand up, then falling over in agony whenever I tried to walk. Sitting in the waiting room at the doc’s the next day with Lloyd, trying to piece the previous evening together. Emerging with my foot in a cast and still, to this day, unsure how the break actually occurred.
    • Catching the bus home with Steve at 7.30am after Wizard Pole Wednesday. Having to leave my wizard pole behind the bus stop. Sitting at Max that night to farewell Emma, in a world of struggle.
    • Stepping off the bus into sunny Uppsala, after an amazing couple of weeks travel with Steve, but feeling incredibly happy to be home. 

    First semester, in a nutshell.

      Brevity, wha?

      When I stop crying every 10 minutes, semester 2 memories n shit.

      4 months ago