"The clouds are green in Ireland!"

So, after a 3 week long ordeal involving the Norwegian customs service, I finally have a computer again! I apologize to anyone who was nearly dying/constantly refreshing my Facebook page hoping for a new blog post--I can't handle the loud keyboards at the university library so I just had to wait for  my laptop to come in to make my next entry (I'm a spoiled brat, I know.)  

Anyway, so since it's been roughly a million years since my last update, I'm going to speed through the last few weeks to catch everyone up without turning this whole situation into a novel. So. Whose ready to plaaaay SPEED STORY TIME?!?! On your marks, get set, GO. 

St. Patrick's Day Weekend:  

Afew friends and I decided we wanted to spend St. Patrick's Day in Dublin. For obvious reasons. We experienced all sorts of festivities, ate classic food, stuff like that.  

Highlights:  

1. Our really hilarious cab driver that made fun of American beer. 

2. Double-decker buses 

3. A really cute kid dancing at the St. Patrick's Day parade 

4. Pretending to be vikings 

5. Street artists 

6. The Guinness factory. Even though I don't like beer. And still don't like beer. And I only had like 3 sips of the beer in this picture. Because ew.  

7. I do, however, like wine, and ordered my first bottle ever at a restaurant. And proceeded to look like an idiot because I don't know anything about wine and apparently ordering a bottle of wine at a restaurant is a freakin' process.  
8. Getting this awesome Ireland sweatshirt that I'm way proud of

Cultural notes: 

1. A lot of Irish people are really angry on the road. Lot's of flipping off and honking and cutting off and being angry. 

2. They are so not Norwegian. Everyone is super extroverted, and when my friend and I were staring, confused, at a map(story of my life), a random guy came over and asked what we were trying to find, then pointed us in the right direction. 

Ski Trip to Gautefall: 

ESN took some students from both the campus in Kristiansand and the campus in Grimstad to go skiing. We rented out cabins and froze our butts off and had a really fun winter-y time.  

Highlights: 

1. "Beginner slopes" that are actually complete 90 degree drop offs(for the record, the below slope seems much more terrifying when you're standing at the top.)

2. Not falling on the actual slope, but instead tripping over my ski on the baby-lift and faceplanting. 

3. Not knowing how much I weighed at all, let alone in kilograms, and having to tell the ski guy a rough guesstimation in pounds and hope that he knew what that translated to. 

4. Making/having dinner with students from a campus in another city. 

5. Hiking to the top of a mountain, eating waffles, and having the best cup of hot chocolate I have ever had ever.  

6. Eating Norwegian Kvikk Lunsj like it's my job. 

Another notes: 

1. Skiing is a freaking WORKOUT. 

2. Ski shoes leave bruises on your shins 

3. Snow is wet and gloves are important 

ESN Sea Battle Cruise: 

ESN Sea Battle is a yearly thingy-majig where a bunch of international students from all over Europe meet in Stockholm and then take a cruise to Riga, Latvia together.  

Highlights: 

1. Walking 40 minutes to get to a party in Stockholm only to realize that I forgot my ID and that I had to take the subway back to the hotel to get it.  

2. The buffet dinner on the ship, where there was every food I love in the world plus unlimited wine. (This was seriously like my favorite part of the trip) 

3. The write-on-me party, where everyone wore white t-shirts and got attacked with markers. The best comment on mine: "Made in America." 

4. Sumo Wrestling Shelby 

5. Karaoke night, where I did not sing but watched a lot of really drunk people sing. And sang along with friends. 

6. Watching the sunset from the open ocean 

7.  Having literally the most amazing meal ever in Riga--a ton of food for only 4 euro. (That was seriously like, my second favorite part of the trip. I love food way too much.)  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

8. Climbing a cathedral to see the entire city of Riga and taking lots o' pictures 

9. Taking a bus through the outskirts of Stockholm on the way home and realizing it looks exactly like Nebraska. 

American International Pub: 

Every other Tuesday, internationals get together, and 2 or 3 groups of students "present" their country. A few Tuesdays back, it was the American's turn.  

Highlights: 

1. Laughing like crazy/totally bonding with the other Americans when, while planning our presentation, we realized how ridiculous our country can actually be. 

2. Dressing up as American stereotypes (hipster, gangster, preppy, redneck, and over-the-top-patriotic), and making everyone guess what we were. 

3. Demonstrating "classic" American dances. ie, grinding, the john wall, etc.  

BOOM. Alright, dudes, you're all caught up on my life. It's been pretty great.  

One unfortunate (but also happy) note: I come home in about 3 and a half weeks. I'll probably take one more mini-trip and have one or two more posts, but other than that, most of the super-excitement is over. Just to warn you all. I know I induce withdrawals when I don't update you all, because, you know, I'm such an integral part of your life ;) 

TTFN!