Pictures from Week #41 - Alingsas, Sweden

Always at work - practicing a song on the bus! I love being surrounded by so much talent :)

Buying food for 16 people... I got buried.

Our Welcome dinner to our second semester retreat!

Regional Learning in Gothenburgh.

Cooking a whole bunch of stir fry!

Chow  Time!

After a lot of happy and sad tears ... lets just say we had puffy eyes, 2 less rolls of toilet paper and we learned that no matter what saying goodbye is never easy!

Before we took the most epic polar plunge ever! You can see we are still smiling :)

The gorgeous sunset in the woods :)

Preparation for Thanksgiving/Christmas Dinner and Celebrations!

Our Family Christmas :)

Playing an intense game of the White Elephant gift exchange!

A walk to the lake after the first snowfall :) YAY!

The victory team! Adam, Hugh, Erin S., Caleb and myself succeeded in planning a perfect second semester retreat! All the blood and sweat payed off :)

The first snow!! Leaping in glee!!

We are one big happy family! And this picture proves it.

Love you second semester family - cheers to one great year! Probably one of the best years of my life thus far. We can only go up from here!

Julia (my roommate from Sweden) and myself enjoying the music of ABBA at our host sisters dance concert!

Dinner with the host family!

A very quick, but wonderful surprise visit from one of my favorite Swedes - Robin!

Incredible meals :)

Going out in Sweden!

All bundled up to ride the bikes on a cold Swedish night.

Host Family Day!

Week #41 - Alingsas, Sweden

Wow! What an amazing week this has been! So far I like Sweden a lot  On Monday we traveled over the bridge from Denmark into the beautiful country of Sweden.

Upon arriving in Sweden the second semester group of 14 plus and two adults all left the cast for a few days to go on our second semester retreat. It is a tradition for second semesters to leave the cast for a few days to process the experience of their last year together in UWP. I was one of 5 who organized the trip and it was so incredible. We had a cabin in the woods and we had a great couple of days just being together in a big house. We had big “family meals “ every night, we played games, and processed with lots of tears and laughter our last year together. It is unbelievable how fast time goes. We also did some service work with an organization for teens with cancer. It was super awesome! We also went to this super sweet museum ( if you can even  call it that) On our personal second semester internal day we all did a polar plunge into the lake and then had to run back for 10 min. to the cabin. Thankfully there were hot beverages and a sauna waiting at the house. My favorite part of our little trip was celebrating Thanksgiving/Christmas all together. We had a funny looking Thanksgiving dinner, but it made its point and we even got to play white elephant gift exchange and everyone  loved it! Then back we went to the cast after waving goodbye to our adorable winter wonderland!

We returned to the cast and I got to meet my host family and roommate Julia (from Sweden). My family was fabulous and I loved our meals together by candlelight and I had a great time on host family day as we biked around Alingsas sight seeing. It has been so awesome getting some great fresh air this week! They loved the show and I am so happy they got to see me sing so many songs. It will be very sad to leave this home and family, because they are so fabulous and it was such a short time for me to get to know them, but I guess I just have to visit.

In UWP this week there was minimal activities because I was gone for 3 days, but when we were back we had an internal day, doing different educational activities, which was super cool. We had our first show day in Sweden with the Swedish medley and it looked amazing, I got chills when I saw it (especially the Euphoria). The show was great, the audience all loved it and now it is time for us to leave to the next city already.

  So just 2 more weeks, and honestly I have no idea how I can even begin to say goodbye to anyone.  I know the process is going to take much longer, and so I am going into the next two week with a big open heart. I just hope I can keep it open long enough without it breaking into pieces! All right off we go to a neighboring Swedish city tomorrow :)

Week #40 - Roskilde, Denmark

“Follow the cobble stone road, follow the cobble stone road, follow, follow, follow, follow the cobblestone road! “  That is how I feel now that we have arrived in beautiful Denmark!

It is so crisp and fresh here in Europe and it is the exact breath of fresh air that our cast needed after our fun and exhausting tour in Mexico. To fly from the Americas over to the lovely continent of Europe, we ended up flying in 3 different flight groups, which we called “ the great migration!” By the time we all flew over the big pond we were reunited on Wednesday morning in Roskilde Denmark. My flight group was all U.S. passport holders and we had driven to the Mexican border in Nogales and walked across it with our suitcases.  Next we got on another bus to head to the Phoenix airport for a flight to London and then eventually onward to Roskilde Denmark where we all became Cast B together again!

            Meeting my first Danish host family was wonderful and their house was so welcoming and cozy. I have had an incredible week. My roommate this week is Mie from Italy and it has been a joy getting to know her as well. Throughout the week we enjoyed cozy dinners and great discussions and on host family day we took a 15 min train ride to Copenhagen. Here we were able to sight see, enjoy typical Christmas Danish drinks and food and enjoyed the Christmas lights that decorated the city of Copenhagen. After some shopping, eating, talking, sight seeing, and yes even roller coaster riding, we made our way home to our last dinner with candles and wonderful company!

            In UWP it was a shorter week considering we were not all together until Wednesday morning. When we were back together we had an internal day where we had rehearsal and then had lunch with the mayor before finishing up our day with some educational workshops. On Thursday I had study abroad and then on Friday and Saturday we had shows. On Friday we had a few alumni join us from my last cast so I was very happy, but I was overwhelmed with tears of joy when on Saturday another 10 alumni showed up. I performed my heart out for them and so did all the  other second semesters. We were all crying by the end as we watched their faces in the front row well up with tears during almost every song. It was one of the greatest feelings ever to hug someone who you’ve been longing to see for months and then all the horrid feelings of saying goodbye 4 months ago rush back when you have to say goodbye again. It was as if we were all in a dream being surrounded by people from Cast A. We were on a cloud and then all of a sudden we would have to pop out of it to be back in Cast B mode. It was a very odd feeling and we were all shocked at how easily we fell back into that comfort and ease of friends and cast mates with everyone. It felt like just yesterday that we had said goodbye. It was wonderful and yet very surreal as well. Also on Saturday we had Expression Session where we shared our talents with one another and let me tell you we are a talented cast! It was super enjoyable and Brekken and I sang a song together where we both almost cried. The end is coming so soon and it is not going to get any easier to say goodbye. I succeeded in my goal and was able to perform “Song of Peace” for the big group of alumni that were there and it felt so good!

            Tomorrow we head to Sweden for two weeks and the second semesters head off for a few days on our own to debrief the last year we had just spent together! It is going to be a whirlwind last 3 weeks and I just hope I am ready for everything that is going to come at me! I can say though that I am so happy to be in Europe right now in this pre- Christmas season! The spirit is all around me!

Pictures from Week #40 - Roskilde, Denmark

We are going to Europe ladies and gents!

Reunited at last with Jordan Greene - Fien and I are just a little excited :)

And this is what we were welcomed into our host families house with at 10:30 at night!

Is it safe to say I am in love with the cozy Danish culture?

Our host mom Dorthe is an incredible cook!

When Cast A and B 2013 combine! 

It is insane how fast you go back to normal with friends when your in UWP!

Cast A is back :)

For 24 hours at least ... :(

My heart both was healed and then broken again as I said hello and then goodbye all in 12 hours to this guy: Norman I love you so much it hurts.

Yep we were crying in the last song of the show when they help up these signs in the front row!

Thanks guys!

Mie from Italy my roommate and our lovely host family!

I finally got my partner in crime back :) Jordan thank goodness your here!

Nothing gets better than dancing with old friends and new friends! Europeans who surprised us, I can not even began to tell you how much joy I feel even to this moment!

Finally get to meet the women who raised my best friend! Just as wonderful as your daughter!

Host family day in Copenhagen, Denmark!

The Danish go all out in their campaigns they even use camels!

Oh just grabbing a quick snack! Thats all :)

And just when I thought I was short - I met this guy- tallest man in the guness book of world records!

Roommate Mie, my amazing host sister Julia and myself!

Tree pose whenever and wherever!

\

A sweet christmas drink!

Looking over the water at the beautiful billion dollar opera house

Roller coaster time!

The gorgeous late display in the Tivoli amusement park!

Our last family dinner - so delicious!