Finland

The excitement about Sweden was left to stew in my brain for about a month. After beginning to scheme tentative trips and weekend adventures to frolick around Lund, I was notified that I'd be going to Finalnd instead.

Within 24 hours, my placement was changed THREE times. Lund, Oulu, and finally Jyvaskyla. 

Sweet? We shall see. I will now be in a city called Jyvaskyla (two funny little dots over each of the A's but I have NO idea how to type Finnish characters) and it is right in the middle of Finland. Doesn't look like there is an awful lot to do there except freeze my ass off, but thats probably because most Finnish website don't translate to English so I'm having trouble finding GOOD information about it. I'm still bummed, but I'm sure it will be fun. Still hate the cold aspect of living in the smack dab middle of Scandinavia in the dead of winter..guess I'll just have to amp up my alcohol consumption to keep myself warm :-) Apparently Finlandians party pretty hard, and I have a coffee date with a Finnish boy from Jyvaskyla (who is currently studying at NCSU this semster in an exchange) next week so I shall harass him with many obnoxious questions and force my friendship on him so I have a comrade upon my arrival in Finland. I'm off to work on residency permits, housing arrangements, and online shopping for real winter clothes (I've never experienced a true winter and am bravely thrusting myself into one).

Hopefully I'll Finnish my work soon ;-)

Nominated!

I have been anxiously waiting for today to arrive since I turned in my study abroad application on September 8th. Although really, I've kind of been waiting for this day since I was a little girl. I have always wanted to study abroad and now I actually have the chance....around 8:30 this morning I opened an email from the SAO at NCSU, directing me to my account to finally see what decision had been made since submitting my application.

I saw: "Congratulations, Catherine Carter!"

I could have died! I am so incredibly excited for whats to come...Lund University in Lund, Sweden for the spring semester of 2011! Hollllllaaaa!