Category Archives: USA

Trying to get rid of the cough

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My cough has actually been getting better. I don’t know if it was the sun exposure (which always makes me happy) or the mucus congestion medicine. I still cough, but not as much.

I was out there for three hours, listening to music. I’ve found my old music again and I seriously get goosebumps when I hear my old favorite songs. And when I get new favorite songs. Like Three Days Grace new song Painkiller. I miss Adam Gontier, but the new singer, Matt Walst, is actually as good. LOVE IT! I look forward to their next album whenever that will get out.

Nothing more happened today, except that I cooked dinner for once. Chicken with mashed sweet potatoes. It was good, but the kale with it was awful. I think I need to throw that bag away and buy spinach again. Ugh.

Monday tomorrow, which means Sunday for me. I will go to the Health Center to get my throat checked out and then some studying for a couple of hours. I can’t really complain about how much I have to do.

Cold Canyon Waste Landfill

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This post used to contain pictures, but due to new storage limitations from WordPress, I had to fix the problem and decided to create a new blog that works as an archive for all the posts from my two years in California. This full post can be found here.

This morning was the first of my field trips in the Sustainable Environments class. We have too few in-class hours so we have to go to 10 hours of field trips to get all the units for the class. This morning we met up at 7am to go to the biggest waste landfill in the county. It was interesting, but it wasn’t very fun waking up after only 3 hours of sleep. I thought that going out last night was a good idea. It was, I had a great time with Lauren, Cody and Toby.

The fieldtrip was interesting. It smelled bad but not as bad as I was expecting.The most interesting thing about it was the fact that they used falconry to keep away gulls.

I borrowed Lauren’s car and gave it back to her at 10:30, before she got up. And I went to bed and slept until 2pm or something. I felt like crap so I made a small breakfast and started watching The Golden Compass. A big mistake. I’ve read the books and they are three of the best books I’ve ever read, but the movie doesn’t give it justice on any level. I totally understand why they didn’t make sequels. I probably should reread the books to take this bad movie out of my head.

I got tired and paused the movie and fell asleep and didn’t wake up until 8:30pm. I still felt pretty bad so I ate dinner and started watching Lilo & Stitch. Such a cute movie. I am gonna watch the sequel now and then sleep. I hate being sick. It’s the worst. It sucks that I am sick and stuck in bed when I have the whole weekend completely off for once. But I guess it would be worse if I had a ton of studying to do.

Cold Canyon Waste LandfillThis place used to be a canyon. Now it looks like a mountain. Falconry at the landfill Recycle CenterThe recycle center. This is something I didn’t understand. All the recyclables her are put in one bin because people are too lazy to sort better. So they drop everything off on the floor from the truck and then sort it by hand. Why not just sort it by yourself in your home? It was upsetting to be honest. In Sweden we are very good at recycling and we don’t complain about how hard it is to separate into 5 bins instead of one.Recycle center

Midterms

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This post used to contain pictures, but due to new storage limitations from WordPress, I had to fix the problem and decided to create a new blog that works as an archive for all the posts from my two years in California. This full post can be found here.

That was definitely a new experience. I got three hours of sleep last night (5 the day before and 3 before that), so I was afraid of feeling like crap today. But I’ve been feeling ok. The only real problem is that I am coughing and the coughing is making my throat hurt. It’s getting better.

The first midterm, Fundamentals of Transportation Engineering 80 minutes long, like the class. But that was not enough time for 7 questions. I just barely could do all of them and the last three minutes I was writing like a maniac. I skipped one question which I didn’t know at all how to solve, and in general it felt okay. If it’s not a pass I would be surprised. After the test I found out that our group got 10/10 on the group proposal. I am surprised at how well it is going for me in all of my classes. This school system suits me better.

I had to rush to the second midterm which was a weird one. We were in the normal lecture hall, with a scantron, which is a sheet with multiple choice answer. The first 25 questions were displayed through the projector, each lasting for 30 seconds, and we had the questions on another piece of paper. Those questions rolled twice and then there were 25 more multiple choice questions on that second paper. And two short essay questions and I think I understand both of them and wrote something understandable. I was 99% sure of 30 out of the 50 questions and the rest I had a clue what it was about. That should also mean a pass.

It feels so great to have this done, I know what it is about and don’t have to worry next time.

The second test was only 1 hour long and I was done before 10am. So I went home and spent the next three hours in bed watching Arrow and The Flash (I love that TV show, and Grant Gustin is probably the most handsome guy in the world). I tried to relax for once, it’s been a hectic week. And I think my throat need to take it easy. This weekend will be so awesome. A spot opened up in the Yosemite Stand Up Paddling tour with Poly Escapes, but since I’m not completely free of my cold yet I probably shouldn’t go on an adventurous weekend trip. I will probably go there in the spring instead.

The lab in the afternoon was pretty chill. We were first on Tuesday, so today we were last. But we were still out of there at 4:30pm instead of 6. I went home and almost fell asleep on my keyboard. I guess the lack of sleep has finally reached me (even if I took that energy pill this morning). But I had to stay awake. I had dinner plans with Julianne and Alyssa. At 7pm we went to downtown to eat sushi at Yanagi. We ended our dinner with sake. My first time. I don’t know what I was expecting, but not that. It was like strong and hot wine. It went down, but I’m not sure I would pay for it again.

We spent too long in the restaurant so we missed farmers market. We went to a candy store instead, bought some candy and then watched a movie in Alyssa’s apartment. We watched Coraline. Well, they did. I fell asleep, haha. And that’s what I wanna do now too. I will go to sleep and wake up when I automatically wake up. This weekend is all about sleeping! And of course, the field trip at 7am on Saturday…

Julianne, me and Alyssa Frozen Jelly BellyFrozen is my favorite movie at the moment.

DMV again

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This post used to contain pictures, but due to new storage limitations from WordPress, I had to fix the problem and decided to create a new blog that works as an archive for all the posts from my two years in California. This full post can be found here.

A long day has finally come to an end. I can’t relax just yet though. Two midterms is coming up tomorrow. And the lab report assignment we got yesterday has to be handed in in the afternoon. I did my part of it this afternoon. Honestly, it only took me 40 minutes to write that one page about the history of the penetration test of bituminous materials. I know I am doing great in that class (the GIS lab we had last Thursday gave me 19/20 points), but it is only a 2 unit class. So I decided to do the lab report half heartedly and then focus on the Transportation midterm tomorrow. That didn’t work out that well either. I spent two hours at the library studying with Johanna and Eric. I got three problems solved and a cheat sheet done. It is so weird that we are allowed to have one page full of equations and notes. The teacher should have written that paper. It feels wrong. I didn’t put much on there actually. I hope it will be enough. I am a bit nervous actually. I haven’t really had time to study much. I put most of my time into Architecture History. That class is 4 units instead of 3. And Arch Hist only has three tests, while Transportation has homeworks and other assignments that contribute to the grade. So it felt more important to try and remember all the 50 or more places. I haven’t done that too well either I guess. I have made a summary of it all and answered almost all of the short essay questions. I hope it will go well aswell. There is not much I can do now at 2am the night before. And it is multiple choice questions. How hard can it be?!

After my study session at the library I went to a house on campus to eat free dinner with Rachel. It was nice, and free stuff is always nice! Right after that I bought a chai latte at Starbucks and went to class. A paper about ecological footprint was due today. That was a very fun assignment, I liked it a lot! We took a test to find out how many Earths we would need if everyone in the world lived like me. (I don’t remember if I wrote about this before, so I will just do it again). I took the test three times, once for my life in Sweden, once for my life in USA, once for an improved version of my life in Sweden. The first test in Sweden showed 1.44 Earths, in USA we would need 4.09 and if I chose to not fly any airplanes and buy mostly organic and locally produced food in Sweden we would need 1.11. It was an interesting assignment and it was easy to get one page. The more I get into this subject, the more I realize that I want to work with environmental issues in the future. Super fascinating. In today’s class we watched a lot of videos and some parts of Capitalism: A Love Story by Michael Moore.

After that I was picked up by Kelsey and Cody so we could go grocery shopping (at 10pm). I bought everything I needed, mostly vegetables, but also ice cream. That was my carrot this evening. I needed motivation and a reward system for studying this late. Shit, I just realized, that from right now I have 3.5 hours of sleep… Good thing I have very good-working energy pills to take in the morning. I can’t wait for tomorrow evening at 6pm when I am done with everything and can take four days completely off (except for the 7am field trip on Saturday morning, but that will be interesting as well, we are going to a waste landfill with Sustainable Environments).

Midterm studyingI am still sick. I’ve had a horrible headache this whole day. I’ve started coughing (I guess the ice cream was a bad idea…) and my throat feels raw. I’m not getting worse though, and that’s the most important thing right now. I don’t wanna be sick this weekend!

 

This day started with an appointment at the DMV. I had called the DMV office in Sacramento and they told me I didn’t have to retake the tests, but when I get there it turns out that I have to take the written test. The could make an exception and make mes kip the behind the wheel test. I wasn’t prepared at all to do the test. But I took the photo and went to the computer to give it a try. It went awesome. Two minor errors because I didn’t read the question thoroughly. But it doesn’t matter. I passed and within three weeks I will get my real plastic card! Yay! I hope this picture was good, the last one wasn’t with my sunburnt nose. This time I’ve actually stayed away from sunglasses so I wouldn’t get that.

Okay, so 7:40am tomorrow, first midterm of my life. 9am is the second one. Then I will nap until 2pm when I have to meet up with Steven to write on the lab report. Then a lab and then Farmer’s Market and sushi with Julianne! Can’t wait. Wish me luck on the test, I might need it. Or maybe I don’t, people keep telling me that I am smarter than I think.

No sleep

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This post used to contain pictures, but due to new storage limitations from WordPress, I had to fix the problem and decided to create a new blog that works as an archive for all the posts from my two years in California. This full post can be found here.

I think someone was punishing me for going to bed early last night. I was in bed at 9:30pm. But I didn’t fall asleep until 2 or 3 am. Worst ever. I got up at 6am and managed to go through the whole day without being sleepy. I couldn’t even take a nap at lunch. So weird. And now it is 2 am and I am still not very tired.
I am still sick, but it’s not too bad. I’ve been coughing a lot today and I’ve had a headache and I’ve been hoarse.

Class today was fine. I was very motivated for some reason. I felt ambitious. At lunch, when I couldn’t nap, I watched the pilot episode of The Flash, a new TV show. It was so good. And Grant Gustin is one of the most gorgeous guys in the world.

In the lab at 3pm we did a very short test. It was a penetration test in bituminous materials. In other words, we tried the resistance of the material which is put in paved roads. It is a new group project, and our group could do the test first (there was only one machine) but that means we have to go last on Thursday. We all did a test each, measured whatever we measured and were done an hour after class started. That meant more time to study at the library. I finished my summaries in Arch Hist and then walked up to PCV to pick up a package. It was from mom! She sent me bike lights, some candy and a glass nail file. Incredible how much mom’s pay attention. This summer when I visited her once and tried hers out, she must have seen how much I liked it. And now she bought me one and sent it all the way here. So very sweet of her!

Package from Sweden

At home I talked to Lauren and studied for the rest of the evening. I ordered permanent eyelash dye (no one can see my long eyelashes when they are so bright at the tip) and a Halloween costume. I decided to go for the viking. It suits me. And my awesome roommate Kelsey bought me a scale (which I of course paid for when she got home). It not only shows my weight, but body fat, body water and muscle mass. Well invested money.

While studying I started listening to Demon Hunters  latest album and I love it more and more each time I hear it. What an amazing album!

I talked a lot to mom as well, she is going to the airport now to go to Rome for a long weekend. I am jealous!

I will go to bed now and I really hope I will be able to sleep. I don’t have class tomorrow during the day, but I still have a lot of studying to do… Two midterms on Thursday and the lab report is due in Thursday afternoon. On Thursday evening I can relax for real for a long four-day weekend. Can’t wait!!

A sore throat

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I woke up this morning with a pretty sore throat. It’s been hurting all day, not extremely much but it has definitely been there as soon as mu cup of tea was empty. I did manage to study a lot though. I finished the Transportation Engineering homework at the library and then I summarized the third lecture in Architecture History. I still have three more to do before the midterm on Thursday. But I’m sure I will have time to do all that tomorrow when I will go to the library after class to study with Eric. For some reason I am not as worried anymore. The good thing about midterms is that they are only part of the whole grade, like homeworks and other assignments as well. It would take a lot to get an F here I think.

I feel feverish so I will go to bed now and cross my fingers that I will feel better tomorrow. There will be no TRX tomorrow either… I never get sick, and it happens now, when I am three days away from two midterms…

Goodnight everyone! 8 hours of sleep awaits me!

The pool and studying

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This weekend was over so extremely fast. I know I have one more day of weekend, but kind of no. I can’t sleep in, have to get up at 8am to go to the office hours of Transportation Engineering because I don’t understand the last two problems of the homework which is due Tuesday.  And then I guess I have to study for my midterms on Thursday. I did some studying today for Architecture History. I read some at the pool in between the mandatory stays in the water (it was about 95F (34C)) so I couldn’t stay up on land for more than four pages. I read a whole chapter on the Greek world while talking to friends. It was fun. We were gonna go to the beach at first, but we decided to go to the pool. Easier to study there.

Went back to the apartment at 5pm, had dinner, took a shower, and I’ve been studying since. I am doing a summary document of all the names and dates and pictures and short descriptions. It takes time. So far I’ve gone through two out of six time periods. I will hopefully be done with it tomorrow and then I guess I need to do some studying for Transportation Engineering as well. I look forward to Thursday evening. All homework will be handed in, my two midterms will be done and I am going out with Julianne to Farmer’s Market and we are also having sushi for dinner. Hopefully this week willbe over as fast as the rest of my four weeks I’ve already spent here. Where does time go?

Internet again

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This post used to contain pictures, but due to new storage limitations from WordPress, I had to fix the problem and decided to create a new blog that works as an archive for all the posts from my two years in California. This full post can be found here.

That only took a few days. Boring days. But early-to-bed-days.

Yesterday I was at the library for most part of the day studying. Doing homework in Transportation Engineering. It took 4 hours to do 6 out of 8 problems, and another two hours of trying with the last two in the evening. It didn’t work. So I will go to office hours with our professor on Monday morning and ask for some help. I guess most students might go. We had two problems which we haven’t even talked about in class.

At 8pm I went to salsa lesson with Johanna. My roommates dissed me because they wanted to go to the social salsa dance tonight, but they ended up not going. I had fun last night. I was so much better than the first time.

I went home and spent the rest of the evening talking to people. Everyone was at the toga party, I wasn’t in a party mood so I just waited until everyone got back and didn’t go to bed until 3am for some reason.

This morning I went to Pismo Beach with Johanna and the Cal Poly beach volleybal club. It was very very foggy this morning but the sun came out eventually as it always does. I couldn’t play as much as I wanted though. I pulled a muscle in my upper but and I couldn’t stretch it out. It still hurts, even if I’ve been on a foam roll a lot this evening. I should probably do some more before I go to bed (which I should have done a long time ago).

Pismo BeachBeautiful Pismo Beach! New bikiniMy new bikini (Victoria’s Secret) is beach volleyball friendly. A little more athletic than my other ones. The neon color makes my tan look nice. Retrieving a flip flopWhen we were getting to the car I dropped one of my flip flops down the rocky side down to the beach. It stopped in the middle, so first I tried throwing rocks at it to make it slide dow to the bottom. Then I decided to walk down there (walk all the way to the staircase and then back on the beach) to try to reach it from down there. It took me like 30 minutes to finally get it. Stupid flip flop…

When we had had a cinnamon roll at Old West Cinnamon Rolls we drove to Avila Valley Barn where there was a pumpkin patch. All the holidays are big here in the States (I’m sure I wrote the exact same thing last year) and a pumpkin patch is where you buy your pumpkins and do stuff like ride horses, feed fat goats, buy locally grown fruits and vegetables, go on hayrides, and buy corn on the cob and stuff like that. It was a fun event and I am going back next weekend with my roommates. We are gonna by pumpkins and carve and put in our windows for everyone outside to see. I so look forward to that. Today we went there with the international students. I only saw a few though.

Avila Valley Barn Pumpkin Patch Avila Valley Barn Pumpkin Patch Avila Valley Barn Pumpkin Patch Avila Valley Barn Pumpkin PatchI got three small pumpkins to have as decorations in our apartment. They are soo cute. The big ones are being bought next weekend. I also bought a lot of fruit. It felt good buying something from a farmer’s market. I do buy a lot of organic food here, but it still felt more special.

When I got home I did my Sustainable Environments homework. And that was a fun homework actually. By taking a test (you can take it HERE) I found my ecological footprint and wrote a 1-page paper about it. I took the test twice, once for my life in Sweden and one for my life here in SLO. If everyone in the world lived like me we would need 1.44 Earths (Sweden and 4.09 (USA). I compared and retook it again to see if some changes made big differences. Very very interesting.

Kelsey baked banana bread tonight and I’ve been trying to figure out what to wear on Halloween. It is not easy. And I feel like it has to be something good since holidays are big here. I have four options so far. What do you think?

Halloween 2014Minion from Despicable Me, Viking, Penguin or a Zombie Fairy? Or something else?

I also got to see the car I probably will buy in December. It is a small convertible and it works perfectly. I so look forward to buying my first car!! And it will be a VW convertible! An international student bought it the other day, but he is only staying this one quarter so I will buy it together with Johanna to use for the next two quarters. I am so excited! And about the driver license. I called the DMV office in Sacramento and they told me I didn’t need to retake the tests. I just have to show up with all my legal papers, take a new photo and wait for the plastic card. I am so happy! Everything works out in the end, like is has for the past year. Life is good.

Volkswagen Cabrio 1999

I really need to go to bed now. I am planning on going up at 8am to study before going to the beach around noon. (And I don’t have any trouble going in and out of bed anymore. I was extremely sore yesterday (3 days after TRX) but now it’s better. I played some beach volleyball at the PCV court Thursday late evening and that removed the last of the soreness. Too many people there though so it wasn’t fun. Next time I will exlusively invite only three people to play seriously with. I look forward to a new week of exercise starting on Monday, for real this time, I will take it even easier this time.)

No WiFi

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Yep, like the title says, the whole village of Poly Canyon is without WiFi and has been since early last night… I think it is really not okay, how are we supposed to do homework? How are we supposed to be antisocial on social media? How are we supposed to know what is going on in the world around us?

It sucks…

I have no idea when it will be up and running again, so bye bye for now, readers!