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.

Today was pretty chill. We met up at 10:45 am to go to an Awareness gallery about all the hard things about college (and life in general) like body image, stress, mental health, alcohol and abusiveness. It was a very well done exhibition.

We had lunch after that with Thanksgiving food. That was a bit weird, but good. I went back to my room to take a nap before going to an event where free kitchen things were handed out. My WoW group went hiking up Bishop’s instead. I got a whole bag of things I needed for the apartment, like silverware (I can now return the ones I bought), a teacup, a small pot, some plates, a bowl and some kitchen towels. There were like 7 different tables and you could just take whatever you wanted. Super awesome!

I had a little time at home after that before going to meet up with Ryan and the international students to watch a college football game. It was our Mustangs against Portland Vikings. Ryan told med during the first two quarters what was happening and why and what all the numbers meant. I actually think I have a pretty good idea how American football works now! But at half time, when the Mustangs had done 3 touchdowns including 3 field goals (21-0) we decided to leave and join up with the WoW group to eat dinner at Firestone downtown. I am so glad I tagged a long, the pulled pork sandwhich I had there was the best I’ve ever had!!

Then we went back to PCV to change into warmer clothes and then went to the Cayucos Beach where all the transfer students had a bonfire evening. I met Ryan’s best friend and he introduced me as his closest friend her in SLO. We had s’mores, talked to a few people. It was hard socializing when you couldn’t see faces. We left at like 1am and I fell asleep in the car on the way back and now I should probably go to sleep. We are meeting at 9am tomorrow, and I need to get up five hours from now.

So goodnight everyone! (or good morning Sweden)

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 was too tired to update last night. It was another long day with lots of fun activities. So we met up at 9 am and then we were all separated so we could go to advisors meetings with our different colleges (I am in College of Engineering, but there are also College of Agriculture, Liberal Arts and all thos different majors). It was okay, but I guess I could have slept for another hour. At the end of that there was a raffle and for once I actually won. I got a bag (you want bags here, all the free bags you can get is awesome since you don’t get free bags in the stores) with stuff in it. The best thing was post-it notes, I actually needed that.

At 10:15 we met up at our SMP (Specia Meeting Place) to go do archery. I’ve never done it and was so excited to do it. It was really fun, but hard. Because of my beach volleyball skills I had an okay posture, but the results weren’t as good.

My WoW group <3.

Back to campus after an hour or so so I could eat a quick lunch with Johanna before we went to the mandatory international student orientation. We randomly met up with like 8 other Swedish students on the way there. That meeting was kinda silly. It was nice to get a face on Susan Tripp, a woman I’ve been emailing this whole summer. Then we were divided into smaller groups and got information from an IPC. They told us things I already know, like the cultur here. It was a bit unecessary in my opinion, but I don’t think I missed anything with WoW.

Meet up at SMP again to go bouldering which is rock  climbing but without ropes so it’s not that high. It was fun, but my arms were like spaghetti afterwards. I managed to reach the top on two different V0’s which is the easiest path to climb. The higher number, the harder it is. For me a 0 was ”lagom”.

Our next thing on the agenda was dinner which was just salad and meat. And let’s see…. What was after that… We do so much stuff it’s hard to remember what we did. It must have been bowling though. I bowled with four guys from the group. I am actually not good at bowling, but those guys were not good at all, so I won with big marigins. It was very fun, not winning, but playing with them :).

Oh yeah, we went for half an hour to the flight simulator club too. It was fun but nothing for me. 

We had to hurry to our next thing which was inside the Performing Arts Center which is also on campus (oh yeah, the only bowling alley in SLO is on Cal Poly campus). It was a improv comedy thing with a group of students from school. It was called Smile and Nod. They were really good and came up with funny things right on the spot. We yelled suggestions for them to do, and they did a really good job. I laughed a lot last night as well!

And then we were supposed to play glow in the dark capture the flag with other transfer groups, but none of us didn’t really want to do it. I was up for it, even if it was like 11pm and I was exhausted. I somehow had energy. We decided to go to our last thing for the day instead, which was SLOdocu, the donut shop that is open 24/7. I can count how many donuts I’ve had on one hand, and I am impressed bu myself that I haven’t had more. They are so delicious. I had an old fashioned glazed with maple. It was the tiniest they had.

We walked back to Cal Poly and said goodbye. I wasn’t that tired and Ryan had just figured out how to watch Doctor Who from the BBC UK website so I stayed at his place for an hour to watch the next episode I hadn’t seen. There is another out, and the fifth episode of the season is aired tomorrow night. I am so glad I can watch Doctor Who this year, I was afraid that I couldn’t since it is a Brittish show. The American shows you can watch from the network’s website here in the US.

I got home around 1:30am and fell asleep instantly. Today there are a lot of things on the agenda as well, but I don’t have time to mention any of it now, I need to eat breakfast, get dressed and go to SMP to start up the day. It’s great that we are gonna meet up at 10:45 today instead of 8:15.

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.

Halfway through WoW now. Like all the other days it was full of activities, and I took a break for like 7 hours and still did a ton of stuff. The day started with a small hike up on the mountain behind PCV. Up there they have something called the Architecture Graveyard where architects at Cal Poly put their senior projects many many years ago. It was cool and not too bad of a morning hike. I was extremely tired though after just 5 hours of sleep so it was a bit rough. It also rained a little during the hike, that was nice.

This is why California is called the Golden State. Not because of the God Rush back in the days and not because of the constant sun, but because everything dies and it gets golden. I heard someone say that the graveyard was about 40-50 years old. This is my village where I live. I am in the grey building farthest to the right in this picture. A LOT of students live here, and there are so many other student housing on campus. 19 000 students go to Cal Poly.

After that I was planning on going to the beach with Ryan (a guy from my WoW group), one of my roomies, a German girl named Carolin (who I met at the hostel this weekend and then have been seeing a few times after that at the school) and Johanna. The weather was really bad though, okay, not really bad, I am still in California. But it wasn’t beach weather, so we decided to go to Target and do some shopping instead. I bought a lot of things to the apartment for all of us but also stuff for me, like detergent and a laundry bag. Then we did some grocery shopping so now I finally have some food on my shelves. Feels good!

When I got home at like 1pm I called Hertz about the extra charge they took for a car upgrade which I wasn’t aware of. Apparently it was an upgrade but no one told me that, nothing at all. Just giving me my reciept without telling me what it was about and just let me sign without knowing. I should have read it through or something, but he shouldn’t have taken advantage of me as a foreigner after I just got off a real long flight from half across the world. Not okay!! So I won’t get those $40 back, but the lady on the phone heard how upset I was so she is gonna give $20 back. It’s better than nothing, but I should have had it all back… Stupid Hertz!

My next thing I really needed to do was learn how to transfer money from my Swedish account to my American one. It is easier said than done. I called the bank to ask for the SWIFT number, but I also needed a ”bankkontorskod” which I didn’t know about because it said either a BIC/SWIFT number OR a bank office code. I am guessing that that code is the same as Wire Routing Number, but I am not sure. So I made a test transfer of $2 and the fees for that will probably be $20. But I would rather lose about $20 instead of $5000. If this works then that would be great, I will transfer some of the money I have and pay all the rents for the fall quarter at one time so I don’t have to worry about nothaving enough money. I also don’t know how long it takes for money to transfer from Sweden to USA. I hope it is not too long. The 1st of October is getting closer.

That banking business took a lot of time so I only had time for a shower before I needed to leave. First I stopped by Ryan’s (who’s just five doors down the corridor) and had a cup of tea and then we headed to dinner on campus.

When we were done eating and everyone was there we took the bus to downtown. I learned from one of the leaders how to use the SLO transit app and the only thing I need to do now is learn which routes goes to where and then I am good to go. So, every Thursday there is a Farmer’s Market downtown. The whole main street is shut off and stalls cover the whole street. A lot of foods and other things, especially fruits and vegetables. I didn’t buy anything, we only had an hour there. Then we walked back to campus where we sat for a while before heading to the Rec Center where we were gonna watch a hypnotist show. That was so hilarious. He took up a bunch of people from the crowd on the podium, probably like 30. And then he had complete control over them for the next more than an hour probably. He made them smell imaginary farts, made them sing and perform Britney Spears and Lady Gaga songs and other fun things. I laughed so hard my tummy hurt! I had a hard time hearing what he said though so I missed most of the things, so I should probably try and see another one again sometime.

These guys were dancing ballet. So pretty and magical!

We got dismissed at 00:30 and now, an hour later, it is definitely time to go to bed. On tomorrow’s schedule is archery, bouldering, glow in the dark capture the flag, donuts and I think they said bowling as well. I am also going to a mandatory international student orientation for an hour during the day. I don’t know what I’m gonna miss, I know it is not archery which I am so glad for. I’ve always wanted to try archery.

Now after a few days with the people in the group it feels much better, we are getting to know eachother and are having such a fun time. At least I am :).