Category Archives: My Travels

Finally Off (Though Not Very Organized)

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So Jonas and I are finally at BWI (the low-cost flight airport outside Baltimore), waiting for our flight to Phoenix. This trip is not my most organized. The more I travel, the more lax I get about my travel plans. I got these flight tickets Sunday, and today, we got the train tickets for the airport, the rental car in Phoenix, and a hotel room for tonight. We haven’t even gotten the tickets for our return flight from LA yet, mainly because we haven’t decided exactly what day we will fly back. Past traveling has taught me that things normally work out, even without booked tickets and accommodation, and the U.S. is not exactly the most challenging country I have traveled in. Besides, it’s a very nice feeling not to have everything planned when on vacation, especially not on a road trip. Am very excited about these next days – can’t believe I will finally get to see the Grand Canyon tomorrow!!

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Planning a Road Trip!

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I just booked flight ticket for my next trip: a road trip with Jonas! It will just be a short road trip with stops in Arizona, Nevada, and California, but I will finally get to go to one of my dream destinations, Grand Canyon!! After fusion cuisine bunches at European styled cafes and rose wine at trendy hipster bars up in New York, it is now time for roadside diners and hiking in America’s national parks. Am very excited!!!

One of our first road trips went from Stockholm to Berlin in 2002. 

Another went through Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Latvia in 2008. Photos of Jonas at a cafe in Vilnius and me in Minsk.  

New York Afterthoughts

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I am back in Washington DC since a few days, and it is difficult to believe that I just spent a whole month up in New York. Time passed so quickly. Too quickly! I really loved my routine up there, with studies at the Mid-Manhattan Library on 42nd and 5th, lunches in Bryant Park, ballet classes for Finis Jhung at the Ailey Extension, weekend brunches at Dizzy’s, and drinks at local outdoor bars. It was also so nice to have Tesse here in the U.S. for such long time and that so many of my friends (some which I hadn’t seen in years) passed through New York while I was there.

I wrote a little less on my book than I though I would, went to fewer museums than I had planned, shopped less than I ever thought possible in New York, and spent a lot less time with my favorite Brooklynite than I had hoped. On the other hand, I took the time to just take in everything around me in this amazing city, to spend quality time with my close friends, and to get energized and inspired to do new things. Slowly but surely, I started writing more on my book, sketching on new ideas, and making new plans for this fall. While not immediately deviating from my usual New York favorites, little by little, I started exploring new areas and finding new places on Manhattan and in Brooklyn.

When I finally got on the bus back to Washington, the fact that my home was in DC and not in New York almost didn’t feel real. After a few weeks out traveling, I normally long to get back to my apartment here, but even the prospect of being in my own place seemed a little empty after having shared a flat for a month with Tesse. However, now that I am back, I actually kind of like being here. Washington is really calm and clean compared to New York, and since I have lots of school and work to focus on right now, a more limited social and cultural scene is not necessarily a bad thing. And with lots of money left on my New York subway card and with one of my dresses still hanging in Jenny’s closet, it will probably not be too long before I go up there again. But before that, there are a couple (or possibly four) other trips on my agenda. More on that later…

Bye, Bye Brooklyn!

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My pretend life as a New Yorker this past month was based in Brooklyn. Tesse and I rented a gorgeous apartment in a beautiful brownstone townhouse in Park Slope. After having spent a lot of time in Williamsburg and now also gotten to know the Park Slope area well, I have to say that I definitely prefer Brooklyn over many parts of Manhattan. Here are some of my favorites:

Our street

Grand Army Plaza

The Farmers’ Market at Grand Army Plaza

Prospect Park

Saturday brunch

Lavender Lake

At the Whyte Hotel

My Last Days in New York

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My last days in New York went way too fast. Tesse left a few days before me and I spent time with Camilla, Jenny, J&J from Rome, and Princess S, who also was in town. We visited Coney Island and Brighton Beach, and had lunch at one of the Russian Restaurants, went for a tour at the UN (no, it was not my first time there), did some more shopping, and went to a fantastic jazz concert at Village Vanguard.

Last brunch with Tesse at Juventino on 5th Avenue in Park Slope.

 Hot dogs with Camilla at Nathan’s, home of the famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest, on Coney Island. (Current male record is 68 hot dogs – must be a proud record holder indeed!)

The UN

Village Vanguard

A Friend of the High Line

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Yesterday, I made my obligatory visit to the High Line. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the High Line, it is an old railroad track above ground that for many decades brought goods into the city and to the warehouses on the west side of Manhattan. After years of being out of use, it was on the brink of falling apart when someone came up with the brilliant idea of turning the rail into a park. It is one of my favorite places in the city and I try to spend some time there every time I’m here. There are a lot of grass plants up there, which in certain seasons makes it smell like you’re in the middle of a field. Being a bit above ground also gives a new perspective of New York. One thing had changed though since the last time I was there: The High Line used to be liberatingly free from commerce and in particular food vendors, which otherwise seem to be an indispensable part of any public space here. Until now, there used to be just one small cart selling gelato and brewed coffee. Being the U.S., I knew of course that it was only a matter of time before this changed, and this time, there was a whole area with food service carts and even a bar. Snacking is apparently a must for any complete experience, including enjoying plants and an urban view. Anyway, the High Line was wonderful as always!

 

Camilla and I on the High Line. I like it so much that I even joined its support organization, Friends of the High Lane, a while back. Don’t forget to go there if you’re in New York!

Beach Day

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T and I made quite an excursion today in search of a beach that was in the same league as the West Coast beaches in Sweden. After some searching, T selected Fire Island as our destination and it was beautiful! Fire Island is a nature reserve and a hot spot for gay men, which meant amazing and quiet beaches with a minimum of attention from people around us. We had a lovely day, though my inability to put on sunscreen evenly now means scattered red, aching spots on otherwise stubbornly pale skin. There in the sun, T pointed out a beach, a good book, and cookies is really all one needs. Probably true! (And good sunscreen in my case of course…)

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Packing Again

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I have spent the evening packing again. Or I never really unpacked on Monday when my visa didn’t come through, so I basically just had to close up my bag. Hopefully, the visa will be ready tomorrow as announced so that I can travel as planned. The embassy is conveniently enough located only two blocks down the street from me, so I will pick up my passport in the morning and then board a flight tomorrow afternoon. Even though I will spend 12 hours or so up in the air, I really look forward to it. For some reason, I get some of my best ideas when traveling and things tend to become more clear. Maybe it is the combination of a physical distance from my everyday life, seeing the world pass by outside the window, and not being able to go anywhere for several hours. Planes, trains, and busses are all the same. I have loaded up with pens, notebooks, and my computer, to use the opportunity to work both on an agricultural policy paper and on an academic proposal. Can’t believe I will be gone for more than a month though – seems like an eternity!

I borrowed a guidebook and a proper camera from a friend, to learn about the places where I am going and to hopefully capture them on pictures. (My own camera is still in NYC.) I also packed a Russian phrase book. I have tried to brush up my Russian this past week, but I have to admit that it’s buried quite deeply back in my language center… 

Packed and Ready to Travel, and… Staying

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I have come to realize that traveling for work is not the same as vacation traveling. One thing is the constant change of plans. My three-country trip just turned into a two-country trip because one of my visas got delayed 5 days. I was first told that I would get it last Friday and on Friday they told me today. But now they just called again and told me that it won’t be ready before the end of the week, so I had to cancel part of my trip. So instead of boarding a flight to Europe this afternoon, I guess I am staying in Washington a few more days…

Will unpack one of my business outfits and head down to the office now!