Finishing touches and final snags

Tying up all those loose ends today and making a last checklist. I'm waiting on one final package, picking up batteries at the store, mowing my lawn. Those sort of last-minute odds and ends.

I also spent a little time finishing up my travel schedule. I tried to buy my last train & bus tickets, but it didn't work out so well. I have the same roadblock with my US SIM card. It's not working out so well at the moment. These little snags are expected though. It puts a little spice in the otherwise dry travel preparations.

I promise this blog will be more interesting once the travel gets underway. ;)

A Very Good Morning!

Today was my laundry day, so I wasn't exactly looking forward to getting up. Laundry is not exciting, but I found three very good surprises waiting for me.

1. Jenny Berggren's album is finished! She wrote on her Facebook this morning that "My Story" is ready and all set to go. Awesome!




2. I got an e-mail from the box office at VärmlandsOperan that said a ticket has become available for Evigt Ung. Yippie!



3. Anja, one of the webmasters from JennyBerggren.net, created a button link to my blog. Yes! Thank you!


Good news is always a pick-me-up! And it makes the morning a breeze. :)

Travel hypochondriac

Atchoooooo! Atchoooo! Sniff, sniff. NOOO!

I hope all this sneezing is from looking through some dusty boxes and not a real cold. Then again, I always seem to scare myself a few days before every trip. A sneeze, backache, or little twinge of pain somewhere is always cause for alarm if it happens just before I'm planning to go somewhere.

Thankfully, I haven't had any health problems during my international travels. So I won't be packing a pharmacy into my check in bag. That's what Apoteket is for.

The Importance of Being Warm

I went out and bought new clothes yesterday. I don't really dress well or fancy, so a trip to the store for clothes always feels a little daunting. I try on a few shirts, look into the mirror, and wonder if it actually looks decent or if I just think it does. I'm never sure.

I was looking for specific clothes yesterday. Warm ones, to be exact. I don't really own any warm clothes. I have a few old, ugly sweaters when it gets down to, oh, 10 C/ 51 F, but that's when it's a really cold day in January. The need for cold weather clothes in this part of Texas is low to nonexistent. However, Gothenburg is a different cookie.

Right now, Gothenburg's temperatures (11 C/ 53 F) are the coldest days we'll see all year where I live. I usually experience these temperatures for about five or six days a year.

This trip will last sixteen days. Two weeks of Gothenburg's October weather is the equivalent of a major January cold snap in this part of the world. That's when our Houston weather forecasters bring out their most dire graphics (Arctic Chill! Big Freeze!) and warn people to bring in their pets and cover up their plants.


Houston in January 09 - Click to see detail:


Gothenburg in October 09 - Click to see detail:

So, I'm all ready for the "cold". At least, I think I am!

Most of you out there are probably already prepared for cold weather. It's likely you have a real autumn and winter with real freezing points and real snow. And a real jacket. Would you say 11 C/ 52 F is cold, or is does that kind of weather mean you break out the t-shirt and shorts? ;)

Picking a seat is an artform

Over at the Aceboards, a user named Green Grass 24 started a topic about flying, which got me thinking about all things airplane related. It also reminded me that I haven't picked my seats for the flights to Gothenburg. And, as you all may know, picking the proper seat is an artform.

First, you have to think about the type of airplane you're in. What configuration are the seats? Is it a "two/aisle/two" configuration, a"two/aisle/three/aisle/two"? Maybe it's the amazingly long "two/aisle/four/aisle/two" configuration. How much room is there between you and the seat ahead of you? What about the seats next to the bulkhead? They offer more room but no window or room under the seat for a carry-on. Or the exit row? Do you choose it and hope they don't boot you to another seat because you look like a little powderpuff who couldn't open a jar of pickles? Do you want to be close to the bathroom or as far away as possible so you don't get blocked by the "waiting line"? Or how about engine noise? It's louder in the back than the front. Then, there's the most important question: Window, middle, or aisle?

This is no fluff decision, folks. Your behind is sitting in a seat for several hours. You don't want a bad seat.

To answer all these questions, SeatGuru is an excellent resource to use. If you've never heard of it, check it out. You'll always find the most comfy, coushy option available for the flight.

I like a window seat myself. A right side window. It lets me prop my head on the side to snore. Eh, I mean sleep.

What do you look for in an airplane seat?

Travel is a procrastinator's best friend

An added bonus of travel and vacations for me is that I get around to things I've been meaning to do but just haven't. I'm a bit of a procrastinator, so when the deadline looms, it's on! For example, I have a stack of newspapers that needs to be recycled. It's been building for some time. Now, I have a solid deadline to get them to the recycle bin. And I've been meaning to find a few other memory cards. They're around here somewhere and I'd like to find them. I haven't gotten around to it - until now. And I always schedule time for myself to do a deep clean of my place. I'm not talking the daily and weekly clean. I'm talking that deeper clean, which I try to stall as long as possible. It's always nice to have a clean place to come back to. (That, and people come over and stay while I'm gone.)



If you're a procrastinator, travel is your friend. It clears up your list of things you have to do but just haven't yet.

Testing, testing... 1, 2, 3

I spent the morning (according to my watch!) pulling out electronics, adding batteries/memory cards, and testing them. So far, so good!

I suppose other people travel with a pretty good amount of electronics. However, I've never really been one of them. I'm not sure if everything will fit in my carry-on. Will be fun to find out.

I should ask Jessi and Anja from jennyberggren.net. They know all about this sort of thing. I've seen them pack an entire mobile recording studio in one bag, unpack it for security checks, and repack it in a flash. They're pros.

It's late!

Jet lag and I are enemies. And it's a knock-down drag-out fight every time we meet.

I've found a way to always win though. I turn my time upside down. All my clocks read 2:45 AM right now. In truth, it's really 7:45 PM where I am. No matter. My body thinks it's 2:45 AM and I'm glad it does. It means when I get to Gothenburg, I'll feel normal.

I work a regular 40 hour week, so it does get a little strange when I'm fully awake while my co-workers are brewing that first pot of coffee. Or when a customer asks me the time and I almost tell them it's nearly midnight. As long as I don't have to fight the lag, it's all worth it.

Does jet lag knock you to the ground or are you one of those rare people who aren't really bothered by it?

*Yawn* Time for some sleep! Sara 1 - Jet Lag 0

The Plan

Here's the plan. We're leaving for Gothenburg on October 1st. Be packed by then or I'm leaving you behind. Got it?

The itinerary is as follows:

October 1: Fly to Oslo, then take a bus to GOT!

October 2: Arrive at 4:45 PM. Get to Lindome (about 20 min) for Jenny Berggren's 5 PM concert. Taxi!!

October 3: Early day in Tranås for the church service at 10 AM and a concert later at 6 PM.

October 4 -7: Gothenburg, baby!


October 8: Karlstad to see Jakob Petrén in Evigt Ung (Forever Young). Hopefully. No tix yet. The whole play is sold out, but currently on the waiting list for tix.

October 9: Karlstad for breakfast and a concert by Jenny.

October 10-15: Back to Gothenburg and surrounding areas.

October 13: Jenny's album "My Story" is released (!!!) with a lecture at Bredared church.

October 15: Concert with Jenny and Terese Fredenwall at Mimers Hus in Kungälv.

October 16: To Jönköping for a breakfast and a lecture with Jenny.

October 17: Travel back to Oslo and home.

Pack lightly. We'll need to do some serious walking and running to keep up with this schedule. I hope you're in shape. I'm not in shape - so you may have to carry me. Hope you don't mind.


During these concerts and lectures, I will do my best to bring you close to the action with live updates, lengthy reports, and whatever else pops up along the way.

In between the concerts and lectures, we'll have some fun in Gothenburg and the surrounding areas. I'll be interviewing and chatting with as many people as possible to bring you the local flavor. Throughout the two weeks, you'll find constant updates with pictures, video, and sound... and maybe even a live feed from one of the concerts, if the technology holds.

So, don't hesitate to use that comment button. This is your trip too. Tell me what you want to see and what you'd like to do during these two weeks. Just say the word and we'll be there!

Gotta Go!

It's just about that time. Time for making lists. Time for planning. Time for packing. I hope you're getting ready too - because you're coming with me.

We're going to Gothenburg.