I'm from America, BUT I'M SWEDISH!

Maybe you connect with me on this one, maybe you don't.
The great and weird thing about being from the States is that we are all mutts!  I get made fun of a lot on the road for my tendency to say things like...

"Oh!  I'm Swedish too!  I love Herring!  You're Norwegian?  Yaa!  Don' cha know!, Dutch?  My name is Dutch!  Scottish?  I went to Scottish fest when I was 15!"

This is fine and well until they start asking for details...and usually their is some smirking going on at my expense...oh....silly mutt girl...so cute...she thinks she's Swedish!  Aww...

Minnesotans tend to be of the Scandinavian variety, which is why after discovering where life began in Africa, I felt inspired to discover where my family began!  My true Lut'eran her'tage!

So Rodolfo booked us a flight to Norway and here we are!  ... for one more day!  (flying to Paris tomorrow!)

A few days in Norway (particularly Vestby and Oslo),

• Lots of naked man statues!  This is cool if you're from Europe, but considering even horse statues are anatomically "altered" in the States, it was quite an eye opener for this young Minnesotan!

One night in Sweden (a beautiful city called Goteborg on a hillside)

• Cafes with the most incredible baked goods I've ever had!  This pic was taken of Gotenborg on a hilltop at night.

A few days in Copenhagen Denmark (of which I am not genetically from but is freaking awesome!)

• Bikes, bikes, bikes, bikes! and extremely pricey food!

What have I learned about myself from this experience?

• I look waaaay Norwegian, and get mistaken for one on the street here!  Why I think this is cool?...I'm not sure, but it's SO COOL!...Perhaps after Africa, my craving to blend in has struck hard...
• My obsession with kitchen gitch and cleanliness is purely genetic!  I have an excuse!  
• My inability to dress stylishly, also GENETIC!  WHEW!  Although clothing styles here beat the heck out of a piece of cloth wrap around in Africa, it's not quite Paris.  Eddie Bauer is more the norm.
• There are about 100 dudes that look like my grandpa in Sweden!
• There is a reason why Scandinavians aren't known to be good cooks...there are not a lot of ways to spice up crackers and cheese with salty fish!  Locals tend to eat Kebabs, burgers and pizza as a source of nourishment.  
• Walking and biking!  Also TOTALLY GENETIC!  We took a walking path thru the forest to get to the train this morning for a few miles at 5am!  I felt right at home!

So, as you can tell, this trip has given me an excuse to cook poorly, dress badly and clean my future house like a paranoid freak for the rest of my life!!!!  I LOVE IT!!!!!
I guess that's about it for now!  Lots of awesome pictures to come!