Blood, sweat and tears, it's finally over.

As many of you know (or as two of you know, depending on how many people actually read this blog) I finished the IB program ten days ago. On Wednesday I will graduate for real, and my time as an IB diploma student will be over.
It is truly strange to sit down in front of the computer when I get home and not study. The pressure to study these last six months has really gotten to me, I think it has gotten to all of us. Sleep is probably what has been affected the most. I know that "we can sleep after IB" had become a regular expression among us as the exams got closer. Now that it is all over, and has been over for several days, there is still that anxiety attacking me when I go to bed and realize I have not studied for tomorrow.
I have been in school full-time for twelve years. Thirteen if you count the "six-year school" but honestly, all we did was play with plastic dinosaurs, sang songs and re-enacted the Lion King in the pillow room, so perhaps it should be counted among the kindergarten years instead.
But twelve years. I admit the first few were not always about studying, but it was still school. You had to get up early in the morning, go away to an institution you definitely loathed certain days and you have to learn. Oh the learning. Now I cherish every new piece of information about the world, but at ten? I couldn't care less about what happened if you divided 33. (to be honest, math has never been that high up on the priority list. Though I have gotten quite better at division since then.) I always liked the books though. The getting lost in other worlds. The cozying down under the covers on a rainy (or sunny) day and just read.
I always did like learning to a certain extent (IB has forever ruined that expression for me.) I was is somewhat of a know-it-all, so I loved arguing with people. And I was always right. Always. Never wrong. Always right.
I am going off to University of course. If things go my way, I will be sitting in Scotland next September, reading a book of my literature list and enjoying the finer things in life. And by finer, I mean IB all over again. Only worse. But before all of this, I am taking a year off. I think it's good to take a year off, especially after IB. It's so different from the Swedish system in thinking and in tempo. When all my friends complained about only have a week to write a paper, I was at home trying to write the one we had been given today. Due tomorrow. It was fun though, I won't deny it. I have met some wonderful people I know I will continue to be friends with for a long while and I've learnt a lot. Not just about history or maths, but about my own strengths  and weaknesses. Though so very cliched, I have climbed out of the shell I was in, and now I can actually talk to strangers. Who would have thought that could be possible.
It is just so strange, that after three years of hard-core studying, I will do nothing for a whole year. I will be working of course, but there will be no essays to write. To seminars to get ready for. No tests to study for, no syllabuses to read and definitely no CAS hours to complete. I'll be free.
After a life that has been defined by school for twelve years, I will be able to pick up a good book of my own choosing (no more Prep in my house) and just read. I will be able to make plans without the constant "oh, I have to study!"I will be able to sleep for a whole night.
There you have it. My end of school post. I don't really know how I feel about it. Of course it is not really the end, as uni is just over a year away, but it's the end here. I will most likely never study in Sweden again.

I'm Sarah and I am done.

Morning ramble.

Well, hello. Look who is here.

I am writing this post because I am bored, not ready to do homework before school and there is a man ripping up our kitchen floor. I don't really want to go downstairs. Stuff keeps crashing...

Anywho, I am stressed and tired (and I probably SHOULD study before I leave for school) yet I have not yet reached the panic state I should be in. I guess that will kick in after the weekend when I am down to five days before my Visual Arts exhibition. Oh my.

That was all for me I think, I am now going to get dressed and avoid the wrecker of floors before running out of the house. A ride to school is amazing, and guess what? Sweden has some sun today.

Christmas and #p4a

To begin with, dear reader, Project for Awesome, was as the name hints, completely and utterly awesome. I didn't sleep more than six hours during those three days but it was worth it, oh so worth it. We managed to get to number one on the trending topics with out lovely hash-tag #p4a and though my internet stopped me from watching, I hear the livestream show was amazing.

Also, for those of you who celebrate it, you might have noticed that Christmas is nearing. As a matter of fact, it's in two days.

Here in Sweden we have the ridiculous tradition to celebrate Christmas on the 24th. I do not know why, for it makes no sense. But I find it tiring to complain about things I will obviously not be able to change, so I do not care.

Actually, I find our traditions here quite nice.

We have our stockings that we keep close by. As a kid I always hung it right beside my bed so I didn't have to leave my bed in order to open it.

Yes. I was a lazy back then.

If you're a kid you spend the morning complaining about how long they have to wait before opening the rest of their presents. If you're an adult, you either cook or you run around trying to keep check of those kids who often OD on candy.

Honestly, the second job is hard.

Then, after finding our family and praying that the night will go past without any mishaps, we all gather around the TV at three o'clock, young and old, to watch Donald Duck. I don't know why we still call it Donald duck when now adays there are many different movies, and not all are connected to Donald.

It's actually the Cricket from Pinocchio who leads the show.

I know this sounds completely crazy, but it's been a tradition for many many years, and we simply must follow it. We can't NOT watch Donald on Christmas.

As a matter of fact, one Christmas the power went off because of a storm, and came back about five minutes after Donald ended. We were all devastated.

We then eat for hours and complain about not opening our presents, and then, finally, some poor soul dressed as Santa comes in and hands out a few presents.

When I was five or six, I found a Santa suit underneath my parents' bed. I was destroyed.

He then leaves, and everybody starts ripping up their presents like crazy, and before you know it, the time has passed. The room is now covered in paper and strings. The dogs love it.

This is when the parents begin to drink some more, and where the children run around playing with their brand new toys. I often find myself in the corner with a book and a glass of champagne, though I am not really allowed to.

It's lovely.

And this is a very boring post, but I have been a rather boring person lately, so there you go.

Have a Merry Christmas, and a happy new year.

(Are you guys as excited for the Doctor Who finale as I am?)

I miss you guys,

You know, living in Sweden is pretty great. We have a great health-care, a free (and quite functioning) school-system, a fairly calm country and great weather. There is not much to complain about really.

But when I became addicted to the internet, and everything related to Nerdfighteria, then things started to go downhill.

When I started watching John and Hank's videos, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Not only have I been introduced to a million different things, I have also gotten to know some of the best friends I have ever had.

I've always been a shy girl and I don't like to blame my handicap, but I suppose that might have been the reason to why I have always hated to "connect" with people. I never really know what they judge me on.

Now, having gotten to known these girls both my text and by face, I can honestly say I have never had better friends. This might seem very unfair to my 'real' friends, but I can't deny it. I love these girls so incredibly much it's crazy.

Living THOUSANDS of miles away from them is horrible.

When they're sad I just want to rush there and hug them. When I am sad I want to do the same. That I am actually seeing Shannon in just two weeks is insane. I will be crying so hard when I have to leave, you won't believe it.

This is a HUGE downside with having an instant connection with the world. We're all so far away from each other.

Shannon lives in Canada, and that she is actually coming as close as London is the only reason I can actually see her. If she wold stay in Canada, this would be impossible.

Bekah is still in Nevada and can't come to London, something we are VERY VERY SAD ABOUT. I want to hug her so much, and next summer I might even be able to do that.

Now that school starts again, my communication with my girls, not just Shannon and Bekah, will almost end. I know I have to focus on school, so spending hours every night on Skype will not be possible anymore. I will miss them all terribly, for since I can't see them, Skype is pretty much all we have.

I am trying to keep myself for the Yoad-trip (a road-trip with youtubers) we might be going on next summer. If it does happen, I just might faint of happiness ^^,

Now I better go sleep. It's already past 11 PM and I only slept three hours last night. i do hope you have the opportunity to see the meteor shower. Sweden is covered in a blanket of clouds, so my expectations were crushed.

Love,

Sarah