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.

Just a little something.

And what a failure BEDA was for me. Such a gigantic failure. But no more of that.

Instead I would like to talk about two things; the first one being Scandinavians in your pants, which is a Youtube channel I used to be a part of. Now it's time for a new generation to take our place, but so far we have only found three girls. Tuesday and Thursday our still available, and if you live in Scandinavia and is interested, or know someone who is interested, please contact the channel. Having a full week would be nice.

The second thing I wanted to mention is a website called the Nerfighter Gazette. It's an online magazine my good friend Bekah started, and lately not much has happened. If you want to bee a writer all you need to do is to go here, (Also known as the "Write for NFG"-button) and sign up! It's really easy. And if you wish to recommend the website via twitter, please send me or Bekah a little notice, so we can thank you.

That was all. I am going to go back to being very lazy now.

Blog Everyday in August #8 - I am in Norway

The reason I didn't blog yesterday was because I went to Norway. Now, you might say: "But didn't you have time to write even a short little post?"

The answer is no. I didn't even unpack my computer.

But I am now going to tell you what I did yesterday and how much fun it waaas.

First I got up way too early. This might have had something to do with the fact that I was up all night talking to friends. Might be connected..

But 6.30 is early in my mind. I managed to leave my bed with sheer willpower, and then I went to the train station.

I was really surprised that so many people were out and about. Yes, it was 7.30, but it was a Saturday.. I assumed people would be in bed just like I wanted to be. Obviously I was wrong

Then came the six hour train ride.

Normally I like riding the train, and I usually relax quite a lot. But I was sitting next to the most annoying man in the history of the world. He was constantly talking to his daughter and wife who were sitting on the seat in front of us. Then, of course, he managed to splash me with his bubbly water.

I was not amused.

A woman sitting on the other side of the aisle asked me if I could help her off with her bag, since she had her dog to take care of as well. I assumed this meant that I would just carry it down the stairs tat we were sitting right next to. Then just as the train was stopping, a voice over the speaker tells us that the platform is really short, and that we can only get off on the first two wagons.

We were sitting in the other end of the train.

So I had to run through the entire train with her bag, which was really really heavy. And when I did manage to get her bag off the train, I had to go back to my seat. On my way back there my skirt got caught in a broken chair and it's not completely ruined.

Worst train trip ever.

But then I actually got to Oslo, and then everything got better. We left my heavy bag in a locker and then walked around in the city. Before this though, we walked to the top of the opera building which is absolutely gorgeous.

We met up with Ingvild's friend, who was also called Ingvild, and then walked up to Litteraturhuset where the Harry and the potters show was.

And the show was awesome. It really was. The brothers might not be the best singers, but they put on an amazing show. They're so lively!

We then went to eat, caught a bus back to Ingvild's house, and talked forever and then we fell asleep.

This post has no grammar. I no longer care. AWESOME.

If we can we'll see Kristin today, and... yes. Bye.

The Thought of the Day: I am sleepy. This is all. Also, Swedish is weird.

Blog Everyday in August #6 - A short and hurried update.

I almost forgot to blog!

I am leaving for Oslo in, oh, 8 hours and 38 minutes, so I have been doing absolutely nothing of worth today. No, that's not true, I did the dishes. Can I get a good daughter score for that? A golden star?

The only things I have left to pack are my books, but they shouldn't be too hard to collect.

As a little update of the day: I am very jealous of the people at Summer in the City. I had a blast last year, though it might have been mostly because of Shannon and Lucy. I will be seeing Lucy on my London trip, many woohoo's for that.

I also went shopping, and buying pants sucks since I am still overweight. But I did buy some and they do look pretty, so I am going to stop complaining, and continue with my excercise when I get back from Norway.

I did buy a bra with is AWESOME. It actually fits, and that is something I've had a big problem with. Big is the keyword here. It has the unfortunate color bright pink, but it fits so well, and is also quite comfortable, so I have decided not to care.

It was also very cheap.

Now I am going to try to sleep before the train. I have to get up in little over six hours, which is no fun, but I am guessing Ingvild will make up for it.

The Things of the Day: I AM GOING TO OSLO TOMORROW. I'm excited. I will also go see Harry and the potters with Ingvild, but I am much more excited about seeing her.

Blog Everyday in August #5 - Some thoughts on writing.

I honestly don't know how I am going to keep up with posting a blog every day this month. Especially since I seem to be writing these post way after midnight. I guess I can't continue with that when school starts (19 days, but who is counting?) but I am just too wired to write during the day. This might also be why I still haven't finished my novel.

Of course it might have something to do with the fact that I have my narrator and her boyfriend in a cellar with a crazy murderer and a whole lot of blood.

But no biggie.

Maybe that is the topic of today's (tonight's) post. WRITING.

Also known as "Why the hell haven't you finished your novel yet, you idiot?" You choose.

I love writing. I still can't really define why, for I just start blabbering about creating new worlds and giving birth to characters, but that is really it. I have a vivid imagination, and I'm always making something up. Even though I haven't written much lately, there is a constant flow of stories in my head. I have so much I want to write down, but due to a current decrease in confidence when it comes to my "talent" I just haven't.

This is truly one of my biggest problems: I keep doubting myself.

These stories, they're so vidid in my mind, so alive. When I put them down to paper (or in this case hard-drive) it seems so lacking. I can't portray my heroines fears without making her sounds like a fluffy lady, or I can't properly describe the scenes to make them as impressing as they are when I imagine them.

I guess it just takes much training. But training takes time and I won't have that when school starts this year.

But sometimes I am on a flow. Those who know how it is to be on a flow... Oh, dear. The words just pour out of your hands and somehow, like magic, align on paper the way you want them to. The characters have chemistry, the scenes are amazing and the plot, oh the plot, is without holes.

It's truly marvelous. And then you get stuck again.

I suppose that is one of the most wonderful things though. Sitting down by the computer after a long dry-spell and finding that you suddenly have inspiration. Oh, I love it.

My novel though, it has reached a stop.

I started it during NaNoWriMo 2009, and when November was over, I simply didn't have time to look at it for months. When I well did, I realized it was nowhere near completion and began writing like crazy. Now, nine months later, I'm at 80 thousand words and I hate about 70 thousand of them.

It is too silly.

But I shall, in the few days between my Oslo trip and London trip, try to look at it, and maybe, if possible, get my characters out of the hole alive.

To be honest though, right now I just feel like killing them all.

The Thing of the Day: I definitely just made chocolate balls with pear-sugar and caramel sprinkles.

Blog Everyday in August #4 - I love libraries.

I don't know what it is, but whenever I step into a library I feel excited. It might be because it is filled with so much wonder and amazement. So many worlds, and characters and rooms and events. I just feel at home.

Every single book is like a window to a different world, and we've all felt like escaping one time or another, haven't we?

Recently I complained about having to pay for reserving books at my local library. The ones I have outside of stockholm is a branch os different ones, so you can easily ask them to send it to the one nearest you. But last year they started charging for this, and my library reserving went way down.

But a few days ago, after complaining, I realized what an idiot I was.

Libraries do amazing things. They offer the chance of reading to people who might not afford it otherwise. Personally, I think that is one of the best things you can do in today's society when children spend most of their time playing video-games. (This is something I too enjoy a great deal, but reading is important.)

So, after thinking this through, and counting the amount of books I have borrowed from libraries during my short time here on earth, 10 SEK per reserved book is worth it. I don't mind giving money to the library. In fact, I wouldn't even mind just giving them some money once in a while. They're doing a great job.

If only they would expand the English section a little bit, and I might move in there.

The Thing of the Day: The books I got from the Library this time was 'From a Buick 8' by Stephen King (A re-read because I loved it, and it was a while ago since I read it), 'Rebel Angels' by Libba Bray (because I rather liked the first novel and should finish the series before school starts) and 'Wicked Lovely" by Melissa Marr (I usually don't pick up books by people I have never heard of, nor ben recommended to read, but this looked quite nice.)