Day 3 CouchSurfing www.couchsurfing.org

                         I started the day off with some bad news. My original plans were to goto the Kiruna train station and catch a ride towards Norway. The tempature has been so Extreme...so cold as -35C(-31F) All of the trains for the day were cancelled! I heard from other residents around the area that they had never heard of trains being cancelled before! just my luck haha.... I still embraced the day and got a lot done! I got into my planning mode :)... I worked on CouchSurfing requests and planning the rest of my Euro Trip... I know some of you might have heard of CouchSurfing from me or other travelers... For those of you who don't know what it is I'm going to fill you in.  My CouchSurfing Profile! Check it OUT!!!!

http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/drj802/

What is CouchSurfing?

CouchSurfing is an international non-profit network that connects travelers with locals in over 230 countries and territories around the world. Since 2004, members have been using our system to come together for cultural exchange, friendship, and learning experiences. Today, over a million people who might otherwise never meet are able to share hospitality and cultural understanding.

How does CouchSurfing work?

CouchSurfing members share hospitality with one another. These exchanges are a uniquely rich form of cultural interaction. Hosts have the opportunity to meet people from all over the world without leaving home. "Surfers," or travelers, are able to participate in the local life of the places they visit. We also give more people the chance to become travelers, because "surfing" lowers the financial cost of exploration.

CouchSurfing´s Mission Statement:

Create Inspiring Experiences

At CouchSurfing International, we envision a world where everyone can explore and create meaningful connections with the people and places they encounter. Building meaningful connections across cultures enables us to respond to diversity with curiosity, appreciation and respect. The appreciation of diversity spreads tolerance and creates a global community. for more info on mission goto http://www.couchsurfing.org/about.html/mission

      I view CouchSurfing has a Worldwide Community that brings people who travel together and they share a common goal... To embrace each culture they visit and see it through the eyes of a local resident.. someone who can show them the hidden parts of the city other than just the common tourist places and also share each others stories about life and traveling.. CouchSurfing is also great for new residents! They have community groups where you can meet weekly or for special events.
The CouchSurfing community continues to expand its horizons. Members are always finding more ways to connect and learn about each other. Every day, people across the world share coffee, camping trips, meetings, language exchanges, discussions and all sorts of other experiences. Check out the website and if you have any questions feel free to ask! http://www.couchsurfing.org/groups.html?group_category=0

Enjoy Surfing!!!!! :)

Day 2 Jukkasjarvi ICEHOTEL

            Today is the day!!! I've been waiting to see the ICE HOTEL ever since I went to Stockholm in 2008 at the ICEBAR.. I read a magazine about the ICEHOTEL and I was hooked with the Idea of trying to go... I wasn't sure how or when but I was motivated... and now here I am in Northern Sweden going to see the ICEHOTEL... it just goes to show you that if you're trully passionate about something DON'T GIVE UP!! TRY TRY TRY AGAIN.....BAM it just might work out... :)
    After I got off the Plane a part of me was thinking wow is this really worth it ... to go through this cold weather just to see the ICEHOTEL....? YES YES and YES ...the ICEHOTEL was Amazing .. I would say it was an Artistic Wonderland... I'm sure many people wonder why would you want to stay in an ICEHOTEL where its -5C(23F) Whats so great about it that makes the place sellout year after year and some Customers book 2-3 years in advance! ART! The Ice work in each room and around the Hotel is Incredibile! Jukkasjarvi comes from the Finnish Language originally and it means ''Meeting by the Water'' ..The Torne River is very close by...The ICEHOTEL has been around for 21 years, but the property has been owned since the 70's and was used for Summer Holidays for people to go white water rafting down the Torne River...The Owner tried to figure out if he could do something during the Winter seasons... so he traveled around the World and ended up at a Ice Sculpture Festival in Japan that had been going on since the 50's .... He got inspired to build an Igloo shaped building out of Ice right on the frozen River... he put painting on the walls and tried to attract people to come... Everything was fine until the Igloo started sinking! so he had to get his artwork outta there... The next year they built the Igloo on land and closer to the other Cabins.... Again he just had artwork in the Igloo and suddently all of the Cabins were Sold out! the first time ever... Twenty people showed up looking for a place to stay because the whole town of Kiruna was sold out also... They offered the group sleeping bags and for them to sleep in the Igloo... and so begin the ICEHOTEL!

Costs- Entrance Fee ICEHOTEL- 200 Swedish Kronor(US 31)
           Return Bus Ticket - 65 Swedish Kronor(US 10)

                  The oldest wooden Church in Lapland Built in 1608

Day 1 Stockholm to Kiruna, Sweden

                           I arrived in Stockholm Monday night Feb 14th Valentines Day! It was a long traveling day for me. It begin in Trollhattan and I took a Six and half hour Train, Bus, and back on the Train ride... Parts of the track were being worked on so thats why I had to take a Bus to catch the next Train towards Stockholm. My Cousin Yosef picked me up at Central Station and we went back to his new Flat where he lives with two other flatmates... In Europe they dont call them Appartments its a Flat.
      I woke up today Feb 15th ready to start my Euro Trip!!! Yosef dropped me off at Arlanda Airport and I took an Hour and Forty minute flight from Stockholm to Kiruna! I always heard its a lot colder up in Kiruna but I sure had a Surpirse! coming to me... Kiruna is located North above the Polar Circle in Sweden. I got off the Plane and read the Thermoeter it was -25C(-13F) Challenging days were ahead! I dont mind being in the cold as long as I'm dressed for it... Well this Weather it's pretty hard to be warm and prepared for it... Ive had a big issue with my eye lashes freezing together lol... I took the Bus to the Center of town and I stepped into the Tourism Center...I walked around town and checked out some nice Historic buildings like Kiruna City Hall and Church. Later on that night I met up with my Couchsurfing Host Sara! We had a really good night... We went and got food from the local market. She cooked me a nice special Northern Swedish dish Reindeer meat... It was a great start to my Euro Trip!

Costs- Train ticket Trollhattan-Stockholm 300 Swedish Kronor(US 46)
           Flight ticket Stockholm-Kiruna 1468 Swedish Kronor(US 226)
           Airport Shuttle Bus 50 Swedish Kronor(US 8)

                                                         KIRUNA CHURCH
                        A Wooden Church built in 1912 in the shape of a Sami lavvu.
                       The altar painted by Prince Eugen.
                       Voted Sweden's Most Popular building of all time.

                                                   KIRUNA CITY HALL
               In 1964 Awarded the Prize for the most beautiful buliding in Sweden.

                                          Beautiful Kiruna!

                                          Reindeer Meat with Lingonberry sauce.


           

                                                                 Sofia and I

April 2010 - Feb 2011 Dedicated to Sofia Hultin

        Sunday Feb 13 2011

                          Hello Everyone! This is my first Post to my first Blog ever! I was Born in Calexico, California but was raised in Elkton, Maryland. I've lived in Seattle Washington, Gettysburg Pennsylvania and Newark, Delaware... I've been told ahhh you gotta start a Blog! Tons of people but the one who really pushed me to do it was my loving Swedish Cousin Sofia! So this Post is dedicated to you ;) .... For people who don't know too much about whats going on in my Life I'll fill you in.... in April 2010 I Quit my Job at Fedex and embarked on a long Journey! First I took a ROAD TRIP! I went from Coast to Coast and then back to the East Coast. The Trip took about 5-6 Weeks and along the way I was able to see some Beautiful Landscapes, Relatives, and Attractions... I really enjoyed the time I spend with my Family and established Friendships that I hope will last for years to come! June 24 2010 I took a Flight from Newark, NJ and headed to Stockholm, Sweden! I was battling a horrible cold and I felt quite weak.. I had 2 Huge Suitcases, 1 Backpack, 2 smaller briefcases, and a pillow haha soo needless to say it was very Challenging....But! I was carrying all of it at one time and when I got through the Security Points of the Airport I saw such a Beautiful Smile! It was my wonderful Cousin Sofia and she had a nice Rose for me! It touched my Heart and uplifted me! such a nice memory to look back on now.

      Next day was Mid-Summer Day! Here in Sweden they Organize Events and Dates by weeks of the Year....Different from the States ... they Use all the Weeks of the Year... so Mid-Summer is Actually on Week 26 :-P   Pretty Smart huh... Its also is one of the longest days of light for the Year. Sweden also doesn't get dark during the Summer months... its more of a Dusk during the whole night and in the Winter there isn't too many hours of daylight. I spent July being with Family and establishing deeper Relationships :) Family has and will always be a Priority in my Life...Along the way I've been learning more and more about my Roots and where my Ancestors lived and what there lives were like... I left in August for my first Euro Trip ...I bought a EuroRail Pass and that gave me access to any European Train in 21 Countries for 15 days in a row... so I went to 12 Cities in 14 days and on the 15 day went back to Sweden... I went to Denmark, Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy, Czech, Switzerland, and It was Exhausting haha but I wasn't sure when I would get the chance again to see Europe... On that trip I went to Eastern France (Alsace Region) a Town called Stattmatten where my Family on my Father's side Originated from... I found the land that has been Family owned for 400 years!!! My 11th Cousin Owns it! I was Astonished! His name was Charles Dockter Jr. and only Spoke French or German... I was able to connect with a Relative Deb Dockter Gunsch and her husband Trace who only lived an hour or so away in Germany... They met me there and Trace spoke great German so he helped both of us Communicate.... Thanks Deb and Trace!!!! 

     I came back to Sweden in the middle of August and I was able to attend some Wonderful Swedish Birthday Celebrations!! Its really nice to see things from different points of view and how Cultures do things differently. I went on my 2nd Euro Trip on the third week of September.. I took a flight from Stockholm to Brussels, Beligum.. The flight was very cheap. In Europe there is a company called RyanAir. its based out of Dublin, Ireland and offers flights as low as $20...The only issue is they charge $20 just to take a descent size bag and they charge you $5 if you use a Credit Card.... I think its amazing and I've been using them the whole time in Europe...The rest of my trip goes as followed Brussels to Amsterdam to Munich(200 Year Anniversary of Oktoberfest!) United Kingdom(London) I spent two weeks with my Terrific Sister Jubilee and her amazing Husband Nick! I really enjoyed my time with them and I got to know both of them very well :) ...Next I went through the UK on a British Rail Pass... I could use any Train for One Month! I went to places like Brighton, Southampton, Isle of Wight, Bath, Cardiff, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham(Robin Hood), York, Newcastle, Then into Scotland and saw Aberdeen, Glasgow, Inverness(Loch Ness Monster), and Edinburgh. I went down to London  and spent Thanksgiving with a group of couchsurfers! It was such a nice time... ohh yeah you may not know what couchsurfers are? eh well check out the website! www.couchsurfing.org ... to put it similpy its a Community where people who enjoy to learn from different Cultures invite World Travelers into there home and share there stories and guide them around there Local Area....I stayed with 30 different Couchsurfing Hosts over a span of 3 months. Then I went to Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Madrid Spain, Oslo Norway, and I was back in Sweden just in time for a Festive Swedish Christmas with my Family!!! So that pretty much brings you up to speed... I will be starting my Third Euro Trip on Tuesday Feb 15th! When I fly from Stockholm to Kiruna, Sweden! the very North of Sweden! I will be celebrating my 28th Birthday at the Ice Hotel and the Journey of a lifetime begins! so please follow me on my Journey!

Hejda! (goodbye in Swedish)

Josh