packing, and emotions

And once again - it's happening!

I'm going somewhere.
Destination this time: STOCKHOLM.




It's been 5 months since my last visit to the Lolcat town and A. and I decided it was simply time for the next leg of this TLN-STHLM romance.
I leave tonight, and back on Monday.

Plans are:
*coffee
*walks
*pastry
*cheeseburger
*movies (ARAGORN)
*sofa

That's it.

So I'm currently just packing, need to shower and get myself into travelling order.
Pisces and I are going to a yoga class before the flight.
It will be such a nice to kick-start an absolutely stress-free weekend.


Not that I've been stressed lately.
It's not stress.
I've just realised how much I repress myself emotionally.
So for the past week I've been concentrating on feeling as much as possible.
This has worked through theatre, a MUSE concert cinema broadcast and some other things.

I'll elaborate on these soon - UH-MAZING.

But in short - overdose.
I thought I'd rather bash myself on the head with feeling-feeling-feeling-feeling-feeling, y'know?
And then do this STHLM break and return calm and ready to deal with emotions on a running daily basis.

Makes sense to me.
And I really hope this actually works in practice as well.

At the moment I'm still too drained from all of it to come to any conclusions or notice a difference.
But I bet it's there, waiting for the storm to calm and then shine like a frikkin' angel.

And so.
I leave you for now.
Off to pack (one pair of jeans, and an array of jumpers), then to curl my hair (just. because) and go to town.
Simple pleasures.
Can't always hang your hat on the hot and heavy.
And when I say this, I do speak from experience.

I tend to get too snobby sometimes for calling time on the analysis.
Analysis is vital.
And I will not back from this.
But sometimes, just curl the hair, and drink the coffee, and wear the pink, and just whatever.
Sometimes just whatever it all, because we don't want you to get tired.


So take a break.


Love and light.
Yours truly.
M.

sthlm

I miss A, boo-hoo, and I miss STHLM.
BUT, much more importantly, our adventures.
It's been a month since I visited last but feels so much longer.
And the thing is, we don't have a set date for the next Chaos and Mayhem reunion.

So.
You know.
Unfairness of the Universe, but HEY, whatever.

This was taken in the White Room, in March, by Mr. Borovic.

Mayhem.
AP+ML.

sthlm

So, here are some photos from my adventurous travels to STHLM.

My trusty trusty friend!!!
A. found this as we were eating some delicious soup, with her dad, in Sturekatten,
STHLM's oldest cafe. And me and this map didn't part ways from that moment on. I LOVE MAPS.

Such divine springtime it was craaazy! King's Castle on the left (out of the shot).
Ooh, I also saw the King, driving by. I waved. 

Bromma is my absolute favourite STHLM airport.
It's small, very quiet and it's a 17 minute bus journey to the very centre of town.

Frozen frozen frozen (view just before landing in STHLM)

A's DIVINE pad, and I mean, DIVINE.

Me and A accidentally wearing the exact same outfit.
Because why not. Different clothing is over-rated.

Basically all I did in town this time was walk about, a lot.
A had her lectures and stuff, so I took the time to get to know STHLM.
I don't know about you, but I find walking around in a new city so relaxing and equally as exciting.
Lana was keeping my ears company, and the weather was just ridiculous.
Me and the ducks had a great time.

The textbook STHLM centre-parting that I always go for - I just heart blending into the local crowd.
And A's parka, that just makes me feel like I'm on a mission, or being highly useful.

Do you not like a plane that looks like a private jet?
Just me and my 10 friends..flying to TLN.
"Holla!" for short Nordic flights.

sthlm

So it's my last night in Stockholm and I'm watching Lord of the Rings, the first one, and A's making vegetable soup.
Tomorrow, my flight leaves at 3pm and then it's back to TLN.

This has been an awesome visit, and a strange one at the same time.
But the awesomeness outweighs the strangeness ten-ten-ten-fold.

The awesomeness.
IT'S SPRING HERE.
I mean, honestly.
There's a photo below of one of the bridges in the centre of town, going towards Gamla Stan, the old town. And the sea/river thing is free of ice! I mean, free of ice! As a Norseman, this makes me so happy I was just stood there yesterday, staring like a seagull or something.
And A's flat is like, beyond superb. It's white, and practical, and cosy and just like, SUPER. Honestly. Again, Maria wants a nest, vol. 2000.

And it's been a highly highly educational visit, in so many ways. But more of that later on.

You live and you learn. And the important things anyway are friends, and homes and spring!! Which will always come again.
And feeding ducks, and parks, and music, and smiling at strangers, and being open to stuff, and seeing the King (which I did, by the way), and I don't even know.
The important things which we sometimes think about.
But that's stupid.
And a waste of time.

So as spring approaches, I won't forget.

With love.
M.

domani

TLN ✈ STHLM

Once more.

But this time it's different.
A is somewhat buried in academia and I need some time out. What of, I don't quite know. But time out.

So we decided to congregate on her sofa in STHLM, breathe in, breathe out and cook some food.
Because I mean, why not, right?

I'm sure I'm gonna take some lush photos and try and upload some as I'm there (I'm not taking my laptop with me, shock horror). I'm back next Wednesday so it's a pretty perfect 4 night-5 day break. Of course I would prefer it to be 5 month than 5 day break (note the habitual running away to another place as soon as possible) but this will do so nicely.

I hope you, guys, have a lush weekend and that wherever you are spring is coming quiccckkkk. Or at least quicker than in TLN.
Me and my spotty suitcase wave goodbye for now and I'm off to an adventure!!

Go and see.

With love.
M.


And below we have A's shot of STHLM and springtime sun.

sthlm

Reblogging these because they warm my heart.
And because I'm so going to visit STHLM very soon.

The other day, A. mentioned something about her "happy place".
And I decided that one of my very prominent happy places was following A. around the globe. Whether it's eating cheese in Zürich, or sitting on her floor in Basel, or sauna time in HEL, or crashing on her sofa, reciting soft porn and building furniture in STHLM.
Adventures, man. That's my happy place.

Nordic.
M.

Maria's day out

Yesterday.
It was lovely to be out and about. Seriously lovely.
AJ and I went for some lunch in Vapiano, which is my fave in Tallinn, Stockholm and London. And then for some tea and cake.
I got a new mascara which I've been meaning to do for about, 2-3 weeks. It's a Rimmel one so all new for me. It's meant to be "extremely black" so we'll see.

Town was nice, nice and wintery. But it just reminded me why I want to move. The actual mass of people just tired me out so much. The pace, and the noise, and the amount of people.
I bumped into one of my mates from school right outside Oxford Circus station, which is actually like a needle in a very large haystack.
So pros and cons, you know. Seeing him just reminded me how many people I know in this city that I haven't seen in so so long, but then the place itself has kind of lost its magic for me. For now.

I have an actual to-do list today.
And I plan to do all those things, with the help of AC/DC.

Hooray for to-do-lists.
M.

24

A. turned 24 on Saturday.
And I was going through the STHLM adventure folder and found this photo.
I just think it's so beaut, so I thought, why not (and why not apply my incredible photo editing skills).
Sorry, dude.

Paljon onnea. 
M.

STHLM pictures, as promised

A's future husband.
We went out for dinner, and saw this guy, bearded, beanie hat.
Holding a baby on one arm.
We died. So therefore, this guy in the middle could do the same thing. He's allowed.

Indoor market in Stockholm. Pastry. I heart pastry.

Textbook A+M situation/Chaos and Mayhem adventure
= 3AM in Macdo.
The people, and I mean the circus - one of the best I've ever seen.
You get a point, youths of Stockholm.

Bag of coated nuts (omg the variety), and tea.
Location: A's floor. White, wooden. No carpet!

Same indoor market, wintery festive cheeses.
My favourite is the snowman one.

Just some pretty lights.

Since I was wearing A's red Converse (cause I had no other flat shoes),
I couldn't resist the temptation for a self-take at H&M.
Oh, and I fully embraced "the Stockholm pony" -
middle-parting, low-pony-tail.

Oh, and we tried on the same dress, different colours.
Potentially for New Years. It still might be on the cards.

Sweden's biggest out-door museum - it's a biggg village.
All working little houses, and a pharmacy, and a tavern,
and people in national dress.
A. and I danced around a Christmas tree with some children,
for 30-40 minutes.
And then I had a Lussekatter. It's basically a saffron bun.
And its name ends in "cat".

All red. Before heading to the airport.

TALLINNNNN.

STHLM

I'll make this really brief, cause my battery's dying.
Codewords.
-8C, and Converse.
Matching H&M dresses.
Hot chocolate with mini-cinnamon buns.
Glögg. (Disclaimer, if you don't know what this is, please find out. It's great.)
Wintery walk around Boo. Yes, BOO.
Christmas movies and 4 hours of "uninterrupted Christmas music".
And reminiscing about previous travels.
And planning future ones.
Staring at semi-bearded fit Swedish Viking men, with their dogs, and/or without.
Planning a gingerbread house.
Watching children shovel snow.
Watching snow, fall and do other things.
Laughing at snow, pointing at snow.
Snow.
Snow.
Snow.
Listening to Nickelback. Yes, Nickleback.
Leaving the door open, cause why not.
Red and white Christmas stuff.
Using the hob to boil water/heat milk.
Having coffee first thing in the morning.
Raving to party beats, at inappropriate times.
Wearing Christmas jumpers.

Vol.1 of the STHLM Christmas list.
And now my laptop said it's dying, officially.
So I'm gonna have to carry on later.
Oh, and I'm taking Christmassy photos.

CHRISTMAS IN THE NORDIC SPHERE.
M.

one of those

one of those days when little things are like, SO annoying.
like, someone's stuff on the banister that keeps falling down
or like, the shower being just not hot enough
or like, someone else's music being too loud
or just like, everything you know
little things

ugh

confession.
all this is powered by the fact that i want to go home.
or rather, home via Stockholm, ya know.

Cause this time it's still Chaos and Mayhem, but Chaos and Mayhem Christmastide Special.
Different vibez.
Some actual c+m combo might happen, but it's not the emphasis.

MYSA IS.
M.

i would like to

...have some shisha time with the pretty one (as she is known in my international community).
...go jogging somewhere cool with E. so we could prance around the place like kids.
...drink lemonade out of cans with K.
...get very mysa with A. and then be not so mysa and go reintroduce Galliano Sours into our lives.
...



I woke up too late. And it has made me very angry.
I'm really trying not to be angry about this, because I can't change it now.
It's done. I woke up late. Move on.
So please, let's not be annoyed about this.

I'm gonna try and have a very tiring day, so I'll be shattered by midnight and just fall asleep/into my bed.
To get up at a decent time.
Because this has really really started to do my head in.


Annoyed.
Plan of the day - not be annoyed.

PS: I can't even remember when I wrote this post. But I like the to-do list in the beginning. And just how much getting up toooo late pisses me off.
M.