Headed for the Arctic!

First of all, my flight home was purchased (thanks to Ineke!) last night. On August 21, after a 13 hour flight and a 12 hour layover in Dublin, I will return to beautiful and hopefully sunny California. I could tell you right here all the things that I am excited to get back to in Cali but it would make this post soooo much longer than it already will be. Just know, I am excited!

Second, my dad's trip...When my dad and I started discussing his trip to visit me in Europe his first idea was to come in June to be up above the arctic circle on the longest day of the year (around June 20th). Well for a few different reasons that didn't work out so he decided to come a month later. Not the longest day of the year but pretty darn close to it! We did a LOT. Here's just part of it...we explored Rotterdam, I fell in love with Hamburg (really, might even be my favorite OVER Berlin), visited hippies in Christiania (Copenhagen), crossed the arctic circle by night train, arrived in rando town northern Sweden, drove a few hours to the Norwegian border in the middle of the night while the sun was shining, did not succeed in finding an all night diner in nowheresville Sweden, picked up an 18 year old hitchhiker, hunted for reindeer at 2am, night trained it back to Stockholm, flew a not-so-bad-at-all Ryanair flight back to Holland, hung out with the kids for a week, and lastly, spent a nice weekend in Haarlem.

And for the pictures, I'll start with my night skies collection.

R'dam at its finest...
Old City Stockholm-
Kiruna 12am...
Kiruna 1am...
On our way to Norway. I like to pretend this is a real Sami family but then I remember that they probably live in real/modern houses now...
Middle of the night, Kiruna...
Dad and I in Zandfoort (coastal town North Holland) minutes before I found my first Euro frozen yogurt...
Me trying to be artsy in Den Haag...

Veggie garlic pate, Polorbrod, and salsa mexicana make GREAT train food in Sweden...

The swedes like their crackers LARGE!..

Our arctic hotel did not discriminate in their providing of parking space. Cars, bikes AND sleds were welcome...

Rainbow from the train window on the way to Kiruna...
Copenhagen weirdos, lol...
HUGE stroller for a lil baby...
My Danish danish and my new favorite addiction, chocolate "wafes" found in only ONE Copenhagen 7 11...
Copenhagen peeps thinking they're in New Orleans or somethin'...
Christiania (photos were not welcomed)...

More cute babies, on our way to Hamburg...


And lastly, my dad at my favorite Rotterdam restaurant, Bazaar...

So much happened and I wish I would have kept a more detailed journal of everything so that I could remember it all for ever. I HAVE to start doing that SOON!!!