In Train-ing

Monday's plan in Oslo was strictly to activate my Eurail Pass and not miss my train to Gothenburg. 

The Eurail Pass is a magical object that is totally worth the amount of mana you need to get one.

I bought a two month "Global Flexipass".  For $1100, I can take basically any train I want, any day I want, as many times a day as I want, wherever I want, for two months.  The main exclusions include the UK, Poland, and Turkey.  This works out rather perfect for me as the UK and Turkey are at the polar ends of my adventure, so I could by a two month rather than a three month pass.  All I do is make sure the train doesn't require previous reservations, and hop on any second class train I wish.  Economy class in a train isn't near as shitty as economy in an airplane.  My headrest moves, I only have one neighbor, and my legs retain their ability to feel for the entire duration of the trip. 

I would also like to point out that this second class ticket was made possible because I am considered a "youth".  I'm under 25, which makes pretty much everything cheaper here.  In many museums, I get in free just for being under 25.  Student discounts are also extremely widespread here (unfortunately I've left all my univeristy ID's in Ohio) Even if I was 25, it wouldn't really matter.  They've never asked me to prove it.

Looking 12 does have its benefits after all.

All I took was a quick stamp on the pass I had received in the mail, and I was ready to train-it for two months.  Erkki saw me to my train to Gothenburg, which was going to take approximately 4 hours.  My next host Mia, was to be there waiting for me at the Gothenburg central station when I arrived.

Mia was to be my first female host, and I was pretty excited about it.

As a single female traveler, you might assume that I would only want to stay with female hosts.  The truth is that a large majority of hosts on couchsurfing are male, and if I were to be sexist, I could find myself sleeping in the train station instead.  Also, I've historically for the most part gotten along better with males than females.  My circle of girl friends is substantially smaller than my circle of guy friends.  That being said, I am VERY particular about my male hosts.  They must have plenty of references that include single female travelers.  I have found hosts that looked pretty safe until I read the one or two negative references written by females.  The couchsurfing website makes it very easy to pick out the creepers...

Upon my arrival to Gothenburg, (and I'm so proud of this) I recognized Mia before she recognized me.  She was with a man I was later introduced to as her boyfriend Luis from Bolivia. 

Mia is one of the sweetest, most charming people I have ever met. 

She was adopted from Columbia into a Swedish familiy when she was very young, and has a very close connection to her birth culture.  She's traveled in Bolivia and Columbia, as well as some of the US east coast, south, and southwest. 

When I first met her, she was waiting with pamphlets and tour books about Gothenburg, ready to hand them to me.  As we took the bus back to her place (after she gave me a card I could buy 3 day of bus/tram travel on) she explained each and every leg of the journey that it would take to get to apartment, in case I was out venturing on my own. 

She explained her #1 rule.

I must feel as if I am at home with her.

And I did.

Her apartment was cute and cozy.  While I have loved all of my hosting boys and their flats, there is something about a girl decorated apartment that made me feel very at home.  Bright colors, flowers, posters, ticket stubs, all of it.  Mia explained to me that she would leave me alone my first night so that I could settle in, rest, and do as I pleased.  She would go to stay with Luis after we all ate dinner together in her apartment.  She also told me to pick out places I wanted to see the next day, because she would be my personal tour guide of Gothenburg. To top it all off, she had sheets and towels set out for me, and  showed me how to run the TV, the shower, and the computer.

You wouldn't think alone time would be that valuable when you are traveling alone.  But I have more or less been around people 24/7 since I've been abroad.  Most of my time alone in my hosts apartments was spent either getting ready to go out into the city, or too leave for the next city.  Don't get me wrong, I also love my hosts' company, but that one night alone was perfect. 

I showered, watched Hotel Rwanda, picked some destinations for the next day, and then passed out to Ice Age 2.

Perfect.

Ha en bra natt Sweden
Tegs