twenty oh ten.

another year gone by, and many more to go.

two thousand and nine was a good year for many reasons.

and here are some just to name a few:

1. lots of new friends, from all over the country.

2. visited new places, and saw new faces, and had new experiences from all over europe.

3. i met, and kept a very special person dear to my heart and am proud to call him my boyfriend.

4. i kept my old new years resolution by recycling the whole year.

5. i also kept my old new years resolution by participating in two triathlons.

6. my decision for my future has been made, solely based on one of my classes this past semester.

7. i've had the best of jobs in this year, and i wouldn't have it any other way.

8. i did lose one very close friend this year, the closest death to me, which was very hard at the time, but i know that he is in a better place now, and is looking over us all, and due to unfortunate circumstances, it brought a lot of us closer and together.

9. i also did a lot of new things in chicago that i haven't done in the four and a half years that i've been here: shows, second city, double decker bus tour, and lots of new restaurants and bars.

10. and overall, my 2009 year was a good one, i can't complain, and i couldn't ask for anything more or better. i can just look forward to the future and hope for the best.

i have made just a few new years resolutions this year, and a few things i would like to accomplish in the year 'oh ten.'

resolutions:

1. i want to get a set and scheduled work out plan going, so i can get back into shape and stay that way.

2. i want to start writing snail mail, to my friends throughout the country, as a way to stay in touch.

3. i want to travel and vacation to places i've never been.

4. i want to not drink any pop in restaurants, but not cut it out completely, just minimize it greatly.

things to do:

1. compete and complete three triathlons this summer.

2. go sky diving.

3. go to a shooting range.

4. read more books, at least two-three a month.

5. begin to sew again.

and i'm sure many more of both to come.

that is just a start to what i want to do.

i'm going to continue recycling, and continue my education.

i will be graduating in may 2010, which will be a huge accomplishment.

but for now, i need to take each day at a time, which i plan to do.

and i also plan on keeping this more up-to-date.

so good luck everyone, i wish everyone a safe and healthy and happy new year.

<3 kim.

uhhh yuupz.

so this semester has already been flying by so quickly.

it's almost october and the weather has already changed!

i'm not sure i'm ready for the cold, but i better start with the chilly and take on the cold later.

i've been thinking and contemplating my future lately.

and i think i've finally made a decision to go to law school.

i'm about 85% sure i want it to happen.

i just recently bought my first LSAT book to start studying.

and i signed up for a practice LSAT test this saturday.

i'm just going to go into it not studying just to see how i do.

we'll see how it goes, i get the test scores back the same day.

wish me luck!

to get a jump start on all that, i've been applying to law offices in the city.

i'm hoping to find a legal secretary or assistant or clerk position.

just to get a little insight on the legal world.

see if it's really what i want to get into.

and if it is, what kind of law i want to focus on.

again, wish me luck on landing an interview and a position!

other than that, i've been trying to finish up with this last year in school.

hang out with as many/all my friends as possible.

and spend time with those that matter most to me.

had a mini-road trip to milwaukee this past weekend with joe and will.

got to meet up with some old high school friends, and even a friend i haven't seen in 5 years.

overall it was a good weekend.

next weekend i hope to go to an apple orchard or a pumpkin patch.

i feel like i haven't done that in years.

and i hope it all works out.

well, that's about it for now.

back to school work and staying up way past my bedtime.

<3>

a little late..

so yeah, i went to berlin, brussels, and of course amsterdam to end my travels.
those days flew by so fast.
i'll just touch up on some of the highlights of each trip.

berlin: nick, christian, and i took an over night train from malmo, sweden all the way to germany. our train went ON a ferry in the middle of the night, in which, christian and i got off of the train to go check out the scenery. there was little to none since it was in the dead of night, but it was still pretty amazing how our train was on a ferry. after arriving in berlin at 6:00am, we took a few trains to our hostel where we met up with our friend from copenhagen, drew. we dropped off our luggage, and immediately wanted to do something so the day wasn't wasted. we found a bike tour that was 4 hours long that toured allll of berlin, and it was worth every minute of it. we saw so many cool things such as: check point charlie, the berlin wall, the reichstag, a bier garden, the 'chick on a stick,' and many more. being able to ride a bike all over the city was the best way to see it and we got lucky with the weather. after the 4 hour bike tour, we explored a bit more on foot, headed back to our hostel and freshened up for the night. we went out for dinner and hit up a bar, where we tried some more delicious german beers. the next morning we slept in a bit, but then got right to it. we 'checked out' bikes for the day, and again, just biked all around berlin. by the second day we felt like we knew were everything was and that we were experts already. haha. we ended up going to a museum that had a le corbusier and bahuas exhibit. we deff. spent a good few hours there because everything inside was absolutely amazing for all of us designers. after the exhibit, we rode our bikes to another bier garden, had some more amazing german beers and sausages, and ended the day riding our bikes to the reichstag where we laid in the grass for a bit, and then went up to the top of the dome. (the reichstag is the first parliament building of the german empire). on top of the dome we got some beautiful pictures of the sun setting, absolutely amazing. after this we dropped off our bikes, walked home to our hostel, freshened up again for the night, and went walking around to dinner and a new bar for the night. the next morning nick left us at around 7am, drew left around 9am, and christian and i headed to the train station to embark on our long train trip to brussels, belgium

after about what felt like ten hours on multiple trains to brussels, we finally arrived in the early evening, checked into our hostel, freshened up, and then went out for a traditional belgium dinner. well, christian had it, aka: mussels and french fries with belgium beer. after that, we made our way to a famous bar, one that had over 2000+ beers, and was well known for being in the guinness book of world records for having the most beers in one bar. i tried a few different 'fruity' beers that were on tap and i actually really liked them. christian tried a few more than me, and they were all very interesting and different in taste. they had a book at the bar that was full of all of the beers, so you could literally just turn the pages, plop your finger down, and try a new beer each time. we also ran into a few german guys back at our hostel that night and had a few drinks with them. they were excited about drinking jägermeister because it is a german alcohol, but we had to crush their spirits a little bit and tell them that we have that in the states and that it is quite popular over there too. that night was very interesting and full of fun. the next morning we went out exploring around brussels. we went to a traditional belgium restaurant where i had, you guessed it, a belgium waffle. it was very tasty and worth the money. i also got plenty of belgium chocolates that i brought back to the states to share with the family. after that, we literally explored all of brussels, from going to a few amazing churches, to the top of a car garage, to see the 'pissing baby', and everywhere in between. the whole city was easy to explore, it only took about 30 minutes to get from one side of the city to the other side. but it was fun just being able to walk up and down the streets and experience european architecture and design and the people and the culture. after walking everywhere in brussels possible, we decided to pack up our stuff and head to the train station to take our last train to amsterdam, netherlands.

the train ride to amsterdam wasn't so bad, other than we had to transfer to a couple of trains, that's always a pain when you are carrying all the luggage around that i was. good thing i had christian with me. we arrived that night in amsterdam and decided to take it easy so we ate dinner at a restaurant and called it a night. the next morning we got up bright and early as to not waste the day again, decided to travel by bike again and went on another bike tour, this time of amsterdam. although it wasn't as lengthy as the berlin one (this one being only 2 hours), it was deff. worth it. we traveled near and far all throughout amsterdam and went to such places as: the 'i am sterdam' sign, many museums, through a few parks, went past the heineken brewery (which we went to the next day), and just through many of the streets and canals of amsterdam. after that we just took it easy for the day and just walked around and explored amsterdam. later that night we took a red light district tour where we got good information on how it started, why it's still there, and just about everything you need to know about it. we ended the tour at a bar, and that night we just walked the streets of the red light district to see what sights there were to see. it was interesting how touristy amsterdam was compared to the other places that we had been. the next day we rented bikes for the day, rode to the heineken brewery (which was absolutely amazing although we both didn't like heineken beer), rode to anne franks' house, but it was too crowded to go in, rode to van gogh museum, again that places was packed and the line was long, so we didn't go in, went to the museum of modern art (i believe), but that was being rebuilt at the time we were there, and so instead of going anywhere, we just decided to ride our bikes and get lost in amsterdam. we struck out with every place we wanted to go to, so riding bikes was just as cool. we picked up lunch, ate it in a park, cruised around the city for a bit, and then ended up at a 'dungeon.' it was a little bit cheesy, but it was fun nonetheless. after this, we picked up some dinner, and then had to drop off our bikes. christian was leaving that night to go to switzerland for the day, so i dropped him off at the train station, walked around the red light district for a couple of hours to take in europe for the last night, and called it a night. in the morning i walked to the train station, all by myself, to start my journey back to the states.

i took the train to the airport in amsterdam, waited a few hours there for my flight to london, got to london and had to rush to my next flight, and then finally got there, and 10 hours later, i was landing in chicago. it was really hard leaving europe behind, leaving my life that i lead for the past two months behind, and just leaving all of my friends behind too. i made so many new and amazing friends that i want to keep in my life, but it's going to be hard seeing all of them now since they all live in different ends of the states: vermont, new york, colorado, etc. but they will still hold a special place in my heart and i plan on visiting them all sometime in the near future. after getting all of my luggage at the airport, i had a special someone waiting for me with four roses... it was so good seeing him after being away for eight weeks.

since i've been back in the states, it's been nothing but business for me. i've had to run so many errands, worry about moving into a new place, jumping right back into school/classes, trying to get my jobs back, and just all around get accustomed to life in the states again. i can honestly say living in europe for eight weeks was co completely different than living in the states, that it is still taking me a bit to get used to everything again. of course i loved living and being in europe, but it is finally nice to be back home in chicago, sleep in my own bed, see all of my friends again, and just get back into my normal routine of being busy in the city. i'll never forget the time i spent in copenhagen, or all the traveling i did because i have so many pictures to remember it by. i do hope to be able to go back sometime in the near future, once i have money again, and do more traveling in europe. as for now, i have to concentrate on my last year of school, decide what i want to do for my future, and just live my life to the fullest. this is the end of this, for now.. unless i have time during the school year to keep updating. i hope all of you that read this will be able to see my pictures sometime in the near future, as i took over 3,300 of them, but don't worry, i plan on cutting it down to maybe a few hundred for you to see. thanks, and i hope you enjoyed my adventures in europe for the summer of 2009.

<3 kim.

i'm not ready to leave..

as of tomorrow, friday the 14th, at 7:03pm, i will no longer be a resident of copenhagen, denmark. i will embark on my journey to berlin with christian and nick, and then onto brussles and amsterdam with christian. we will be gone a total of one week, and it's not long enough. only a few days in each places, but hey, i'll take what i can get.

two weeks have gone by again, and i have been busier than ever. spending hours and days in the shop are finally over and i finally have my chair, my pride and joy for this trip. it is all done, finished, complete. the exhibition started yesterday, and there was an amazing turn out of people from all over the place: friends, family, students, teachers, etc. the furniture chairs were deff. the star of the show over the textiles and architecture projects, i hate to say it, but it's the truth. i'm really proud of everyone and way happy of how all the chairs turned out. it just felt nice to not have to stress and worry about everything that i've been stressing about for the past two weeks. now it's just fun times from here on out.

it's such a.. unspeakable feeling of the way i feel about leaving europe right now. i've spent so many hours and days with my friends that i've made here, and it just is difficult to explain how sad i am to leave them. of course we will all be going back to the states, but some of my closest friends live far away from me: colorado and new york. i guess it just gives me more reason to go visit them when i get back, but it'll be weird not seeing them at 7am, and then at wee hours of the night out on the streets of copenhagen. it's going to be a big change going back to the states after this experience, but i'll be okay. i'm ready in a sense to be back to my friends and family and my life in chicago, but i don't want to leave this and leave my friends behind here in denmark. but i guess i have to, the money is running out, school is about to start soon, and everyone else is leaving anyways. this will probs be one of my last posts in europe, unless i get time to update while i'm traveling, but i probs won't get a chance to. so for a final good bye, this is me, kimberly, signing off from europe, over and out.

kim.

tak tak.

so yeah, it has been awhile since i've updated last, and quite a bit has gone on. so i'll do my best to remember everything that has happened over the past.. two weeks pretty much.

after we got back from the study tour, it was right back to work. in the past 16 days, i've been in class, whether in lecture, studio, or shop, probs about 15 of those days. we spent a couple days in lecture to talk about how we were going to design and sketch out our ideas for our chairs. my material is veneer, which is very thin strips of wood (maple is what i will be using), that are glued to each other, bent over a mould, clamped into shape, put in an oven, and eventually is able to hold shape of the design of your mould.

the next week was spent in the studio sketching, and changing our designs, and sketching more, and prototyping, and making models, and changing our designs again and again and again. i started with a very simple design on monday, re-did it a bagillion times over the week, and friday late night i eventually ended up back with a very similar design as the one i had on monday. funny how that works out after a full week of so many models and designs, yet i go back to the beginning.

so after i finally had my design, i took my drawings to the shop this past week to start on making my mould for my chair. little did i know, that the first two days of work in the shop, my design would change, yet again. by wednesday, i was finally able to start working on my mould, finished it on thursday, and by friday i had veneered two of my three pieces to my chair. saturday i finished the third and final piece, so starting tomorrow i will be able to cut, copy, paste, connect and hopefully make my first of three chairs. it's been so exciting that i'm actually designing, making and doing something that i have a real passion for and i can't wait to it to finally become my own design and my own chair(s).

other than school, i have been able to do a little exploring and having a little fun while i am here in copenhagen as well. not sure it will be in order of events, but i will be doing the best i can at recalling some of the highlights over the past two weeks. one of my favorite thing to do has been attending two of the local soccer (football) teams' games here in copenhagen. the f.c. kobenhavn team won their first game 7-1 and tied 1-1 in their second game. it was nonetheless exciting both of the games because a lot of my friends showed up and we made it very enjoyable.

another thing that i have been enjoying here in copenhagen has been all of the museums. just last week some friends and i went to 'louisiana' which is a modern art museum, and was absolutely amazing. just today sara, christian, and i went to the 'ny carlsbery glyptotek' which is a greek, egyptian, etruscan, and roman sculpture and art. we got in for free, spent a few hours there, and then planned on going to the harbour to lay out and go swimming, but unfortunately, the one and only time i get wear my bathing costume, it rains. so instead, we came back to my place to eat dinner and play video games.

last week the fam and i (christian, dobie, brekke, allegra, santi, and i) went to king's garden and just laid out for a couple hours in the park, walked around stroget, found out that the museum erotica was closed for good, so instead we went to the round tower. it is comparable to the sears tower in chicago, other than it was really only about 7-8 stories high. it did, however, give us the best few of the city.. i was able to see where i live, where school is, where the soccer stadium is, and just about everywhere else i have been in the city. deff. worth the $5 we paid to get in.

last sunday, christian and i went to his host families house (winnie and johnnie) in copenhagen, a little outside of the city, where they hosted us for a traditional danish dinner. we got dressed up, went out to their place at 3pm, and was there until 8pm. we had tea, coffee, and some danishes/croissants for three hours, and then had dinner for two hours. the food was amazing, as well as the hospitality, and they offered to have us back again so we could meet their two daughters and their families. also, another fun thing that we did the other weekend after the host family dinner was to go to tivoli, which is an amusement park with a garden walk, live music, a food pavilion, carnival games, and just an overall beautiful place to be, especially at night. someplace i would like to go back to if we have the time.

i just recently ate at an organic restaurant, and have tried many new and interesting food since i've been here. but i have been making my own dinners, which consist of pasta, sandwiches, panini's, lots of veggies, and mac and cheese (thanks to my parents care package they sent me). so not a lot has changed in my diet other than trying some new danish foods. other than that, i've lately been spending my days at parks, reading books, being with friends, and just enjoying the time we have here while we have the days left. i have made so many new good friends here, i'm going to be sad to leave them all. :[

i have about twelve more days in copenhagen, and then after that, christian and i are off on our european tour for a week, and then after that, i will be back in the states. it's so crazy to think that i've been in europe for about five weeks now, and i only have three left, which will fly by so quickly because i will be finishing my chair(s) this week, presenting them next week, and then traveling the week after that and before i know it, i'll be back in chicago. and as soon as i'm back in chicago, i'll be right back to work, school, and the flow of things. i can't wait though, i've missed some things about the city, but i've also really enjoyed my time here in copenhagen. it will deff. be a change of culture to get used to once i'm back in chicago, such as skyscrapers, the sunlight and weather, not being seven hours ahead, money, and just the atmosphere and environment overall. i'm sure it'll take some time getting used to, but i'll make it happen. plus, i've been using the metric system, military time, and a lot of other european things that i'll have to break apart from once i get back to the states.

so far this has been an experience has been one that i will never forget, and there has been so much to remember and reflect upon. i have the pictures to show it and the memories in my head, but words cannot express how much i have learned and enjoyed while being here. i should end it here, as i have much more to do in the next few weeks, so i should get some rest. goodnight all.

kim.

ps.. you are what i look most forward to.

home sweet home copenhagen.

last night we finally arrived back in denmark, after traveling from finland, to sweden, to denmark within 24 hours. quite a feat, i must say. all thanks to jasper, bus driver extrodinaire.

stockholm was pretty amazing, we got to walk around the city and do some exploring by public transportation. later that night we went out with some 'b' team members to a local bar, met some local swedes, almost got into a fight with the local swedes, and then finally made it in for the night. the next day we were off to a huuuuge cemetary, a modern museum, an architecture museum, and then a viking museum. let me tell you, the viking museum was the most impressive and fun, probs just because we didn't have to worry about design or architecture anymore, even though i did point out some interesting points about the architecture of the building. they had some bones and skeletons there, and that deff. interested me the most there. after all the museums, it was off to our first over night ferry/viking cruise. we spent hours on the top deck just watching the scenery pass out, enjoyed the wonderful weather, and finally made it to open waters. after taking a shot with our teachers of oringinal BLÅ (a vodka with a strong hint of menthol, disgusting), we went downstairs to get ready for our huge viking buffet, where the wine was on tap and unlimited, enjoyed the house wine, went to open mic night and got a few more drinks from the boys, went to the dance floor, and danced the night away.

the next morning was an early one, but the day was totally worth it. we got to visit alvar aalto's home and studio/office, and ended the day looking at showrooms around helsinki with more aalto furniture. we checked in to our HOTEL in helsinki which was absolutely amazing, and it was the first time i had seen a bath tub since i left the states. allegra, brekke, and i ended up going to dinner at a place called 'amarillo' which was a very americanized restaurant. felt nice to kind of feel 'at home.'

the next morning was another early one, we went to an auditorium, hvittrask (the home and studio of eliel saarinen), paimio (the tb sanatorium designed by aalto), and ended the day at korhonen (another furniture manufacturer). we then checked into our second over night ferry/viking cruise, ate our last viking buffet, and i ended up going to bed early because i had been feeling sick all day. which i'm glad i did because i felt better the next day, but i did miss out on my teachers dancing that night. oh well, i at least got to see the videos and pictures of it.

finally, our last early morning (aka 5:30am), we drove a total of 10 hours on wednesday, made a two hour pit stop at ikea where we saw part of their testing site, part of their prototype site, and then finally the museum. we made it back to copenhagen at 7:30pm, where i just immediately wanted to get 'home,' eat some dinner, so some laundry, upload my pictures, and then get to bed. i'm glad i got to talk to you before bed last night, it's so good to hear your voice...

today we have class for a few hours, then i need to go 'home' and work on my paper, clean my room, do some more homework, and then a bunch of us are going to the midnight viewing of harry potter here in copenhagen. well, i better head out of here so i can finish getting ready for class. hope this update was enough to keep you all entertained. pictures will be uploaded onto my facebook sometime soon, so check there in the next day or so. i'll be back in a few days, don't miss me too much, 36 more days until i'm back in the states.

kim.

"interesting fact, we are on a bridge."

so today we arrived in stockholm, sweden after riding in a bus for nine hours, a ferry for two hours, and spending one hour in a showroom. we did get to eat at a huge, fancy manor house with some delicious shrimp and salmon for food. it was a nice surprise. the food has been very much appreciated on the trip so far. tomorrow is going to be a busy day as we are going to take the train around stockholm to see a couple showrooms, a culture house, the city library, a museum, and an old city church. we also get to meet up with the 'b' team which will be nice to see those people on the 'other' side again. another thing that i've been impressed with is the hostels that we are staying in. i will be posting pictures when i get back to copenhagen, as i was not smart enough to think to bring along my connector for my camera to start uploading pictures; as there will be hundreds and possibly thousands of pictures to update. i was, however, a smart one to bring along my computer to at least gain internet access, and also i brought along my pillow, in which many are upset/jealous. what can i say, i'm one smart cookie.. sometimes.

but overall, this trip has been absolutely amazing. one more night in stockholm, off to helsinki by ferry for a couple days, back to stockholm for a couple days, and then finally back to copenhagen. it'll be nice to finally get back to my room, relax, get everything back in order, and then get started on my project. i am also excited to get back and hopefully get some nice, warm copenhagen weather that we had before we left. well i should probs get off seeing as i am next in line for the shower, and i have to be up early, once again. so long, farewell, and i will see those in the states in 42 days. not like i'm counting down or anything.

kim.

ps. i read your card every night before i fall asleep...