I'm here!

I'm here! And it's great! :D

The trip from Herning to Lynnwood took about 24 hours. It all started at the train station in Herning at 06.17 am, where we all got on the train heading towards the airport in Copenhagen. That train was packed! We had all brought one or two suitcases, and this train did not have room for all of them and all of us at the same time! We figured it out, though, and all of us and all of our luggage all made it safe to Copenhagen.

Maja and Emilie in the train VERY early in the morning

We got on the plane and the 3-hour plane ride went by pretty fast. It was absolutely amazing arriving in Iceland. The nature is so beautiful, and the weather was perfect so we could see everything! In the airport we just had to get some food pretty fast, and then we got on the plane heading towards Seattle. I got to sit next to Emilie and Thomas, which was really nice, since I didn't really sit next to anybody I knew on the way from Copenhagen to Iceland. I tried getting some sleep, but it was very difficult, sitting right next to the restroom... They didn't serve ANY food, which was very disappointing! I love plane-food... :(

Emilie sleeping and Jasper being cool.

This plane ride was really pretty too, especially when we flew over Greenland and Canada.

Greenland. I think....

When we arrived at the airport in Seattle, I was prepared to stand in line for a few hours, but when we got there, there was hardly any people. Therefore we only had to stand in line for about 10 minutes. The guy that had to "do" my papers and I, was super nice and not scary at all (like some other american-security dudes...). We got our suitcases, went through customs, and then we saw 3 EdCC people standing with flags. We all got on the bus, said goodbye to Kelli and Neelen, and headed towards EdCC. The bus ride was about 30 minutes and the busdriver gave us a little tour of Seattle by night, pointing out all the landmarks as we were passing them. It was really cool, even though I could hardly keep my eyes open.

When we arrived at EdCC we all went in to this little room where some of the families were waiting. I quickly pointed out my family - mostly because they had a sign saying "Welcome Emma". When the lady called my name Jill and Chihiro both gave me a hug, a we went to the car. It only took about 8 minutes to get to the house; a small 3 bedroom house in a really nice neighborhood close to the Edmonds High School. My bedroom is not too big, but it has everything I need. Pictures soon - stay tuned.

Friday night we had dinner, and the I went to bed - I was exhausted! Saturday morning I got up around 10:00 and started unpacking. Around noon we went to Walmart (my favorite store in the world!) and I got all the stuff I didn't bring. We drove back home, and then we took the bus to EdCC, so I know how to do it tomorrow. The bus ride only takes about 5-10 minutes, so it isn't too bad. We walked around campus, and then we watched some of the baseball game going on. The weather was super nice, perfect for baseball.

Chihiro and Jill at the baseball game.

We took the bus back, and Jill made some really nice dinner. She's pretty determined to eat healthy, which is really nice, and we always have fruit and vegetables in the house. After dinner I pretty much went to bed - the jet-lag is really starting to kick in...

Sunday I woke up around 6 am (!!!). I stayed in bed and watched TV until 9, and then I went for a run. It was really nice discovering the neighborhood on my own, and luckily I found my way back home.

Around 1:30 Zeus was dropped off. Jill shares custody with her ex-husband, so they each have him a week at a time. He is the sweetest dog, although he sheds a lot... After Zeus had arrived and Chihiro was back from church, we went to the mall. I love how everything is open on Sundays, and not shot down like in Denmark. We spend about 2 ½ hours and a lot of money at the mall and some other stores in the area, before we headed back home. Jill made spaghetti and meatballs and a salad for dinner - yum!!

I think I'm gonna go to bed pretty early, still getting tired pretty early. I'm super excited for tomorrow; to see 2.y again and hear how things are going - I only have positive things to tell. I'm really excited to see our teachers and classrooms, and to here more about what's going to happen these next few months.

Take care

- Emma.