Festinord: Part 2

The next day was pretty uneventful I think.

I fell asleep in a Women in the Scriptures class, walked around Naantali, and tried to flirt it up with European men. It didn't really work.

At the next dance that night, it was not the same. Instead of a DJ playing the top 40 club hits of the moment, it was a live band. Us Americans were a little confused. How do you dance to this?

You don't. You only get to dance if a guy comes up and asks you. Then you sway back and forth because they don't teach us how to properly dance in America. I was asked by a few guys throughout the night, including a guy from Iceland who spun me around every few seconds. But I kept seeing the guy I had met at the dance the night before in the corner of my eye. Why couldn't I stop looking at him? And he was obviously with another girl the entire night, better just ditch that option.

I finally just ended up dancing with a few of my new friends in a group because it was getting boring waiting for a guy to come and ask you to dance. It was much more fun. Suddenly, I look to my left and there is Wes.

"Can I join you guys?"

"Of course!"

After a little while of dancing, I get a tap on my arm. He leaned over and asked if I had a date for tomorrow to the gala night, which is basically like a prom for Festinord. I, of course, didn't because my flirting game is pretty terrible. Not to mention I didn't even know that you were supposed to get dates for the gala night. So I responded with a no I don't have a date.

Believe it or not, I was asked to accompany this incredibly handsome guy to the lovely ball.

We danced, we ate berliners, we talked to a guy about leggings, and walked around the block a couple of times.

Then we went to the after party on the beach where we ran into the water and immediately regretted it.

 

And before I knew it,

everybody was right..

I was in big trouble.

Festinord: Part 1

So

this is kind of the point in time I've been anxious to write about.

After Rome, which was in mid may, I didn't go on any trips. My host mom had been pregnant and they wanted me to stay at home for a couple months for obvious reasons. It was also because my next trip I had had planned since the first month I came to Germany, was quite a doosy.

Every summer there is a big young single adult conference for LDS members in the Nordic countries called

Festinord

Young single adult members come from all over Europe to this conference to hang out with a large group of people their age with the same morals and values for an entire week full of dancing, partying, and flirting. I had a friend who met her now husband there and convinced me that I had to go. So I did. And before I left, all I heard from anybody was "Oh no Sydnee, you're going to find a guy there and be in big trouble." Yeah... Right...

I convinced someone else in my ward, Bryonna, to accompany me for her second time and she brought her friend Leticia and Victoria. We hung out together for the most part.

This year the conference was held in Naantali, Finland.

A little harbor town full of charm and freezing cold water.

The first day of the conference was a big scavenger hunt type of thing full of activities. 

And ended with a dance (like every night did) that the Finnish leaders told us to turn down the music, so we left instead.

By the end of the first day, I had made friends from Norway, Russia, Latvia, Iceland, Finland and probably more places I can't even remember.

The next morning I had signed up to do Geo-caching. Still not really sure why I decided to participate in that activity, but I did. I ended up in a group with some guys from Denmark, a girl from Korea and a guy from England.

It was mostly just a walk around the town and it was nice. I struck up a conversation with the guy from England. We talked a lot of the time. He seemed like a pretty nice guy.

The theme for the dance that night was "Once upon a time" and we were supposed to dress up as characters. I'm a nanny and also not very creative so I dressed up like Mary Poppins.

I met up with my Russian friend and Leticia and we danced the night away. One of the most fun nights of my life.

After a while I saw the guy I had talked to that morning geo-caching. I yelled his name and he came over and started dancing with us, even brought a couple of his friends. I was having so much fun dancing. One of his friends ended up next to me dancing and after a bit I finally got the courage and I leaned over and yelled "Hi! What's your name!?"

He smiled, leaned over to me and said,

"My name is Wes! What's yours?!"

#selfie

Roman Holiday: Day 2

Day two in Rome was just as good as the day before.

Full of people chasing after me trying to sell me crap I don't want, strange smells and lots of walking.

The sights however...

amazing

They say if you throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, you will find yourself again in Rome.

So.. I simply had to.

And my biggest regret, not going into the Vatican City. However, my feet did hurt so badly that I wanted to cry at this point.

Now all I want to do is eat pasta and say grazi!