Rachel's Challenge

Sorry guys I haven't updated in a while, wish the days had more hours!
Has been two goods week at school. Last week was a mini spirit week at school. It was a "sport week" to support all the winter sports at school (wrestling, basketball, soccer). We gave cookies to the coaches and encouraged people to go to the games. I went to the varsity boys basketball game Thursday. To bad Shadow Ridge lost.
I spent most of the weekend home, doing homework and other stuff I needed to have done before I leave to Hawaii!! :D 2 days left!!! 

Today at school we had an assembly (when the entire school meet in the gym) to listen to a presentation about Rachel's Challenge. It's a program that exist since 10 years ago in the US (and it's spreading to the rest of the world) to challenge people to be kind to each other and try to get  chain reaction of kindness. It's started with a girl who got shot in a shooting in a High school in Colorado 1999. Her family found her diary where she had wrote about her goals and dreams to have an impact on the world some day and start a chain reaction of kindness. One of her quotes: " you never know how far a little kindness can go". Her dreams have become true, her story has changed a lot of people's lives and saved kids from taking thier lives. Her challenges are: See the positive in people, Don't judge people before you give them at least 3 chances, Treat people like you want them to treat you, tell people what they really mean to you as you never know what's gonna happen and spread kindness and positive attitude around you. Think about that!
check out the webbpage!

http://www.rachelschallenge.org/

Tomorrow my friend Sofia from Sweden comes from Kentucky (she is an exchange student as well)!!!
She will be spending two nights with me here in AZ and then we'll be leaving for Hawaii on Saturday!!! My life is so awesome right now, so excited :D

Martin Luther King Day

I've had today (Monday) of school because it's Martin Luther King Day which is a holiday in most parts of America. I went with my friend Hallie and her family on a 10 miles (16km) hike in the White Tanks mountains (the mountains behind my neighborhood). Haven't been hiking in a while so my feet hurt so bad now... But it was really a nice hike with nice ppl! And everything was so pretty! I've never seen so many cactuses at the same time from so close by. Cactuses are so much bigger than I thought they were. Obviously I burned my self even though I had sunscreen on, haha!
Today is also the day Barack Obama officially got inaugurated as the president of the States for the next 4 years. Saw part of the speech and celebration on TV. GO OBAMA!

Random facts

Has been a really good week at school so far, hopefully Friday will be as good. I don't know why, has just been good. Been at practice all three days as well. I'm soo sore... Can barely walk.
Just thought about some stuff about school to write about don't know if I've already told ya in the past but whatever.

- As a teacher you are not allowed to wear jeans except from Fridays, but then you have to wear a "school spirit shirt". Can be a shirt from a school sport, a shirt with the school logo or a shirt in the school colors.
- Exactly like in the movies there is a bell ringing at the end of class, a minute before class starts (minute bell) and then one when class starts.
- If you are late in the morning you have to go to the office and get a "tardy pass" before going to your class.
- Every day you have the same 6 classes, in the same order.
- Because of all the things that have happened in the country with school violence we have now a new security policy. All the doors (both to the building and classrooms) have to be locked all day. Only the teachers are allowed to open them and they have to be able to see you through the window before opening them.
- In the hallways there are water fountains everywhere.
- A lot of americans ask me if we speak english in Sweden but with an other accent. (they mean instead of having our own language).

Spent some time out in the sun when I came home from practice today, trying to get a tan before Hawaii, I have 2 weeks to work on it :D
The funny thing is that even though I live in a desert I'm almost never outside in the sun... Kind of weird but I guess when you take the sun for granted you don't take advantage of it like we do in Sweden.

smoothie and tan after practice

My baby <3

Mid year Orientation

I've had the mid-year orientation this weekend with YFU. We have three orientations during the year that are mandatory for all the exchange students to attend. This orientation was at Tanya's house (my area-rep). They check so that everything is okay with everybody and talk about stuff like homesickness,  hostfamilies, school etc. We spent saturday night in the hot tub looking at the stars (it's never cloudy here) - so pretty! Have to say YFU is the best organization!
It has been a fun weekend, nice to meet everybody again.

Bought a new pair of shoes today :) they were on sale and then we also had a coupon, got them for $22 (150kr), such a great deal!
Has been really cold here lately, this weekend the temperature has been below 32F (under 0C) at least during the night, the coldest weather in arizona in 30 years!

Last Thursday I went see the varsity girl's soccer game at school. It was our (Shadow Ridge) home game against Desert Edge. Since my friend Gabi is playing in Desert Edge soccer team I went to see the game. They won, haha don't know which team I was holding on, guess both. Not a lot of people go and see the games... Would be more fun if they would.
Other than that I have track practice three days a week. In three weeks I'll be laying on the beach in Hawaii, life is pretty awesome!

soccer game

Dinner thursday

new shoes!

Home made Sangria

Hot Chocolate

Yaya and Bruna at the soccer game

Breakfast sunday morning

Break is over

Feels like break started yesterday... Today it was time to go back to school. Has been a good break! Have been spending time with my family, had a great Christmas, a good time in Vegas, been with awesome friends and had a good New Year. Don't want break to be over! A weird thing about New Year here is that they didn't have any fire works, they keep them until the 4th of July. I was surprised by that!
Pretty cold here now, during the day the temperature is usually around 60F (15C) but at night it goes down to 35-40F (2-4C). It's cold for being in Arizona!
I'm now the only foreign exchange student in my school as Allanah went home to Australia. She was only here for the semester, I'm gonna miss her!
I have now 4 weeks of school and then I'll be off for a week going to Hawaii! Super excited :D

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas

Xmas Pictures!!