!SHOPPING Heaven!

WAUW. I am speechless! The last few days have been nothing but amazing!
First of all the weather has been wonderful (24 degress yesterday! Just saying...)
Second of all, Americans are the nicest people on earth and last but definitely not least - the shopping opportunities are breathtaking! Not only are ALL the good stores over here, all the prices are also 50% lower than our insanely high Danish prices! 
That leads to A LOT og shopping in Victoria'a Secret, Urban Outfitters, Mac, Levi's, Converse, Nike, Forever 21 and many other amazing stores. 
Here is a little outcast of the shopping-pictures I have taken during the week! Hope they reflect my joy, my mood and my love for the beautiful San Francisco!

Parts of the results of shopping in San Francisco

Union Square

Victoria's Secret

- Kristina

First day of school!

Today (thuesday) was our first day of school and first day of really experiencing the everyday life of the Americans. Cereals was eaten in the doorway just like back home so the morning rutine wasn't really that different. Except they eat Fruit Loops... I haven't tried it yet, but soon I will, because it is very american, they say.. 

Getting to school happened by car (of cause, it is California - duh!). Everyone overhere has a car and it is not unlikely to have six cars in your garage. Maybe I should just move to this place?

At the school all the people were so sweet and accomodating! Everyone asking me all those questions and wanting to hear everything about me, our country, the trip, our school, the school system and I think I might answered the same questions 30 times during today! But it was so much fun and I had the greatest time attending all Kailin's classes. It was really funny just to observe how the american students go to school and how a regular school day for them is like.

Kailin's latin class

Some of Kailin's best friends

After school Kailin's mom drove Rikke, Arne and I to the community pool where we stayed for a couple hours while our hosts did their homeworks and daily sports. 

The community pool

Some people actually still have an ordinay school day to run - even though that was hard to believe laying there grilling in the 27 degrees sun! 

But first, let me take a selfie

The sun was still high at 7 pm when Kailin's mom picked us up again and then the three of us went seperately. For dinner Kailin's dad had cooked the most delicious meal ever! How could he know that I was that much into a good steak? At any rate it was exquisite!
When finishing dinner Kailin, her little sister and I put on nailpolish and just sat and talked in the kitchen together with the whole family. We had a really great time and it was really cozy and relaxing!

Right now I am sitting in my bed and I am so exhausted. The time is 23.45 over here right now and back home with you guys it is 08.45 so most of you have just been to school for 45 minutes, while I have been writing on the blog in my bed, because I couldn't sleep due to the warmth.

I hope you all will have a great day. I will go to sleep now. Peace out and stay strong! 

- Pernille

Meeting my host!

Yesterday evening (monday) we met with our hosts at the put lock at Menlo-Atherton Highscool. At first we had dinner with all the other students and afterwards we went home by them. My host is called Kailin and she is amazing. I must say I was nervous about meeting her and her family but then I figured there was absolutely no reason for that! 

Me with Kailin and her little sister 

A part of their living room

Their kitchen

When we got home she showed me her house and I was absolutely overwhelmed. It is so cool! And they have like the coolest Porsche in their garage. At 9 pm it was still warm and pleasant outside so we just sat out there and talked for hours. They have this fireplace by their sofa arrangement which I keep thinking is the coolest thing ever. 



It is a big rectangle filled with crystals and when you turn on the gas and throw in a match, the fire comes up from underneath the crystals! Amazingly beautiful. I haven't got a picture of it yet, but I will!

After sitting out there talking about everything and nothing I went to bed in the most lovely guest room or almost guest house. 

Putting on nailpolish

I was very thrilled that they are so kind and accomodating and I went to bed only looking forward to spending the rest of my trip to California in the company of The Ambwanis!

Oh well, I just love them already

- Pernille

Alcatraz

Sunday we left our hostel at 8.45 and walked towards Pier 33, from where we should sail to Alcatraz. 

They are pretty exited I think

The walk up there was kind of a funny experience because the roads are so steep. Up and down, up and down all the time, which is why we went down by Cable Car after the trip to Alcatraz island. 

Cable car

It was amazing to go by boat to the island. Warm, high sun, wind in our hair, the most beautiful blue water and then the view of beautiful San Francisco seen from the seaside. 

Kristina absorbing all the sun she can get while enjoying the breeze on the boat

When we got to Alcatraz everyone was stunned. It is a very beautiful island indeed surrounded by clear blue water and then the island is filled with flowers, green trees and old jail buildings which are very very cool. 

The most beautiful view

We were walking around with headsets on and we followed the voice that took us through the jail, the officers house, the library the dining hall and everything else there and it was actually really scary to walk around there. 

The cells some prisoners lived in for an entire lifetime. Some of them were only allowed to come out once in two weeks for a shower and fresh air.

At some points it felt like being a prisoner at Alcatraz, because you could walk inside some of the cells while listening to real prisoners talking about living in there. 

We were told that some of the cells were haunted and then we were just thinking "Yeah right", but standing in those isolation cells... You got chills on your entire body!

Regular cell.
The isolation cells was to dark to take pictures in, and... it was also pretty spooky to just stand in there - so no pictures of those cells.

Even though it was scary it was a fantastic experience and I definitely would recommend every visitors in San Francisco to go see it and walk the route with the headset. It makes it so much more realistic and it was fantastic!

- Pernille

Jetlag, magical busses and LSD <3

Saturday we woke up feeling a bit jetlagged. I was pretty tired because I had woken up numerous of times during the night, but we were just so exited about what we were going to do that day, so we actually got up pretty early. 

We went to Union Square, which is like San Francisco downtown and here The Magic Bus picked us up. I have never, and I mean never, tried anything like that! 

The Magic Bus is a thorough hippie bus that took us on a time traveling tour through the history of San Francisco since the 60's. The guide, or the overly energetic, positive, happy, hyper hippie-girl in there, was the most funny thing ever. Everywhere we went she yelled "Peace brothers!" out of the window and always telling us that the only rule in the bus is that there are no rules! I am sure she was high on something owing to the fact that she brought us LSD <3 Okay, not really LSD, even though she said that, but it for sure kind of felt that way when the bus turned 3D!

So this is how to get LSD while visitting San Francisco 

 The bus was a driving combine of a cinema and a tourbus. We were sitting back to back looking out of the windows to see the Magic District which is the hippie district in San Francisco. So much diversity in one place - I loved it! 

The crazy tour guide gave us these glasses and then the bus turned 3-dimensional and all dark!

Then sometimes the windows got covered and a projector played pictures and clips from the 60's and 70's, and it almost felt like being back there in that time! 

We stopped at the Golden Gate park and Jesus, it was so beautiful! Flowers everywhere! 

The most beautiful flowers surrounded everything in The Golden Gate Park

When we returned to Union Square the rest of the day was spend on shopping and just having a great time exploring the fantastic city. A perfect first day for this trip, and again, the weather is still amazing! Just to brag.

- Pernille

The pleasant positive surprise of arriving

Owing to the lack of internet at the hostel we stayed at in San Francisco, unfortunately we haven't been able to bring our blog to update. But now we have settled in the houses of our host families and the internet has come to us!

Friday was pretty rough. We met at Viby Gymnasium at 5.45 and then we had the flight from Billund to Kastrup airport. When we got to Kastrup our plane to San Francisco was three hours late, so we killed the time shopping for candy, sharing our expectations with one another and just chilling in the airport waiting for the plane to arrive.
In the plane from Billund to Kastrup I (Pernille) got to sit next to one of my friends from my old school, ESAA, who now goes to Marselisborg Gymnasium. he was going to Malaysia and it was just so very coincidental and very much fun to meet him there of all places. In Kastrup Airport i also met some others from ESAA, who was going to New York - pretty funny to meet them there too...
When we finally got into the plane the time really just past so qiuckly. Amazing really, thinking of the fact that it lasted for 11 hours... But, the time flies when you are having a great time with great people!

Finally we landed in San Francisco and I must say I was surprised in the very best way you could ever imagine. So I have been told that the city is great, beautiful, free and things like that... But WOW! Never did I imagine it being so fantastic! 

At first the weather... Oh dear, it is so good. 23 degrees, sunshine and clear skies and we are walking around feeling burning hot in shorts and crop tops! I should have packed more cold clothing, I am sure, but yet again, I had never imagined it being that tropical over here at this time of the year. They also told us that it is very rare for the weather to be this warm by now - but no complains from here! 

Quickly we discovered that these outfits were waaaaay to warm!

Our room at the hostel was pretty cool too. Small for being a room for four people, but intimacy is always a pleasure in the company of lovely girls!

And yes, the room smelled so badly of weed owing to the californian guys spending their time smoking weed in the yard just next to our window!

Furthermore the people overhere are so kind and friendly! Every time you walk into a shop you feel like you are The Majesty herself. They treat you just that way - and it is not even in a try-hard kind of way. 

These guys were super cool and they knew how to work it in front of our cameras!

Another thing that is highly characteristic for San Francisco is the diversity. I just love to see how the many different sexualities and way of livings are so freely everywere. It is a pleasure to observe and already now I know that San Francisco is a city I definitely will visit again!

- Pernille

Hitting the road tomorrow!

Tomorrow is the day! At 05.40 am we meet at the parking lot and at 05.45 am we hit the road! 

I cannot believe that tomorrow at this time we are in San Francisco! All I have been able to think of the past week, or the past many months really, have been this trip. Half an hour ago I put the very last thing in my suitcase so now I am feeling totally ready for the trip and not least extremely excited! 

When we get to Billund Airport we have approximately an hours flight to Copenhagen Airport in where we will wait three hours until we can go to the plane towards San Francisco. The plane we are going to travel by is a big jumbo jet - which I am pretty fond of, because the flight lasts for 11 hours! 

At the hotel I will be roommates with Kristina, Anna Sofie and Emilie - and I look forward to that indeed. I am sure we will run absolutely girly-crazy amuck in our room! Or at least.. Having a great time getting to know each other even better. 

When we arrive and have settled we will tell you a lot more of how god damn amazing San Francisco hopefully is!

- Pernille