Showing all posts in Travel

In New York City, Partial Molar Pregnancy, Swedish in America

Nervous for nothing?

Author Fanny SuraPosted on Leave a comment

May 20, 2019

On Thursday I took the train into Manhattan. I arrived at Grand Central and walked over to Dunkin Donuts on 2nd Ave. I have not been at that dunkin since we lived two blocks away from it back in 2013. On the train ride in I felt a little strange, I figured it was that I needed breakfast so I ordered a bagel with cream cheese and a small decaf coffee cause I was afraid that caffeine would make me feel even more strange. I wanted to sit in the Dag Hammarskjold park but there were some Asian thing going on. Yellow t-shirts, Asians all over the place, people speaking in microphones, a Swedish flag in the middle of the crowd (huh?) and a marching band playing. So instead I walked across the street to a tiny park where J and I have had many breakfasts at before. After awhile the park was filled with mini alcohol bottle drinking men and women and the park smelled like “funny smoke”. I now got a headache so I left. The Swedish Consulate was just around the corner, I was 25 minutes early but I didn’t mind. Getting a new passport was quick and easy. Now I have to wait two weeks and then go back in and pick it up.

I mentioned in a previous post that I was nervous for that appointment if I had to do the treatment and I thought about rescheduling. Nervous for the side effects. It kept me awake every night in Paris. What if I throw up on the train, what if I feel like absolute shit and have to take a photo at the consulate looking like crap, what if I get all the side effects there is and I just can’t get myself to Manhattan what would happen to my passport then? What if, what if, what if… And then the nurse at the ER told me that I probably wouldn’t get any side effect at all and I was more calm on Thursday. So I guess I freaked out for nothing. But I have never had chemotherapy before. Just because I’ve never been allergic to any medicines and stuff in the past doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be affected by the chemo. 

I felt mostly fine and I ended up having an amazing day to myself in the city. After the appointment, I walked up town, got a latte at a Parisian place (I wasn’t ready to let go of Paris yet I guess) and then walked to Central Park. Eventually I found myself a spot on the grass where I could enjoy my coffee and read my book. After a little while I decided to walk through the park to midtown, buy a make-your-own salad and walk down to Bryant Park. I probably looked like a lunatic on Fifth Avenue when I tried to walk close to the wall of the buildings and hide from the sun. It was soooo hot out and the sun was strong, but after the treatment I can’t really be in the sun (my cells was killed so my skin had no protection) so I didn’t want to take my sweater off and I had forgot my sunscreen. Bryant Park was PACKED! People walking in circles trying to find one chair or a spot to sit on. I decided to walk to Grand Central, take the next train back and eat part of the salad on the train instead. I was home by 2pm. 

6:30 am this morning I had another blood test done. Waiting for the results and tomorrow afternoon we have an appointment with our doctor. Hopefully I won’t need another treatment. 

The building inspired by a trashcan 

In Europe, France, Travel

Louvre

Author Fanny SuraPosted on Leave a comment

May 18, 2019

The famous pyramids at the Louvre in Paris was designed by architect Ieoh Ming Pei who also designed the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland that my husband and I visited two years ago. I.m Pei died this week at age 102. Both designs are beautiful and I’m glad I have seen both of these in person. 

I have always been interested in architecture. If you have followed my blog for a longer time, you may have noticed that I often post pictures of buildings I like. New York is a great place to find many fine treasures. The Upper West Side is very interesting for example.

The Louvre was an interesting museum with some old cool art, but I was mostly interested in the different rooms – the walls and the ceilings – rather than the pieces of sculptures and paintings displayed. Ok, all of it is part of the museum, but I think you understand what I mean. I kinda rushed through rooms with only art displayed (while J also wanted to see the art and took his time there). That’s why the Opera, Palais Garnier, was so much more of my interest (a separate post will come). I love to walk into a room or stand in front of a building and just stare at the details.
The Louvre had some really cool details as well. The art pieces, ya, there was some nice stuff there and it’s definitely worth going to, and if you don’t mind a big crowd you can see the Mona Lisa painting. The line to go in isn’t too bad so unless it’s pouring down, definitely go check it out. And while you are in the line you get a great chance to look at the building and the pyramids, so win win:) 

You’d think when they have seen the painting up front they would move, but nope,
people just hung out in front of it which made it impossible for anyone else to see it up close
This is a ceiling painting photographed in a mirror, so much easier to look at it that way than straight up This to me is really cool, it’s the size of a pocket watch. Look at all those details carved out! This was one of my favorites, and it was relatively new.
Large stone painting, 10 meters high, by Anselm Kiefer

In Europe, France, Travel

waiting by the phone

Author Fanny SuraPosted on Leave a comment

May 14, 2019

We came back from Paris on Sunday night. Guess if I have a lot of photos, haha. Even Jim have lots of photos on his phone from this trip (he usually never does). We had an amazing time! But any trip with Jim is amazing, it doesn’t matter where we are:)
Paris wasn’t exactly how I had imagined it though but it was still cool to go there. I expected the city to be in full bloom and have warmer weather for picnics in the parks in the month of May. But the parks barely had grass and the whole city is under construction, full of road work and scaffolding everywhere and more tourist than I have ever seen before. It was still cute and romantic, but that’s if you turn off to streets where noone else is. I guess movies and pictures romanticize this city so much more than it is.
I’m very happy that we went. J and I have a good mix of beach and bigger city vacations. The next trip is a road trip to Canada. 

This trip was supposed to be a nice getaway for us two after losing our baby, but as you know, I’m not done with the pregnancy yet. I barely slept this trip. Not knowing if I need treatment or not has been kinda stressful and I think my hormones are all over the place, I didn’t quite feel like myself this trip and poor Jim had to deal with me:( Right now I’m just sitting here at my desk in my office starring at my phone. Waiting for this phone call is no fun. Will I go in for chemo today or not? 
I’m actually not nervous for the treatment really, I’m more stressed about that I have an appointment at the Swedish Consulate in NYC on Thursday and I’m worried that I might have side effects from the chemo then. I can’t reschedule either since I don’t know if the treatment will be a one time thing or weekly, and I need a new passport before the old one expires. This makes me extremely nervous. But hopefully I won’t need treatment, and if I do I hopefully don’t have any side effects. 

In Travel

in need of vacation

Author Fanny SuraPosted on Leave a comment

May 8, 2019

I’m so ready for a weekend getaway with my husband. We need it. Some time just the two of us exploring a new place. 

Really hope and wish for some good weather though. It’s never fun to go to a city like Paris, New York or London when it rains. Ok, it’s never fun in any city if it rains, but it’s different when you go to like the Caribbean or Scandinavia or something. You likely spend so much more money when going to a bigger city so you want to really enjoy it. I’ve been picturing us having a picnic with wine in a park in Paris so I want at least one dry spot on the grass at some point this weekend, haha, is that too much to ask for 😉 

I’m dropping Thor off at his sitter around 2pm and after that I have to shower, get ready and pack before taking a taxi to Newark at 6 or so. T can’t know that something is going to happen so we have to be smart about it, otherwise he’s anxious and “cries” loudly the entire day. I did laundry and picked out some clothes to wear yesterday, so packing should be somewhat quick. 

Wiiihh, I’m excited! Hope you’ll have a wonderful weekend!

Picture from our last trip to Sweden in January. Hopefully warmer in Paris this weekend:)

In Travel, Uncategorized

exciting weekend coming up

Author Fanny SuraPosted on Leave a comment

May 7, 2019

Kauai, January 2018

Good Evening everyone! Tomorrow is a very exciting day. Jim and I are flying to Paris!! Ok, we don’t land until Thursday so I guess that’s the exciting day:) 
I have since my early 20s been thinking that one day I want to do a romantic trip to Paris with the man I love before we decide to have a family (obviously didn’t know it was going to be with Jim then). Paris was never on the top on my list of places I wanted to visit, but the thought of a romantic weekend was, haha, ehm..ya, whatever.
After J and I had our baby talk almost exactly one year ago, I mentioned my thought about Paris before a kid. We actually started to look into it then, but we didn’t find a good time for it that summer or fall because we had other trips planned, people to stay with us and things booked and planned. And then we got pregnant. I thought “oh well, whatever, we can go in the future and have a baby sitter or something”. 
Almost directly after losing the baby, we booked our tickets to Paris. We didn’t know about the cause of this pregnancy loss then and what it would mean for me these past three months. But the closer we got to this week and the lower hormone level I got the more I thought that this would be our celebration that we can move on, start over, kinda. But I’m not done yet unfortunately. Apparently my level went up on my last test and my doctor asked if I wanted to do the treatment on Monday this week or wait and do another blood test next Monday when we are back and do treatment then if level doesn’t change. Her suggestion was to wait since she knows that we are going on this trip and she want us to enjoy it (so sweet). It would suck to have side effects to deal with on vacation. 
So this trip is not quite a “celebration that we can move on”, but we can get some quality time together and be romantic anyway. I have cold sores in my face and can’t kiss him at the moment (my hormones went up and the lady-week is coming up so that probably triggered cold sores to break out) so that’s not very fun, but whatever, we can hold hands and stare into each others eyes 🙂

Aahh, I’m so excited! Of course we want to do all the tourist stuff, but I also kinda just want to relax for once. We’ll see what we have time for. Right now I’m just hoping for good weather. Looks like it’s going to rain a lot. But if it does, we’ll just hang out at the Louvre. 
Woohoo! Paris!