MARATHON POST WARNING!
Quick questions and answers to sum up 2016.
1. One word that describes 2016? Tank-topping.
2. Something that you hadn't done before? A lot of firsts this year. Bachelor degree. Being a accidental store manager. Getting a new job as a marketing coordinator. Probably getting married soon. Life's so good, it makes me want to vomit.
3. Which countries did you visit? 100 x Stockholm-Tallinn, Berlin, London, Helsinki (lol) and the most amazing trip to Italy (Milano-L'ago-Cinque Terre-Bologna-Venice-Asolo-Como).
4. Greatest achievement of 2016? 1. Actually managed to write my thesis and get a bachelor degree in Modern history and Swedish language. 2. Holding the fort together when I became a store manager, which lead to a new career path, the road to marketing and moving back to Estonia. 3. My Fred and our relationship is ♡♡♡.
5. Best purchase? A longboard, tickets to see Adele and Foals and investments that went into Airbnb in Stockholm, Italy and Tartu.
6. Something that made you really happy? The moment when we sat together with 100 Italians and ate the "End of summer" dinner. The moment when I found out the grade of my bachelor thesis. The moment when we understood with Fred that shit is getting serious. The moment when my best gäris were in the same room and we were having so much fun despite me leaving Stockholm the next day.
7. Saddest moment? When I found out at Adele's concert that my grandfather died, luckily everyone cried there for different reasons. Also the moment I walked on a plane and left Stockholm.
8. What song reminds you of 2016? Adele - Love in the dark. Foals - Total life forever. Julia Spada - Lägg dig ner.
9. Favourite TV show of 2016? Why have I answered this question every year? Everybody knows the answer, it has and will always be Õnne 13 and as of this year I have seen ALL the Õnne 13 episodes. Should have put that on the biggest achievement of 2016 list. To be fair "Ex on the beach Sverige" and "Paradise Hotel" gave a good competition to Õnne 13.
10. Favourite book of 2016? Embarrassing part is that the bachelor thesis took away my will to read. Now that is behind me and I can start reading again. Unfriend me!
11. Best record and concert 2016? Solange "A Seat At The Tabel" kicked Lemonade ass + Adele "25". Also had the honour to see Adele and Karenn live, that was amazing! And the Foals concert in Italy, Yannis Philippakis jumped on my hands! Best touch down in 2016!
12. How do you remember year 2016? In 2015 I wrote: "To be honest it has not been a great year, no extreme lows nor highs. 2015 was a needed step for something better, I hope." 2016 so kicked 2015 ass. Despite Brexit, Trump and nervous times around the world, my year has been amazing. I worked so hard and cried at times, but it payed off. Missing Stockholm so-so much *bought tickets to Sweden as I was writing this*.
13. Top three events of 2016? 1. Fred's surprise birthday party in March; 2. My graduation in June; 3. Our Italy trip with Erik and Laura in August (this is random order)
I choose this picture to represent the year 2016, I will call it "Sometimes lose, always win".
The (ex) prime minister of Estonia and I:
Alright, let's get this caravan moving!
JANUARY 2016
1. New Year's Eve. The beginning of a great friendship with the Sollentuna family:
2. At work we had just opened our new store and I got a permanent contact. Everything seemed to get better, until our boss was taken away to the area office. This is us sending away our Queen. Sad yet proud:
3. I continued to fell in love with Stockholm:
4. I became friends with this bighearted Dutchman, it feels sad that we aren't that close anymore:
FEBRUARY 2016
5. The Stockholm routines were established. The money problems disappeared as Skatteverket allowed me to work and I was a legit person in Sweden. About that time I made a decision that I have to graduate that spring:
6. At the store I got a lot of working hours and felt like part of the family.
Although it was a messy time in the management team.
I still felt like a retard speaking Swedish, therefore I did a lot of homework by reading Swedish news and watching Swedish TV. Every day was such a struggle. Like at first I didn't understand when Cissi said "Vacker som en spädbarnsförlossning", but then I realised my Swedish is just fine and Cebbe is just an amazingly freaky human being. So much love:
7. We had an agreement that I will work and he will study. He was happy to be studying UX and IT at KTH (so many abbreviations!). Also he realised that Sweden has mountains (Estonia has none), so he was snowboarding every weekend:
8. We lived together in little room and spent a lot of time in the laundry room washing away our sins:
9. In February I visited Estonia to charge my batteries and get some help for my upcoming thesis:
In Estonia I catched up with my ginger:
Walked around in Tallinn like a tourist:
10. Back in Sweden there wasn't any weekend that we wouldn't spend together with our Dutchman.
Our goal was to get him laid (spoiler alert! done and done):
11. Sollentuna and karaoke - serious shit:
12. Met with this lovely shoe designer from Taiwan:
MARCH 2016
13. One of the top three events of 2016:
Fred's 25th birthday and the surprise party at Airbnb (click and check the whole story):
Our Stockholm friend Ewoud had asked Fred to "help him to carry one table he was planning to buy" and I had asked my Swedish friend to pretend to live at that apartment, otherwise I would have been impelled to go downstairs to open the door for Ewoud and Fred, which would have blown our cover.
Do you follow? Basically Fred just came to help a friend out and little did he know...
When they walked in I jumped out and said "Surprise! Romantic weekend getaway is on!". He was mind blown and when I started to show him around and behind every corner one friend jumped out, then his heart definitely skipped a beat:
It was such a warm spring day in Stockholm and posh Östermalm was the place to be:
I could have rented just the balcony, since we were only there:
The surprise party was a success.
Some drinks were taken and some booties were shaken:
The concentration of good company was high!:
The hangover was real, yet we supported one another.
It became even clearer that Erik is one of my best friends, I miss him a lot:
Also the word that describes 2016 very well is tank-topping.
Than means being a random person at a party, drinking too much, puking everywhere even on the wall, putting the alarm on annoyingly early and leaving 6am taking all the trash with you:
I have won the best girlfriend title seven years in a row, no one else is even trying:
14. I became obsessed with Weimar Hounds and probably 2017 will bring a dog to our family:
APRIL 2016
15. That month was boring, since I only stayed in and wrote my thesis.
The spring arrived to Stockholm:
15. That month was boring, since I only stayed in and wrote my thesis.
The spring arrived to Stockholm:
The only nature and sunlight I saw was walking to and from the library:
Really thought I won't be able to graduate:
16. Found out after eight months living in Sweden that theatre tickets are so cheap
and they are available for the same day:
17. Money well spent, we bought a longboard:
18. Stockholm suited me very well:
19. Best restaurant of 2016: fancy Günthers Korv:
20. We saw Karenn live and it was magic:
21. The cherry blossom:
22. It was April and it snowed outside, but my girlfriends and I, we drank the cold away.
Cheers for new acquaintances!
23. First time in my life I got to experience the true Swedish Valborg celebrations.
It was lit!
24. One of the most memorable moments of 2016 - Adele concert.
She was perfection:
MAY 2016
25. I flew to Estonia to spend time with my family as my grandfather had passed away (bye gramps).
Also I did my last exam and got maximum points (it was Swedish exam, booyaa):
26. The weather allowed to walk home at night with only tank-top on:
27. May flowers, May showers:
28. Took the bikinis out after I had submitted my thesis
(or maybe Triin did it and forged my signature,
as I wasn't in Estonia and couldn't physically do it myself):
29. In May we had to move to this temporary space far away from Stockholm.
Very weird period in our life:
30. My 25th birthday party.
As we were homeless the Sollentuna family were kind enough to throw me a party at their house. I cannot express my gratitude towards these people, I hope we will meet again to raise a glass for Sollentuna!
"Fuck Google. Ask me." - a wise man once said:
Met up with Maria, my classmate from Kopli. Somehow we both ended up in Stockholm.
We are having some crazy 32 bus flashbacks here:
The perks of living abroad, the timezones extend your birthday.
This was the biggest candle I have ever blown (is it just me, or does this just sounded dirty?):
I don't know any greater feeling than walking home 4AM on 22th of May.
The intoxication, sunrise and the smell of lilacs
(didn't even care about the 12year olds that were puking on the night-bus):
He kissed the hangover away:
Fred gave me this awesome Õnne 13 birthday gift.:
I LOVE BIRTHDAYS AND LILACS:
JUNE 2016
31. The Slakthuset rooftop is the sign of summer
(The Monki had its birthday, that's why all the glitter):
Julian upgraded my Stockholm experience as he showed me why all the Swedes drink cava:
32. At work there were a lot of changes and pregnancies.
Then I became the substitute store manager assistant, okou:
33. I flew to Tallinn for one day to defend my thesis.
I got a good grade and was actually graduating!
After some sweat and hard work we changed into party clothes:
Really-really happy moment. Just an hour after my thesis defence.
I FUCKING DID IT!
My little bro was also graduating university.
Cheers!
Again it was time to fly back home to Stockholm:
34. Then everything felt chill again.
On our lunch breaks we tanned outside with my gäris:
35. We moved yet again. This time to a studio, which was closer to the city centre:
36. One of the top three events of 2016 = my graduation.
Yet again we went to Estonia, I put on pretty clothes and owned it:
Felt so pretty and happy:
Could not have done it without the support of this gentleman:
I really deserved a cocktail:
My friends came to gratulate me.
#koorekiht:
You cry, you torture yourself, you succeed and then it feels so sweet:
37. I was not the only one graduating, my friends at the Drama school did it too!:
The relief and joy:
"Be strong and conquer the Estonian theatres,
so I could come to your Tähelaev to talk about your embarrassing stories on TV."
The bootcamp is over,
back to the daylight:
I felt like a proud mama seeing the happy kids:
May the love never end!
38. Midsummer celebrations at Hiiumaa.
"When you're going to Hiiumaa, make sure to wear some flowers in your hair"
As I had some vacation days left and together with my friends we took the retro ferry to Hiiumaa:
Met some Hiiumaa locals, the lamas:
The midsummer squad:
39. Quick girl-talk before I left the Motherland again:
And a quick tan:
40. This time I went back alone, since Fred applied for an internship and was waiting for a reply.
I knew it already then that another long distant relationshit was about to start:
JULY 2016
41. Back in Sweden
(The first half of the year I was also a guide for Estonian school-kids visiting Stockholm.
They fell on their asses when they saw how young I was, usually guides are almost dead):
Rooftop parties and dog Sancho kept me entertained:
41. Back in Sweden
(The first half of the year I was also a guide for Estonian school-kids visiting Stockholm.
They fell on their asses when they saw how young I was, usually guides are almost dead):
Rooftop parties and dog Sancho kept me entertained:
42. Then we got a confirmation that Fred will be staying in Estonia.
However he flew over to smooch with her girlfriend. Hångla! Hångla! Hångla!
The summer was on!
It was a bliss that our apartment was near the best beach of Stockholm:
It easy to love Stockholm during the summertime:
Overly attached friend Wilma:
That drunken summer night we agreed that we must celebrate our love with a big party:
43. Then Fred left, however my daily pace was so fast that I didn't even have time to be sad.
Work shit hit the fan, but I handled it with a smile:
44. I bought the tickets to Italy and started to train my tummy with gelato:
My Italian friend gave me tips about the upcoming trip:
45. While acting like a store manager (fake it until you make it)
my team kept me sane and supported me the whole way.
MINA GÄRIS! Jag saknar er så jävla mycket!
46. My friend Farah became 30!
Underbara Farah:
She is so pretty that I have to add one extra picture:
I remember walking home that night, it was so warm and bright outside and
I was so happy:
At work we celebrated the Stockholm Pride:
AUGUST 2016
49. The Scottish unicorn Charlie paid me a visit, I was surrounded by so much love!:
50. In August my wonderful vacation started and I flew straight to Estonia for Ott's birthday.
Yo, he is the best:
Basically straight from airport to Romantiku road,
where O and M had their birthday party.
"Quick, no time to explain, grab the swan!":
My favourite dish - a big bowl of friends:
Long nights and blurry memories:
The morning after deep thoughts:
51. Then it was time for the annual
"let's go to Haapsalu and celebrate my little brother's birthday" tradition:
Never too old for car full of balloons:
Years go by but a photoshoot at Haapsalu is a must:
I miss the summer breeze:
52. Then it was time to pack our bags and fly to Italy!:
Beyoncé would say: "If you like it then you should put a ring on it!"
Finally this white girl got some sun:
Captain Dog is leading people into safety:
A then a sudden palm penis appears:
After all the adventures we arrived back to our small home villages and we got a knock on the the door, our hostess invited us to the church square for "End of the summer dinner" that the local people had made. A.k.a. unlimited wine and homemade Italian food.
*word cannot describe this bliss, it was difficult to write the Airbnb review*
"NO SBEAKY ENGLIIISH, ONLI IIIITALIAAANO!":
The view from our Airbnb balcony at 1am (notice the lightning on the left):
Our trip companions and besties.
We are like Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Kim and Kanye...or wait...more like Johannes, Alma, Laine and Krissu!:
The view from our balcony was even better in the daylight, so we all cried a little over the beauty
which lead to serious dehydration so water tanking was in order.
Polar bears aren't used to with this oven situation:
Venice, amore!
The reason why we flew to Italy was the Foals concert which was a-mah-zing!
Yannis Philippakis stage-dived on my hands! I touched him!:
SO HAPPY! We moshed and we jumped and we had so much fun!
Fred flew back a bit earlier because of his job.
But we stayed and tasted some lake Como:
In 2016 I found out that I am a freak, because I can stretch my toes so wide:
Bye-bye Italy!:
The cucumber cocktail bring all the girls to the yard:
54. Met up with my dear Parisian:
55. Spent some time with my family:
SEPTEMBER 2016
56. Back to Stockholm, back to work.
Luckily my dear German came for a visit and we bought a classical Swedish start-up kit:
57. I was addicted to gelato:
58. The Estonian, the Italian and the German went to Gröna Lund amusement park
and the Estonian shat herself:
Wippiii!
59. Enjoyed the warm Stockholm autumn:
I was a month away from turning my life upside-down:
60. I went to London to clear my thoughts:
Of course I went to Dishoom, the best restaurant by far.
(that day I said yes to my new job and moving back to Estonia):
Did some Tinder profile pics with my brother:
Drank some corner-shop piss:
Kät came over from Paris,
so Eddie, Patsy and Bubbles were united:
OCTOBER 2016
61. From London to Stockholm. From Stockholm to Berlin. And little work in between:
Berliner:
Paula did not fail to deliver: she greeted me with popping the
German Sovetskoye bottle as I walked in the apartment. Before even I
got the chance to sit down, I already had a vodka shot in my hands:
The 5am Berlin rooftops and quality company:
I have a special place in my heart for Paula.
What an unicorn! Rare and unique:
Bye-bye Berlin:
62. Last after-work outside before it's winter cold:
and they are glad to get rid of you:
64. Ave came for a visit with the prime minister, no biggie:
65. I took Paula's & Other Stories virginity:
66. Visited theatre many-many times before I moved away from Stockholm:
The Royal Opera and glasses of champagne:
67. Then came the last day at work. Yes, I cried, but first we did selfies:
Cissi rapped and I cheered:
We hugged, we cried, we said goodbye:
What a bloody wonderful gang!
Thank you for taking this weird Estonian into your family:
69. Then it happened. I packed my bags and moved back to Estonia.
Sad yet happy, since I got to be with him again:
70. It became a tradition to go straight from the airport to Ott's place:
These two boys integrated me back to Estonian society:
71. I had missed driving my car and listening Kendrick Lamar with high volume:
NOVEMBER 2016
73. My friends really tried to ease my moving back, so our every weekend was planned.
In November we went to Tartu:
We checked out the newly opened Estonian National Museum.
We rented Airbnb and we were very gracious:
Long nights and self-timer:
74. Career-wise I started at a new position.
So cool and scary at the same time:
75. Thanks to our Helsinki office I got to meet up with my Erasmus friends:
DECEMBER 2016
76. Trying to catch up with friends.
Who has broken up? Who have got engaged? Who became a vegetarian? When? Why? How?
77. New tradition was made.
The Sunday dinner with friends:
This pictures describes our relationship so well,
weird trio, never third wheels, always best friends:
The girlpower was strong in every country:
79. New job started to make sense and I understood what I was doing.
Success!:
80. Then Christmas came and friends from abroad came to visit:
One even from Australia:
81. Little brother came home form London and we tested the self-timer again:
He also needed a new Tinder picture:
82. Then I kicked the 2016 out from the picture and welcomed 2017!
Did someone actually read all this?
TL;DR 2016 good, me happy.
My year 2013 part I (link) and part II (link).
Year 2014 part I (link) and part II (link).
Year 2015 part I (link) and part II (link).
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