Workouts at Campus

Hi again!

When we had our orientation day at Campus we were told that we have free access to the gym and workout classes at the Athletic Center. I had been thinking a lot about the workout possibilities before we left, so the information was a happy surprise. Before the end of the first week we had already explored the gym and attended two of the cardio classes. It’s such a luxury to have an athletic center with classes and a fully equipped gym at
Campus. We definitely don’t have that in Sweden. Actually, almost everything about campus is different to Sweden. We don’t have dining halls, or as many cafés or restaurants as they have here. We basically have the University, the lecture halls and a couple of cafés/coffee shops and restaurants, the rest is located around town, like anywhere else.

However, back to the excitement regarding the exercise possibilities! So far my favorites have been the Zumba and the Hip hop Cardio classes. Both of them combine dancing and cardio and it’s great way to exercise and have lots of fun at the same time! The first couple of times the classes were so full that we couldn’t see ourselves in the mirrors because of the condensation… It was crazy hot and humid because they don’t have any air-condition (!) only one overworked fen in a corner of the room. Needless to say we have been dripping with sweat every class because of the heat (as you can tell from the pictures).

I would absolutely recommend future IIB-students to take advantage of the gym and the classes they offer. There’s two great and fully equipped gyms and a lot of fun classes, and I can guarantee that you won’t find a free gym (or the time) in NYC so take grab the chance while you have it!

Talk to you soon!

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Into the wild – Hiking at its best

The Mohonk Mountain Lake and House

Hello folks!

No, this time we won’t talk about zip lining, kayaking or tubing. We went HIKING last Saturday and it was great ! Our two lovely tour guides took us to the Mohonk Preserve (http://www.mohonkpreserve.org), so whenever you have the possibility to go there, you should definitely do so because it is just amazing! There are 85 miles of winding trails to experience, ranging in difficulty from beginner to advanced.

We started ourThe IIB Team ! tour early in the morning, all freezing because autumn arrived so suddenly and none of us was prepared for it. After a short introduction gWhat a view!ame where everybody had to present himself with some “true or false” stories, we headed towards the mountains where the colors of the leaves had already turned into orange and red.

After having walked for almost two hours, we had a little lunch break with an incredible view on the Mohonk Lake and the Mohonk Mountain House. The historic resort is located just beyond the southern border of the Catskill Mountains, west of the Hudson River. Our guides explained us that the resort was built by the twin brothers Alfred and Albert Smiley in the late 19th century and since then, has been operated by descendants of the Smiley brothers. Several famous people such as John D. Rockefeller, Theodore Roosevelt andInto the wild Julia Grant have stayed at this beautiful place. And rumors say that Stephen King likes to come over to get some rest and inspiration here…

Incredible colors We continued our way up to the Mohonk Sky Top where we had an amazing view over the whole preserve! It was absolutely worth walking and climbing (yes indeed, climbing as well!) that long to finally appreciate this view.

This was by far the best trip I’ve done during my stay in New Paltz so it will be hard to top that experience… But let’s see! I will keep you posted!

/P.

 

Kayaking the Hudson River!

This Saturday we went kayaking on the Hudson River. How amazing does that sound? Almost all of us went and, even though I hadn’t gotten very much sleep the nights before (I went to NYC really early Friday morning to do some interviews and I had been studying late all week) I was very excited about the adventure we had ahead of us. Tired but happy we went to buy some picnic and then we headed to the activity center where we were picked up by a jolly and humorous bus driver.

The bus drive took approximately fifty minutes and I enjoyed the scenery that whizzed past us outside the window. When we arrived at the Hudson River we realized that the weather conditions were a bit rougher than usual. Our kayaking instructor informed us that they had decided to change the route due to heavy gusts of wind out on the river. We got some quick instructions and then we put on our life vests and we each grabbed a paddle. The sun shined encouraging and we were not too worried about the wind even though the waves were a bit unruly…

We paddled for about forty, sometimes though, but mostly great and enjoyable, minutes until we reached a lake or what looked like a big lagoon. It was surrounded by the most magnificent mountain face, which together with the willows contributed to an incredibly peaceful and beautiful view. We stayed there for almost an hour, just floating around, enjoying the sun and taking pictures. After that we returned – this time with the wind on our side, gently brining us forward. Our way back was a Sunday stroll in comparison to our first struggles and it went a lot faster!

When we got back we were starving to the point where we ran to get our bagels as soon as we sat foot on land. We ate all of our food in no time and when the bus arrived we were quite happy to find our seats and lean back. No need to say, I fell fast asleep on our way home, with Stephanie on my shoulder.

P.S. I would definitely recommend this trip to other students! It is a fun way to explore the areas surrounding New Paltz without spending all of your money!

Talk to you later!

/Fanny

My first visit to The World’s Most Famous Arena

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One of the major reasons that I chose the IIB program is the chance to be in one of the most amazing event venue-cities in the world. And as a crazy New York Rangers-fan I would lie if I said I wasn’t biased towards Madison Square Garden. It’s not called “The World’s Most Famous Arena” for nothing as it has hosted some spectacular concerts and sporting events. Last week I unfortunately had to travel to JFK to visit customs for a new stamp in my passport and decided to do something good with the trip. I scheduled a tour of MSG.

9.30 in the morning I stood in the lobby among a bunch of typical tourists (including a group of guys from Sweden) excited for what was to come. I couldn’t believe the fact that I was actually here, where my precious Blueshirts spend so much time during the NHL-season. After a tour of the food court and “Defining Moments Exhibit” (where “The Great One” Wayne Gretzky had a case of his own) we got to go through a luxury suite into the arena space itself. During this day it was getting ready for night two of Kanye West’s show. The guide told us about the crazy fact that the reason we didn’t see any real stage was because he “floated” above the crowd. Talk about an innovative artist! It was magical to be here and picture that in just about a month the Rangers would hit the ice just below the temporary floor and the seats would be full with fans singing and shouting for their team.

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We moved up to the bridge that is the highest point of the arena for spectators. The view was amazing! But now came the part I was most excited for. We went all the way down to the floor level because now it was time to see the locker rooms. We entered through the glass wall that separated the players from the fans at Delta Sky360 Club during the teams’ entry to the ice during games. We walked past the rack where the hockey sticks are placed during games and there it was: the Rangers locker room. Just a few feet from the New York Knicks/New York Liberty locker room. It was truly a dream come true to see the place where surely a lot of emotions, pep-talks and frustration has taken place. A noticeable attribute is the fact that the Rangers logo is covered up by a carpet. Why? Ice hockey players are extremely superstitious and would rather not see or talk about the logo – and definitely not step on it as it would be bad luck. Yes, it’s true just read about when Justin Bieber stepped on the Chicago Blackhawks logo and what the sporting world felt about it. It’s no joke!

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That’s it for me this time, have a great week and never stop dreaming!