Cars and Cooking

January 22

Today was a LONG day but full of so many fun adventures. The first thing we did was go to Volvo. My roommate and I got up at 8:40 but were out the door by 9:30. From there we took about an hour trip to Volvo’s headquarters (I’ve been looking forward to this the entire time) so the entire way I just couldn’t wait to get there. Once there, we got to eat lunch at the Volvo headquarters which was so good. They served barbecue pork sandwiches, salads, sandwiches, soups, and more. The variety was incredible and I’m really jealous that the workers get to eat that everyday. After lunch, we all split up and took different models of Volvo’s with our guides (I don’t know the exact model I drove in but it was a really smooth ride-it also had a feature that could tell who didn’t have their seatbelts on which I found to be really helpful). We drove to the crash test location on Volvo’s campus which was so exclusive, even our guides that had been working there 20 or more years hadn’t seen one. We got extremely lucky to be able to see one as in past years, students haven’t been able to go to Volvo let alone a crash test. We weren’t allowed to take any pictures or talk about anything due to restrictions and privacy from Volvo, but I will say it was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. From the few pictures I was allowed to take, here are a few that show the lobby area we waited in checking out the newest models of Volvo’s!

Again, we weren’t allowed to take pictures once inside the factory but we got to tour where Volvo’s get put together from the engine to the exterior. It was insane-so much goes into a car and we just hop into it everyday. I literally watched doors be put on brand new Volvo’s, it was crazy how much robots do and how advanced technolgy has gotten for Volvo to be efficient. I learned a lot about how the factory functions and how much they produce. Something that really struck me was the factory never shuts down, they have three shifts throughout the day which I thought was crazy! Below is a picture on our long ride back to our hostel as the sun was setting!

Then we changed and got ready for COOKING SCHOOL! We walked over to Avequia cooking school where Chef Daniel and Chef Michael prepared 4 stations full of food that we were in charge of making and serving. The four course meal took about 2 hours to cook and then to serve took another two hours but wow was it worth it. Personally, I am not one to cook ever unless it’s rice or noodles so I was kind of nervous about it but it ended up being so fun and enjoyable. Sam and I were the starters and made salmon, crispy onions, potatoes, and onions. Here we are acting like we knew what we were doing.

Check out my food part of my site for more pictures of the courses. It was incredible! I would defiantly go again! The first course was what I made (salmon, onions potatoes, creme, and berries), the second was a beat salad, the third was the reindeer and kale, and last was sour cream ice cream and a cinnamon cake.

Daily Reflections

• I can in fact cook
• Volvo cars are superior in Sweden
• Workers here in Sweden don’t dress professionally but more casual and are more relaxed!