In Abu Dhabi

WOW, I gained internet acess in the exact spot I'm sitting in right now, a city called Abu Dhabi. Don't ask me what the country is called in english, but Förenade Arabemiraten is the swedish word.
I am now sitting in a small waiting hall that exactly look like a space ship. It's cool!
This was how my browser looked like; 

Some arabic typewriting. Maybe I'll learn more about it at Billy Blue.

I am feeling good at the moment, but I have never done anything harder than standing there at Arlanda Express seeing the doors closing in front of Daniel and I. Hope I won't experience that again. I barely can't think about it. But we lived through it and here start our adventures!

At SAS before landing in Brussles I got a bottle of champagne from a nice father-guy next to me. Good start! I landed this morning after maybe two hours of sleep with "stick in legsen" in Abu Dhabi with a flight from Brussles. Brysselkål. (Bryyhseel-khool). One week ago the flight company Etihad Airways decided to change a bit in the schedule so that instead of boarding for Sydney this morning I had to wait 15 hours in the Förenade Arabemiraten-place. Kul!

They where BEAUTIFULLY dressed!

 I think that the company almost made it up to me with the amazing food and service though. But after that small amount of sleep and no breakfast (you guys who know me better) I just sat there and cried quietly when I couldn't find a quiet and calm place (rebuildings everywhere) anywhere, to settle down. I realized after my first chewing of my breakfast that I hadn't looked everywhere either. Found a place that became "my own" Freja-place after a while. It's in one way amazing to know that I can take care of myself!

Now the other half of Rain Man waits for me. A big warm hug to all of you. I really miss you already.

Fly me to the moon

  Here I'm sitting at Berghs with 

                                               
          

in my ears, planning the final documents to be printed before takeoff. Everything is packed, ready to be carried across the planet. I've just made up a date with My Helger Friday where she will take me to anywhere it is possible to lie in the sun for at least a bit. If I'm going to paint and draw and design I need sun. Just look at my winter-hands!  

Elephant hands

Here we go!

This is a film about Billy Blue, the founder, and a little insight in my school:

                             
                            Billy Blue Graduation Animation from Leila Khiev on Vimeo.

Now I will be with Daniel to a 100% and I'll see you again Friday. In Sydney.

<3

Motivation

Moving abroad for a year or more is actually really tough. Most mornings I wake up feeling great about all the challenges in this coming adventure. But some I feel smaller than ever, and scared. Not scared of anything special, really, just of grasping the whole idea of leaving the life I have built up and start all over. That demands strength. At the same time I become filled with adrenaline; what a freedom to get the chance to experience this in my life! It's just plain freedom. What ever will happen it will come out as positive in the end. A swedish saying; "om livet ger dig en citron – gör citronsaft". The missing of people, the time it takes to get to know new ones, to feel home, the loss of inspiration that will of course occur once in a while, and the feeling of being the smallest person ever. All this together will make me grow in all possible ways to enrich my life. I only live once, and I gladly take the paths challenging me the most. 

Also, how strange it may even sound, I'm looking forward to me and my boyfriend Daniel being apart for a couple of months, more correct like seven long ones. We will give each other the freedom to be all by our selves and experiencing our own dreams that do not at this particular year cross but will walk side by side. Daniel, you couldn't possible give me anything more beautiful than this. Whatever dreams you may chose to follow in the future I will be there to support them. 

One thing I will keep with me and will help me feel strong even if everything around me changes, is my workout. Also, I hereby write for everyone to see that my goal is to run 10km three times a week. It'll take the time it takes and I will combine with some other stuff too, like for example learn for real how to surf. This is the right time for finally learning it, with me basically living in THE Surf-Country. 

Meet up with your colorful people close to your heart before you go

I really find it wonderful taking care of my relationships and spend valuable time with these lovely people that I know, even though I don't meet all of them very very often. I decided to visit all of them and hang with them, like a tour of friendvisits, before I take off. I can really recommend this if you're planning to leave your country for some time. To meet my grandmother, friends and relatives has now made me ready to take the step. It made me fulfilled to travel to Norway, Örebro, Linköping, Norrköping, Nyköping and Lund to see the one's coloring my life. But I'm so glad there is Skype to be able to still hang out once in a while. I have made usage of a lot of my traveling time to draw and paint and read and think and illustrate, and I've come up with a lot! (will show you on my website-to-be). I've used water color, become better at drawing hair when drawing portraits with graphite pencils and made some patterns for fabric/wallpaper. I have recently started to mix different illustrating styles with inspiration from other illustrators. There is no limit for what you can do really! A reading-tips for you designers who have managed to not heard of it, is Cap&design. Suddenly you've killed -or if you prefer, taking advantage of- three traveling hours! Oj!

To-Do-List

I have prepared enormously for my adventure to help me relax before it and avoid to feel worried. If anyone of you guys plan to move abroad, here follows a looooong check-list way to long if you're not in the target group for this list. At least, this is the things I've done. 

So, this is a To-do-list with all the things I could have possibly thought of before I leave for my adventure. Print it out if you feel like you'll need it some day. (Not in a special order.) 

• Look for matching scholarships, write, print papers, post it!
  

• Look for e-books to download
  

• Make sure to get/apply for CoE (called in Australia) from your school to be, and pay the deposit fee
  

• Recommendation letter for job
  

• Recommendation letter for living
  

• Print papers that could be good to show when I look for a place to live
  

• Apply for Visa
  

• Make a copy of passport
  

• Make a list with important numbers, like passport, credit card and blocking number, insurance, addresses, family members, embassy,
  

• Print insurance papers
  

• Apply for CSN
  

• Buy flight ticket – look closely for the cheapest one
  

• Start packing a long time ahead, to make sure you don't pack anything unnecessary
  

• Collect paper to be printed (of you don't own any) and print them some days before you leave
  

• Confirm your flight tickets /Online check-in
  

• Book hostel before you go. I got the advice not to decide for an apartment before you are in the new country since it is easy to be tricked.
  

• Weigh your bag carefully before you go
  

• Make contact with people of you can, before you go. Make people know that you're going and your friends may probably know someone.
  

• If your bank card takes a charge when you take out money, I suggest you chose a bank with now extra fees, like ICA banken, if you come from Sweden. Also, when you are in your new country, a good tip is to also get a card from a bank in your new country
  

• Exchange money
  

• To get extra money before you go, and to get rid of unnecessary stuff, try to sell stuff you will not need anymore
  

• I have decided for no one to give me a ride to the airport, I would cry much worse and also I more easily see this as my adventure, I can do it for myself!
  

• Write your flight times down at a paper and save it in your pocket/ the “purse” you have under your sweater with all the other important documents
  

• Make sure you don't need a health certificate in order to be granted a Visa
  

• To avoid as much as possible expensive medical visits, make sure you for example check your teeth in your home country etc.
  

• Air-compressor-plastic bags
  

• One backup for the documents on your computer to be saved in your home country and one small one to be taken with you to the new country.
  

• One USB-stick with the most “private” documents/papers
  

• Digitalize your life! Documents, inspiration cutouts from newspapers, cd's, movies, everything, and get rid of the rest (länk till Zen). Photograph them
  

• What will you do with all the post you get?
  

• How'll you do with your phone?
  

• Look/read about areas in your new town that will suit you to stay in
  

Welcome to my blog!

I'm going to sort of Volar Libre from now on, and my adventure starts now. I will move abroad in a couple of days where I will walk along the Pacific Highway to a school full of inspiration and colors, in which I will make my mind even more colorful by learning about Communication Design with mostly graphic design, embedded with some packaging design, illustration(!), print, typography and so on. My adventure takeoff starts at The Original Backpacker's Hostel 3 nights before I continue. This will be one of my life's greatest adventures. 

Some of you maybe wonder about what I hopefully will be abel to work with after Billy Blue. It could be everything from graphic design, art direction, photography, illustration, advertising, print media, magazine design and publishing, print media, copywriting, typography, finished art, packaging design, book design, information architecture to interactive graphic design. This is my courses;

Year 1

Semester 2 (when I start)
Frameworks of Design
Typography and Context
Symbols and Distribution
Studio Practice
Year 2
Semester 3
Introduction to Design Research
Design Research and Ideas Generation
Interface, Representation and Sequence
Design Usability and the Community
Semester 4
Advanced Design Research
Advanced Media Integration
Interactive Spaces
Advanced Design Strategy and Application
Year 3
Semester 5
Culture of Change and Innovation
Design Studio Management
Independent Design Practice 1
Design in Practice 1
Semester 6
Design and Business
Design in Practice 2 for CD
Positioning the Design Practice

Independent Design Practice 2

Sydney

Snö-K(P)aus

Hej alla och hoppas att ni hade en fin jul och ett fint nyår. Det hade jag.

Jag tänkte meddela att jag tar en blogg-paus fram till någon vecka in i februari. Då kommer min blogg äntligen sätta igång på allvar, med huvudfokus på mig som designstudent i ett nytt land. Jag kommer även att börja skriva på engelska och ändra lite här och där för att passa mitt tema.

Det jag skriver kommer att vända sig till både kommande studenter som vill veta hur det är att plugga grafisk design utomlands, folk som redan jobbar eller studerar grafisk design, vänner jag kommer att lära känna där borta, min familj och mina vänner.

Den kommer alltså att vara för alla, men med ett mera nischat tema. Nu kommer resten av tiden innan jag åker bestå av planering, packning, pappersfix, träffa så många jag bara hinner och träffa Daniel så mycket jag bara kan.

Så, ha det fint ute i vinterrusket så ses vi om en månad igen. Kram!