Laura's Life in Sweden: Conquering my fears!

I was faced with two of my biggest fears this week in Västervik...... 1. BIRDS (thanks mom!) and 2. Ice, Cold Water, Drowning.... not really sure how to explain this one.... Unfortunately I was only able to conquer one of them this time. I guess I will start with the one I didn't conquer first...

BIRDS!
Foreigner is OBSESSED with Parrots... at his Mom's house they have a parrot... It looks like this ------->

Before I arrived in Sweden they loved to let this parrot fly around their house, sit on them, by them, etc. As soon as I arrived I let them know that I am terrified of birds and that it needs to stay in the cage when I am around. I had my first encounter with the free bird back in August. I had just woken up... I walked into the kitchen to get some juice and THERE IT WAS sitting next to the cabinet that held the glasses. I screamed and ran into the other room. After that incident everyone knew that my fear was serious so when I was around they kept him in his cage or closed the door to a room when they let him out.... UNTIL the other day. Foreigner decided to let out the parrot without telling me... it landed next to me on the couch... I of course screamed and ran into his Grandma's room and closed the door. I though I was safe.... then the door to his Grandma's room opened... I looked up and in flies the parrot at my face!! I duck down and the parrot lands on my back... I freeze.. tears running down my face... Foreigner of course is laughing.. he finally gets the parrot off of me and I start sobbing. I knew I was afraid of birds but I didn't realize I was so scared that he could make me cry!! It was terrible.... I'm afraid that this might be a fear that I will never be able to conquer.

On to the good story! Foreigner has "always wanted to walk across the Baltic Sea to the island". They just moved into this house in the Fall so I know he hasn't "always" wanted to do it but whatever. I told him NO WAY when he asked me. To me walking on frozen deep COLD water is asking to die a horrible miserable painful death. I felt that as a smart person I could not let myself step out onto that ice. I mean how does a SEA freeze all the way? I've seen people fall through cracked ice into freezing water in movies... Little Women??? it looks terrifying! I saw Jack die in the ocean from freezing water in Titanic... it was horrible! I could not let that happen to me!

Eventually after a lot of begging from Foreigner I decided I would walk down there. We bundled up and grabbed the hiking poles and headed down to the shore. I couldn't tell where the land ended and the sea started. The snow was so deep it covered the piers. Foreigner took the first step onto the ice... he didn't fall through... I decided against all of my better judgement to step onto the ice too. I didn't fall in! We walked to the island... and then to another island... I conquered my fear! I can't say that I will ever walk on ice again... but now I can say that I did it!