day 8 - having a blast :) part 2 - Götene Adventure Park

weather: rain and sun; +22°C

location: Götene

feeling: happy and lucky

We were wondering how Jenny would make it to the lecture in time since we were arriving quite late for that lecture and Jenny needed to go home first. We went into the park and it was a real adventure land. I told A that I would love to try all those things, they had pirate boats and boats on the water, floats, jumping pillows every thing you would imagine on an adventure playground. Too bad I'm too old for that I thought.

We were walking around in that park, looking for the little stage. We were not sure if we had come right or if we hadn't mixed up something, since Jenny was not in sight, another band was on that little stage and this didn't seem the right place for a lecture. I was asking for a sign if we had come right and in that minute they made the announcement that Jenny would start half an hour later on that little stage. So we went there to get some seats and getting our equipment prepared.

This lecture was quite short compared to the others we had been to and Jenny was accompanied by the soundcheck of her band in the back, which was funny.

After the lecture we went to the arena they had where the big stage was arranged. We watched the soundcheck and had a little talk with Staffan and Terese afterwards until they had to get ready for their concert.

The sky was getting cloudy by the time the band which was playing before Jenny & Co. had their performance. But then it was time and Jenny and her Band (Staffan Birgersson, Terese Fredenwall & Simon Petrén) entered the stage. It was a nice feeling being on that event. Even if it started raining and I was sitting there with an umbrella to cover the cameras and a rain jacket some part of the show we were very much enjoying ourselves.

By that time I had forgotten all I was thinking of the whole day since Jenny gave me that riddle :) When she suddenly was looking at me. She said that there was a woman in the audience sitting in the front row, who just filled 30-years this week and that she want me to stand up. She was laughing. So I stood up. She said I should come in front of the stage and on stage. My brain stopped thinking at that time. I just realized that she was introducing our website and then I was somehow on stage. She said that everyone had to sing "Happy Birthday" for me so the audience had to, she even made them stand up all-together. When they were finished (I'm not sure if it was by that time or if she said that or before they sang "Happy Birthday" she said that the next song is "Bless The Broken Road" and that I was supposed to sing it with them. I told her I would, which was more a simple "Ja!" or something in between a "Ja!" and a noise lol

Terese was also smiling big at me and said welcome to the band lol. I was laughing, this was the most amazing thing I had ever done. So we did that song, the only song I didn't know by heart - ain't that funny?! When we were done Jenny came over to me whispering to me "that was good, wanna stay here for "Here I Am" as well". And I was like "sure". So "Here I Am" was being played and it was so cool. I have no idea how Jenny guessed one of my inner dreams :) I guess she is just gifted :)

The tracklist was basically (not in the right order for sure)

Jesus Take The Wheel

The Sky Proclaims Your Glory

Ravine

Beautiful Life

Lucky Love

Bless The Broken Road

Säg Bara Mor

Moonshadow

encore: No More Nights

I will have to think if I missed something.

When the concert was over we were waiting for the others, Jenny was signing books and the band was packing their stuff together. Terese came down and we talked a bit about how I liked being on stage with them, Staffan joined us too and we were talking a bit. I had asked Terese to bring her album for us, since this is so beautiful and of course we wanted a copy. So she went off to get it for us. When Jenny had finished her signing she was going backstage when she suddenly turned around looking at me. Then she was coming over to us giving me a big hug telling me that it sounded good. We were talking about how we liked the show and how I experienced my being part of it. She said if we caught that on camera and I told her that my camera must have gone off while I was on stage. She said: "Oh no, I will ask Simon to get a copy for you from the footage they shot." So Simon had to go there and ask for a tape. Jenny asked if we were hungry and that she had sandwiches so we should follow her. We ended up in their dressing room having sandwiches and cakes, laughing and talking about all and everything. Also Jenny's sister in law Johanna was there, a very nice girl, as nice as the others.

The boys discovered a stage in the back of that room, which was the little stage from the afternoon where Jenny was holding her lecture while we were still sitting there talking we could hear them making some noise. Terese and Johanna followed. After 10 minutes Johanna came in and said: "Wanna come and play? We have the whole park for us." We 3 were jumping up, of course we wanted. So A. and I were running outside, searching for the others. I realized that I had a white jacked that I better took off so I went back to leave it. When I came back to the playground the others were already on the adventure trip of the pirate ships, which was something like an obstacle run :) When we had finished Jenny suddenly came running out of the building to join us. We went into another funny "building" with a lot of holes ... something like a labyrinth, which is esp. funny when you are grown up and hit your head or your back all the time and when it's dark outside. After that we tried the floats, Terese, Johanna and I against A. and Simon. Each of us won one time. Then it was Jenny against Staffan... Guess who won.

When that was done we tried the boats. I've never rowed before, so this was really an adventure for A. and I was just laughing so bad. In the end we tried this huge jumping pillow and were having so mach fun. We were jumping altogether like crazy, got kicked off one by one, landed in the sand, laughed, got on again.

Totally exhausted we were getting inside again to pack our stuff and get out of the park. Jenny and her staff had to take another way out, since they had their car inside the park. Jenny hugged us again and told us what a great day she had.

When we arrived at the access it was closed. We had to go back until we found a guy who said that he didn't have keys but he knows another one if we would follow him. So we did. Meanwhile I was thinking that this was against everything I would normally do ... go not with strangers in the dark through en empty territory lol was in my mind all the time. But when we had gone quite a while talking about the show we met a woman that knew how to open the access for us again. So we went back again. But it showed that she didn't have the right code, so she got the alarm activated .... I thought we would be trapped there forever.

But at the end we got out. It was 11 pm by that time and we were happy to sit in the car again on our way home.

I had such a great day .... words can't describe

Hugs

/J.