Hej från Stockholm! Moving to a whole different country to live with a family I’ve never met was SUPER nerve-wracking, but the experience has been worth the jump (or flight)!

I’ve noticed a lot of things since moving here. One of the best things I’ve enjoyed here is the extensive network of public transport in Stockholm, including bus, subway, commuter train, commuter ferry and more! These words were some of the first words I learned in Swedish because it’s far less common for anyone to drive here. You either walk or take public transport.

While the commute takes 50 minutes, which is longer than in the U.S., I appreciate having time where my mental effort is not solely focused on walking or driving. On the bus and subway, I can listen to music or audiobooks, read for class or just enjoy the views of Stockholm.

My favorite part of the public transport in Stockholm? NO ONE tries to talk to you. I’m a bit of an introvert, so the expectation in the U.S. of making small talk is rather annoying to me. Here, it’s practically unheard of for two strangers to start a conversation. I’ve even witnessed Swedes getting up to move away from someone if a seat opens up. As an introvert, I love this about public transport.

When I take the subway and bus home in the afternoon, I go back to the house I share with my host parents, Emelie and Kenneth, and my host sister, Moa. I really appreciate my time with them, and the mutual learning experience is very fun! I often learn words in Swedish as they learn some in English. My greatest proficiency in Swedish is reading our HelloFresh recipes (they come with pictures). The little ways in which they remind me of my own family are striking and makes me miss home a little less.

My school here is much different than back home. We do a lot of classroom learning with lectures and a lot of discussions, but we also have weekly field studies and just finished our core course week.

On Wednesdays, I’ve gone to a number of places for my field studies, like an art exhibit about gun violence in a more segregated area of Stockholm (Botkyrka Konsthall), an urban development area where we learn about all the things the Swedish people seek to integrate (Norra Djurgården) and a social enterprise that helps middle-aged immigrant women integrate into the workforce (Yalla Rinkeby).

Meeting new people in all of these places really freshens the learning that is often left in the walls of a lecture hall. It helps me put into perspective how our learning concepts look in practice. For our core course week, we traveled to Uppsala, another city in Sweden. We had a number of activities here, including a queer city walk, a visit to the Church of Sweden (Svenskakyrkan), the Centre for Multidisciplinary Studies on Racism, dinner and a ghost tour in Uppsala Castle, and ice skating on a frozen lake. Doing these activities and traveling with my classmates has been a bonding experience for sure.

Overall, the opportunity to bond with new people and discover new places and ideas has been incredible, despite the challenges. I’m only one month in, so I’m excited to see what the next three months bring! Vi ses!

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: DIS: Prostitution and the Sex Trade