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Lesson 3: Learn to advocate for yourself This was a lesson I started to learn before I was abroad, but being so divorced from everything at home made it more clear. When planning my study abroad in Sweden, I didn\u2019t know if I\u2019d be able to because of financial concerns, but I applied for some scholarships and advocated for myself and got them. Some of my classes weren\u2019t going to transfer back home how I liked, but I reached out to ask if they could be re-evaluated to meet my requirements, and they were. At my school abroad, several of my classes ended up having an unrealistic deadline or two. When I, with the rest of my class, lobbied to have them changed, the professors were very receptive and flexible and we got more realistic due dates. When I left my phone on a subway in Amsterdam, I had to contact their help center and it took a while to get my concern addressed, but I did (the real pro tip is not to leave your phone on the subway). All this to say: don\u2019t be afraid to ask for help and advocate for yourself. It can be frustrating at times, and maybe it\u2019s scary to admit you\u2019re not quite sure how to do something, or need assistance. But many times, there are resources allocated for that reason and SO many people don\u2019t use them. If you don\u2019t advocate for yourself, no one else will, and if no one advocates for you, the odds are not in your favor to get what you want. <\/p>\n\n\n Lesson 4: Work to live, don\u2019t live to work. In Sweden, work culture was one of the biggest shocks for me. In the U.S., there\u2019s so much hustle culture; the need to be at the top of your field, exceeding expectations, all the time. This mindset is incredibly draining and can make work your whole identity. It\u2019s good to like what you do, but it\u2019s even better to like other things too! You don\u2019t have to exceed all the time, meeting expectations should be the regular. One of the first words I learned in Sweden was \u201cfika,” meaning a short coffee break, typically to socialize a bit. I think we need a little more fika in our lives. Beyond that, the U.S. needs better benefits, including more paid vacation, paid sick days that aren\u2019t part of your vacation, and parental leave. This allows time for people to do what they enjoy, and spend time with family, and it\u2019s actually super great for preventing burnout, increasing productivity, and overall wellness! This really sunk in for me when my host mom was feeling a bit burnt out from overtraining for a sports event, and she simply decided to take a week off work. I\u2019ve since learned that this would be common sense for much of the world, but it was a shock to the system for me. In high school when I had pneumonia I didn\u2019t even take a week off. I think if I had this kind of culture around work and school, I\u2019d be much less stressed, so we should work on that. On your own though, make time to do things you like! Schedule it like you\u2019d schedule a work meeting. Easier said than done, I know, but it\u2019s a good goal! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lesson 5: Infrastructure is SOOO important. I\u2019ve known for quite some time that city infrastructure in the U.S. isn\u2019t great, but seeing the infrastructure in Europe really drove the point home. Firstly, Stockholm\u2019s extensive public transport system was amazing, especially compared to basically no public transport here at home. I took public transport nearly every day, and honestly, it was super nice. Since you\u2019re not driving, that transport time was time for me to do Duolingo, listen to audiobooks, read real books, call home, or do anything else I can\u2019t do while driving. I already miss the public transport, and I wish we had more. Interstate trains, like an extension of Amtrak, would be especially nice, compared to flying. Stockholm also is really mindful of making everywhere walkable and incorporating a lot of green space. This green space is not just one area but incorporated throughout the city and suburbs. This makes the city feel more peaceful, have fresher air, and was really nice overall. The walkability of the city was really a highlight, because then it\u2019s so much easier to explore. They also do better at separating streets and roads, instead of having stroads like the U.S. (you can watch this video to learn about stroads (What is a STROAD?<\/a>). I\u2019d love to see these changes be implemented here in the U.S., I think it would really change our quality of life and environmental impact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lesson 6: Do the scary things! This is my final lesson for you. Many things, like leaving the country for 4 months, moving in with a family you\u2019ve never met, trying (and failing) to order your coffee in Swedish, skiing for the first time, or putting up a very personal project in the student hub, are incredibly scary. However, many of the scariest things like this that I\u2019ve done have been some of my most rewarding experiences. At first, you might think, as I thought, that you can\u2019t do it. That it\u2019s too hard. But if you stick to your guns and use lessons 1-4, you just might make the memories of a lifetime. Remember all these lessons, and go conquer the world! Hej d\u00e5!<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Photobook](\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/52945992099_9d4b059a77_c.jpg\")
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