Sweden
May. 16
Sweden Observations 2.0
Here are some more observations I’ve made on Sweden -For some strange reason, while there are two doors to accommodate for people going in and out of a building, only one door is capable of being opened. -Once it’s…
May. 15
Road Trip to Oslo
A few weeks ago, someone posted in our International Student fb group asking if anyone would be interested in renting a car and going to Oslo, Norway for a weekend. I had been wanting to go there all semester, especially…
May. 09
Gotland- An Island Adventure
This past weekend I got to explore more of Sweden! The VIS put together a weekend getaway to the Islands of Gotland and Fårö and it was simply amazing. We left Vaxjo Friday afternoon, arrived at the harbor in the…
May. 09
Sea Battle
So, Sea Battle. What exactly is Sea Battle I’m sure you’re all asking? Sea Battle is a trip through ESN (Erasmus Student Network), which is also the network that my student org VIS (Vaxjo International Students) is a part of.…
Apr. 17
Lunch with a representative from the US Embassy
When I was asked last week if I was available to speak with some one from the US Embassy I was shocked. Back home, while I am of course involved in things, especially the Interfaith Club on campus, I’m not…
Apr. 14
Corridor Dinner
So tonight my corridor (floor) put together a big dinner! It initially started out as me wanting to make ‘American food’ for everyone because it had been a while since we last had a big dinner together. Somehow this spiraled…
Apr. 12
Fun Facts About Sweden
I’ve noticed lately that I’ve been focusing more on my travels than on my time IN Sweden, so here are some of my observations! -Everyone wears skinny jeans. And by everyone, I mean everyone. While they may not be…
Apr. 11
Trip to Mother Russia!
Day one: Today begins my Russian adventure! After leaving Vaxjo in the wee hours of the morning, running on merely three hours of sleep I arrived in Stockholm in the afternoon. Soon I boarded a cruise ship that will take…
Mar. 31
Copenhagen!
Last weekend I traveled to Copenhagen with my friend Roxy, who is the other girl from my home university here with me in Sweden. Originally, the student org VIS organized a trip to Copenhagen, but not enough people signed up…
Mar. 26
Traveling alone?!
Why hello there! So I have a question for all you well seasoned travelers…well, moreso I’m looking for advice. My parents made it clear that they were fine with me traveling everywhere, no restrictions, but they told me absolutely…
Sep. 11
unnecessary wetness
Unless you’re willing to check on it yourself, when someone tells you it’s going to rain, it is probably in your best interest to believe them. Last night one of my floormates mentioned rain and I just brushed it off as…
Sep. 10
a family of sorts
Yesterday I met my family. My host university has a program which allows students to get in touch with families from around the city. When I heard about the program, I jumped at the chance. Unlike a host family, I…
Sep. 08
lycka till (good luck)
One of these postcards holds a letter to myself. I’m not having a hard time, yet, but while cleaning up my room, I had the sudden urge to write something to my future self. It is a pretty cheesy move but I’m…
Sep. 08
Trip to Öland
Yesterday I went to Öland [uheer-Land] with my Swedish Landscapes class. Öland is an island off of Sweden and I don’t think I can truely express how lovely it was there. According to our professor and guest lecturer, the island is split into…
Sep. 06
Korean drama, Swedish internets
This is completely unrelated to anything but today I watched Reply/Answer Me 1997. I love listening and watching things on my computer (mainly podcasts and anything I can pull up on youtube) but today I spent some time watching this…
Sep. 05
we don’t siesta, we fika
One of the first phrases you learn when you enter Sweden is “fika”. Plain and simple. After listening to some giggling from some German and Italian boys, I also learned that “fika” has a rather dirty meaning in other countries, but in…
Sep. 04
But it’s so expensive…
I’ve liked coffee-flavored things for a long time, but it wasn’t till I got into university that I felt— no, realized how much I needed coffee. Okay, sometimes I prefer a tea or juice to coffee but there’s something about…
Sep. 03
Misplacing My English
I’ve only been in Sweden a week but I can already feel my English slipping a little. While most people in Sweden speak English, many do not have perfect English and the same goes to anyone else here who speaks English as their…
Sep. 03
My classroom was sponsored by IKEA.
Are you serious? Yes. Sure, people might joke about IKEA, H&M, and meatballs when talking about Sweden, but I’m being completely serious when saying that everything in that building was paid for by the IKEA founder. (Fun fact: I…
Sep. 02
The back seat.
Tonight, I rode on the back of a bike for the first time. Biking isn’t as big back home as it is here in Europe. Upon my arrival, I already knew the importance of getting a bike (22 kr per bus…