Sunny skies, sleek ships, and study hour: My first week in Stockholm

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Maggie Onsager

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Maggie Onsager

<i>"Hello" in your host country's language:</i> Hej! <i>Home Institution (your U.S. University/College):</i> Wake Forest University <i>Expected graduation year:</i> 2023 <i>Destination city & country:</i> Stockholm, Sweden <i>Program provider:</i> DIS Abroad <i>Major/minor:</i> Politics & International Affairs and French Studies / Dance <i>Demographics:</i> Caucasian/White <i>Future career aspirations:</i> I would like to work in public policy, diplomacy, and international relations. <i>Top 3 goals for your time abroad:</i> 1) Immerse myself in Scandinavian life & culture 2) Meet students, professors & individuals to make connections while abroad 3) Learn as much as I can, enthusiastically & emphatically

Godmorgen frรฅn Stockholm! I have been here for nearly a week, and life abroad has been a whirlwind. After two delayed flights and over 15 hours of travel, I arrived in Sweden ready for adventure! No time was wasted- immediately after arriving in my housing and unpacking, I got to meet the other students in my housing, took a tour of the surrounding area, and grabbed my groceries before falling into a much-needed sleep.

My first day with DIS was a dream. After an early rise, we took an archipelago tour throughout the waters of Stockholm, to welcome and introduce us to the city. Afterwards, we went on a facilities tour through the stunning DIS Stockholm, with the bright and beautiful buildings of Melodislingan flanking our classrooms. After a delicious lunch by the fountain at the nearby Tessinparken, we were ready for class.

The first day of my course, Political Extremism & Threats to Democracy, ensured I hit the ground running. We got introduced to each other, to our professor, and to the course, and I found myself once again in awe of how amazing the DIS curriculum is, and how much I am going to learn whilst here. At such an ever-changing time in politics and world history, taking a class in Political Extremism feels particularly salient.

After class, we were released into a gloriously sunny Stockholm afternoon. We wandered around Gamla Stan, which looked absolutely unreal with a cerulean sky and colorful buildings. We walked until our feet hurt, and settled at a local cafe to do our homework alongside a hot chocolate and a warm cookie. After returning to our apartment and a hearty dinner, the first perfect day in Stockholm was over.

On the second day of classes in Stockholm, I was greeted by the sun after an uninterrupted night of sleep. We got right to class (our class is early in the morning so we have lots of free time during the afternoon) and dove straight into our first lesson. While class was longer, we were once again released into a gorgeously sunny day. I quickly learned that one of my favorite things to do while it is sunny in Stockholm is to just go walking around this beautiful, historical city, which is exactly what we did.

Walking and talking after a delicious lunch with friends around a breathtaking city is one of the biggest delights of life abroad, but Stockholm cannot be all play and no work. We returned to our apartment right before the downpour of rain, and got right to studying. There is something especially beautiful about reading during the rain, with a window propped open and a cool breeze blowing in. As we are covering an entire class (which is usually taken over the course of a semester) in four weeks, work outside of class very quickly became the norm. You can easily find me tucked into a comfy corner somewhere in Stockholm, reading a book, taking a quiz, or writing an essay.

Words cannot describe how amazing the days have been in Sweden. As I look forward to the next three weeks, I am so thrilled about what I have done and so excited to see what I will do. I cannot encapsulate how much I have enjoyed my time here so far, and how grateful I am to have had the opportunity to be in Stockholm this summer. Please stay tuned for more updates- vi ses snart!