Author: Michael Henkin and Lisa Dershowitz

Not much has gone on over the past few days, it has calmed down a little as Ebba and I are getting ready for school. Thursday I had a meeting at my school with the Vice Principle of my classes mentor. They were very nice and spoke English while we talked about the school, my classes, and went on a tour around the school. My school is only one building so just a tiny bit smaller than my nine building school back home but it is super nice with a lot of lounge areas, a ping pong table, some study rooms. and nice big lockers!!

After, my host mom and I took the bus to downtown Södertälje and she showed me around the stores and different “malls.” I put mall in quotations because it is not like the malls in the U.S., there are about 10-15 stores in all. We then went for a fika at a nearby cafe before walking to Torekälleberget, which is a little town that was made as a recreation of Södertälje from the olden days.

They had lots of farm animals and barns and stores selling the famous pretzels that Södertälje is famous for. When men went off to war women made these pretzels to bring in money to the family. They are like smaller versions of soft pretzels without salt, and sweeter. We ate them on our train ride home. Once home we rested our feet with some card games and movies before heading off to bed.

Friday, I went to another appointment, this time at the migration office to get my visa!! We rode the train for an hour and had a short wait before it was our turn. Super quick and simple, we were done in no time and should only have to wait a few days for my UT card to come in the mail. Mamma and I then took the train and stopped by my dance studio to see the class schedule so I could decide on classes.

Once home, we sat down for some sandwiches and cards with Ebba and her friend Sofie. As you can see, we play tons of cards here. They have been teaching me some new Swedish card games that I can’t wait to bring home to my card loving family!

I have noticed similarities between my host family and my family, but also some differences. I think it is good to have a strong balance of both so that you feel more comfortable with your host family and so you can adjust easier to your new life. The relationship you create with your host family is the most important bond you will make while abroad so it is important to be able to share both similarities and differences. After many rounds of cards, Sofie, Ebba, and I went out for dinner at Pizza Hut, which are waaaaay nicer here, and a movie, which are very similar to those in the U.S., just with different candy options!

Saturday we woke up a little early and headed out to Stendörren, which translates to “The Stone Door” in English. It is a camping ground, but most people go just for the day, that is right on the water with many islands, well rocks, connected by bridges. It was a stunning sight to see with amazingly blue water, so clear you could see straight down onto the bottom.

The only bad thing was it was very windy which in turn made it very cold. We didn’t stay long and instead decided to stop at a little summer town named Nyköping where many go to swim and shop on their vacation. We walked through the town, looked through shops, and ate ice cream.

Saturday night my host parents and I went to Stockholm to watch Modnattsloppet, a big race that Stockholm puts on every year. They have a few races towards the end call masquerade races where people dress up in funny costumes and run the 10 kilometer race. My favorite costumes of the night were definitely the group that dressed up as robots!!!

This morning was relaxing. We spent the first half of the day playing cards  and the Swedish version of Sorry! out on the porch with the nice weather we are having. When we walked down to the grocery store to pick up some lunch and Fika, my host family had the horrible idea of eating surströmming.

Surströmming is a Swedish dish that has been named the smelliest food in the world. It is herring that has been fermented for several months. If you’re thinking, wow that sounds disgusting!, then you’re totally right. The smell alone is unbearable so you have to open it out side. We all watched as Pappa cut open the fish and covered our noses to try and keep the smell as mild as possible, but it still didn’t help.

We rolled it in a wrap with cucumber, onion, and herbs to try and minimize the tongue/surströmming contact and the taste was still so powerful. We each tried to eat it, Pappa went first and ate it, he was the only one! Mamma and Ebba then ate theirs, both spitting it up, and then Mamma threw up a little. They then turned to me and said it was my turn!

After I had seen their reaction and not very good ones at that, I had to try it myself. I waited for so long staring at it and stalling before I finally just threw the thing in my mouth and started chewing. In my first bite I bit right into the fermented fish. The taste spread through my mouth fast and even though I tried. I couldn’t keep it in my mouth much longer. I spit it into my napkin and washed it down quickly with some 7 Up.

I’m glad I tried it because my curiosity of if this food was actually as bad as they say was killing me, but it is definitely something I will never do again. The only problem was the disposal of a large can of fermented fish. We didn’t want to bring it inside to send it down the drain and were not going to put it in the garbage can to let it rot even longer until someone came by and picked it up. So, we decided to bury it in the back yard!! Yes, the can is now sitting in the ground under the lovely garden of my home here in Sweden, just where it belongs!!!!

While surströmming was an awful thing to both smell and eat, I’m so glad I tried it. I know that must sound weird after what I have just described to you but if I had not, I would have gone my whole life wondering what it was like and always regretting not trying it when I had a chance.

Part of studying abroad is immersing yourself into another culture with school, music, clothing, food, holidays, and traditions. You are not going to like everything, but how can you state your opinion about something without ever trying it?

Surströmming, as well as many other things I have done here in Sweden, is something I would never be able to do back home. I came here to get away from the norms of society and see how other people live. Without trying surströmming and salty licorice candy, you could never get the true Swedish experience. If you want to see the video that terrified me, here’s the link!

Never let the what ifs or the unknowns in life scare you, taking a leap into the freezing water is what will make your time in a new place the best it can be. My time here in Sweden has been all I could ever ask for so far and I plan to keep it that way. Trying new things and forgetting fear is the only way I can truly live as a Swede.

 

 

Yesterday and this morning were a little sad. Yesterday was my host sister Anna’s last day before she left for her exchange trip to the U.S. We spent the day around the house just hanging out and playing some games. This morning we woke at 3:45 to get her to the airport by 5:30. After she was off on her adventure, we all went back home and went to sleep for a little longer. When I woke up, I took a shower, got ready, and we headed of to Stockholm!!!!

Riding the train into Stockholm, I could barely keep still with all the excitement inside me. Since I had only driven past it, I couldn’t wait to finally walk the streets. When we got off our 36 minute train ride, we headed for Drottinggatan, the big shopping street in Stockholm. We window shopped some and they introduced lots of Swedish stores to me. When we finally got to a part of Stockholm called Old Town,  we walked through the Royal Castle and saw a lot of old streets.

My host family took me to the smallest street in Stockholm, which you can’t even say is a street because it can barely have two people walking down it at one time and it has stairs!

Me at the smallest street in Stockholm!

We had a nice lunch of sandwiches by the water and then to a ferry to the Vasa Museum. The Vasa Museum was actually built around The Vasa, an old Swedish war ship that sunk after sailing for only 20 minutes and was brought up again after 333 years underwater.

The Vasa Museum from the outside where you can see the masts of the ship sticking out the top.

We took a guided tour, this time in English!!!, saw a little movie, and walked around the exhibits. The had so many interesting facts and things to see, I definitely recommend going if you’re ever in Sweden! 

The massive Vasa! It needs 3 pictures to capture it all.

When we had seen all there was to see, we headed back home where Ebba and I made dinner and then headed out to hang out with some of her friends. I loved getting my first taste of what it is like to hang out as a teenager in Sweden. All her friends were super nice and talked as much English as they could. We don’t have much planned for the next few days but I’m sure we will find many exciting things to do!

Being at home these last few days has let things settle down a little bit. Here in Sweden, I feel like I always have an activity to do or something to look forward to. 

Sunday, we threw a welcoming/going away party for my host sister Anna and I. We spent the day setting up the party tent, cooking, and planning games. I was so excited to meet some of the kids who would be in my classes. Once they arrived, it was so easy to talk to all of them which made me excited for the first day of school.

It was fun telling them about America and answering some stereotypical questions like “Is everyone in Florida fat?” and “Do you party on the beach a lot?” I think hearing people’s questions is one of my favorite things here so far, it’s funny to hear what they think! We had hamburgers for dinner and then split into 3 teams to have a little competition.

We played 5 games; the skis, an egg toss, a three legged race, a boot throw, and one where you had to get your team’s ball closest to a small ball.

Unfortunately my team lost, but the dessert of cookies, cupcakes, and klodkaka (my favorite Swedish dessert so far!!! and if you are ever in Sweden it is a must-try) that came after was very comforting! Once everyone had left, we cleaned up and I headed off to bed because my eyes could not stay open any longer after such a fun day.

Monday my host sisters and I started off the day by going to Tom Tits Experiments in downtown Södertälje. It reminded me a lot of MOSI but much more to do. They had mind games, a bubble room, a slide, a human yo-yo, and even a few rides. It was fun to bring out our inner little kids even if it was only for a few hours! After our play time was over, we headed back home to help Mamma set up for Kräftskiva, a big crawfish festival that the Swedish celebrate anytime in August.

Our lovely tables complete with traditional decorations, hats, and Kräftskiva song lyrics for everyone!

We put out decorations around the party tent and set out the crawfish to thaw. Once all the guests arrived, both family and friends, we dove into the crawfish and fun conversations.

The massive amount of crawfish we had for Kräftskiva.

We played all the games again, and I lost again, but later we played a Swedish game called Kubb. In this game there are two teams and each stand behind their own row of 6 wooden blocks that are standing up. There is one king block in between the two rows. Each team tries to knock down the others six blocks with large, cylindrical, wooden sticks and finally knocking down the king in the end. We stayed up talking pretty late so when it was time to go to bed, I had no problem falling asleep.

My school friends and I talking over dessert.

All together, it was a great weekend with lots of food, lots of new people, and lots of fun. Meeting some of the kids from my class has gotten me so excited to start school and hopeful that I will have some people to talk to on the first day of school! It’s getting really close and even though there are some nerves building up, excitement is too! I still can’t believe it’s actually happening!

Ebba and I in our holiday hats!

After a few days of getting up early for some traveling here in Sweden, we were finally able to sleep in, which was great for my minor jet lag. Wednesday was full of exploring Trollhättan! We started off the morning by going for a hike in the woods close to Farmor’s house.

Some beautiful moments I captured while hiking in Trollhättan.

We eventually made our way down the the river, where everyday they open the gates holding back lots of water and it creates an incredibly powerful waterfall.

The famous Trollhättan “waterfall.”

Trollhättan is famous for their canals, waterfall, and locks so I was glad I got to see it in person! After the display, we walked over to my host father’s grandmother’s house, because you normally walk or take public transportation in Sweden. We had a nice late lunch there with lots of family and lots of Swedish. When we had cleaned up, we all wanted to go to the local weekly antique car show.

There were tons of Swedish cars and each one of us picked out the one we would want if we could choose. When we got back to the house, we had a small barbecue dinner, and since we were all tired, sat down to watch another movie and then went to bed. Another nice day in Sweden, with another early morning to come.

At bright and early 5:30 AM we rose head off to the insane Gekås Ullared! How I would describe this, like a Walmart on steroids? Almost like IKEA and Walmart and Publix all smashed together into one gigantic store. It was overwhelming with so many options from clothing, to lawn tools, to cosmetics, to food. Anything you could possibly ever need EVER you could by at this place. It’s hard to even describe it as a store because it is so much more that that.

The one and only Ullared.

My few purchases from the overwhelming Ullared, a jacket and some Swedish candy.

There were so many options that it was hard to decide what to buy so I got a jacket that will hopefully be useful here and at home, and some Swedish chocolate to try. After our two hours, we were starving so we headed into a nearby town named Varberg for some sushi. You can’t go to Varberg without seeing the fort built there so we headed there next.

The Varberg fort, and the beautiful view!

It was so fun to see what I had read about from Greenheart Travel alum Hannah Patzer’s blog, it was definitely as nice as she described. With such a beautiful view and many rocks to climb on, I was so happy we stopped in Varberg. After we got in the car again, we were all in the mood for some Fika so we stopped in Gothenburg at the prettiest cafe I have ever been to. The walls were all tiled, and all the tile was very detailed. As Swedes, we of course sat outside and enjoyed the nice sunshine and warmth.

We did a little walking around afterwards through the lush parks and then took off again for home. We had a nice dinner of bacon-wrapped chicken (yes you read that right, and yes it was delicious) and potatoes. We then played some card games late into the night, most of them new to me and most that I will definitely bring back home to share with my family.

Friday was nothing too special. We packed our bags, said goodbye to Farmor, and went back home. We stopped a few times along the way for some lunch and some fika but not much else. However, when we got home we checked the mail and I had received my very first piece of mail in my new home!! It was so surreal and really solidified the fact that I was now LIVING in Sweden. It was from my exchange company here in Sweden filled with goodies and important documents.

My first package in the mail!!

Once all the excitement was over, we unpacked our bags and had a nice pasta dinner. My host sister Anna and I then made cookies before watching another movie and heading off to bed.

Even though we were home, the exploring continued! Saturday we woke up and headed too Gripsholm Castle, a previous castle of the royals. We went on a tour inside and learned a lot about the history of both the royalty and the castle.

The Royal Castle, beautiful both on the the inside and outside.

Afterwards we were all hungry so we sat down for a nice picnic of pasta salad my host mom had made. Since there was a ferry that ran from the Castle to a little town called Taxinge, we got on it so we could get some of the delicious desserts that make Taxinge famous.

There were a few little shops to go in and a gigantic line extending at least thirty people from the door, but it was worth the wait. The desserts were amazing and we all got something different so we could try each other’s.

How can so many delicious desserts be at one place??? I’m not sure, but it was truly amazing.

We went for a little walk along the water and then got on a train back to the castle. Once we were home again, we had a nice cauliflower soup for dinner, watched another movie, and went to bed. If you couldn’t tell, we are all quite the movie lovers.

The next few day should be quite busy with a couple parties to come. Hopefully they will include the making of new friends and the enjoyment of new holidays. Ta ta for now!

These past three days have been a blur of long car rides, lots of Swedish, laughter, and loads of adventure. It’s hard to believe that I have already been here four days but when I think of everything I’ve already done, it’s crazy that it has been less than a week. My host family has dunked me head-first into a Swedish vacation, or semester as they say, and I have loved every second of it.

Sunday morning I woke up to Mamma telling me that my bag was about to arrive! Obviously the day was off to a great start. Since I had slept in late because of my jet lag, the rest of the family was already up and we had my very first Swedish breakfast. Mamma had fixed bacon and eggs and put out yogurt (which is in a carton here!!) with raspberries, bread, butter, and cheese.

Once my bag came, I quickly unpacked and put away all my clothes, and then packed another bag for our little trip to Farmor’s, which is Swedish for dads mom, in Trollhättan. Our first stop along the way was to a zip lining and ropes course somewhere in the woods of Sweden. We turned off the highway, drove a few minutes past some gorgeous scenery, and we were there. They had many different levels of courses all corresponding to a certain color and one giant zip line across a lake at the end.

Just hangin’ at the zip line and ropes course!

 

The courses were very interesting because you hooked yourself into each course, no one stood on the platforms to help, so when they were explaining everything, my host family had to translate for me. Yes, I fell a couple of times, but all together it was an amazing way to start an amazing vacation. After we finished the course, I had my first Fika!!!

Fika is very unique to Sweden and normally each family has a different meaning to what Fika refers to. My host sisters told me they think of it as having a dessert of pastry, however since it can also sometimes mean sandwiches, they are disappointed when there is nothing sweet! With our Fika, which was cardamom buns, we had chicken, sandwiches, and an interesting drink. You pour a thick, concentrated liquid, ours was made out of black current, and then add water to dilute the substance. I have had these drinks a few times since I have been here and they have many different flavors I still have yet to try.

When we were finished, we piled back into the car and headed off to our next destination, Brahehus. Brahehus is an old house built on the second largest lake in Sweden by an old Nobel. It is now known for its great view and it is easy to tell why. You could see for miles from the window of the house and it was filled with green trees, mountains, and beautiful water. We didn’t stay for long since there wasn’t much to see inside, but we enjoyed it while we were there and were soon off the stop three.

The view from Brahehus, which means Brahe’s house. 

My host family then brought me to a little candy shop called Grenna which is famous for creating the candy cane! We each got a candy from the store and watched how they make and package each treat. I also read a little bit of history about how Grenna and the candy canes came to be!

The many different candy cane options at Grenna.

We then walked across the street for some Thai food that we all agreed was not very good, and took off for our final destination, Farmor’s house! Since we got to her house sort of late, we had had some hot tea outside for a little while and then turned in so we would be able to get up early the next morning.

Monday morning we woke up early, had a quick breakfast, and headed out to Smögen, a unique coastal town in Sweden. Jet lag hit me a little hard this day but other than that, adjusting has been super easy and I have hardly noticed it at all. In Smögen we rented kayaks for three hours and explored the cold, yet gorgeous, water around the town. For lunch we had toast skagen sandwiches in our kayaks which was a little tricky since they were very messy. We then visited some islands, saw some jellyfish, and explored the water a little more since our time was running out.

Kayaking on the west coast!

 

All of the islands were basically huge rocks but it was so fun to run around on them look out onto the ocean from them. After we returned our kayaks, we changed our of our wet clothes and decided to walk on the docks in Smögen.

Fun while exploring the islands of Smögen.

I loved walking around the bustling town and going into shops, passing all the people, and seeing all the different colored houses.

My host sister Anna taking me to see the sights around Smögen.

Birdseye view of the cutest coastal town, Smögen.

It started to heat up outside so my INSANE host family though it would be fun to go swimming in the 63 degree water!!!! I told them that water in Florida is very warm and they insisted that I get in the water too.

The metal stairs leading down the the water were even freezing to me. As soon as I dipped my toes in, I could no longer feel them. I slowly stepped farther into the water until it was up to my knees and I could not even feel my feet. I waited there for so long not wanting to go in but I finally just counted down from three, plopped in the water, and came right back out. It may have been the coldest water I have ever been in and it may have just been a dip but at least I can now say I swam on Sweden’s west coast. After all that commotion, we changed back into our regular clothes and headed to Kungshamn for dinner.

Yes, I was crying in the picture because the water was so cold.

 

 

The weather has been absolutely amazing since I have been here so we always eat outside whether at home or a restaurant. In Florida, you could never eat outside in August without breaking a sweat. Once we finished dinner, we headed over the my host dad’s uncle’s house to say hello since he lived very close. When we got back to Farmor’s she had a delicious dessert ready for us. It was made of gooseberries and she had somewhat smashed them so they were somewhat like a soup. You then added cream, sugar, cinnamon, and milk and had the most incredible desert in your life. We sat there talking until the sun had set then played in the street a little on a longboard and roller skates before going to bed to wake up early again the next morning.

Tuesday we headed back to Smögen. On the way we stopped at a zoo called Nordens Arc which works to protect and keep alive endangered animals. The zoo was built into the side of the mountain so it was amazing to see how they create habitats for the animals in a landscape with lots of hills and rocks. They also had many animals we don’t have in Florida since they are able to have animals who withstand cold weather.

We had burgers and ice cream for lunch as we waited to watch the workers feed the wolverines, which was so amusing to watch. After we left the zoo, we kept heading to Smögen until we reached a mini-golf course. The mini-golf in Sweden is so much harder than in the U.S. which is something I wouldn’t have expected. Sadly, I was last but I did have the lead for a small portion of the game so at least I have holes 3 and 4 to myself!! After Ebba claimed her victory, we went and played on the play ground for a little bit. They had this one seesaw like contraption but it went much higher and spun at the same time. Why doesn’t the U.S. have this?? I want one!

Family bonding through mini golf.

 

Once back in the car, we finally reached Smögen and got some seafood for dinner. We then went into a little candy shop where we were able to choose from hundreds of different choices and put in our own bag. It reminded me of Froyo for candy because you paid by weight. Apparently this is how you buy candy all the time in Sweden, but I definitely got some good and bad candy.

Swedes love salty licorice for some strange reason but it isn’t even slightly salty, it’s almost like pouring an entire salt shaker on your candy. I mean I guess it’s an acquired taste but I’m definitely not a fan of it yet. Our dinner was lovely filled will shrimp, crab, and crayfish.

My first Swedish seafood market!

Right before we were about to have dessert, Pappa heard a boat down at the locks. We all wanted to see the water rushing so we ran down quickly to see the water change levels and the gates open up. Once we got back to the house, we had the blueberry pie Ebba and I had made earlier and talked outside in the garden. My host sisters and I then decided to watch a movie, we picked “The Notebook,” and soon after that we went to sleep.

These past few days have been so busy but the rest of our time here should be pretty laid back. Tomorrow we are going to walk around the city of Trollhättan and we are not sure about what to do on Thursday yet. I will eventually update you on the second half of our trip! Thanks for reading!

I Have Arrived!

After 20 hours traveling, 4 cities, 3 planes, and 2 continents, I have finally arrived in Sweden for my study abroad program! With a few minor set backs as well as a few new friends, I have finally begun my new life.

After a testy goodbye, I boarded my first flight which flew 3 hours from Tampa to Toronto. I sat next to this very nice couple named Corinne and Steve. I told them why I was crying and they were very interested in my exchange. Corinne told me that she used to work in Sweden on-and-off for years. We shared many stories together and it was nice to make a friend right off the bat. They also helped me fill out my immigration form when they could tell I was struggling! Once we landed, we said our goodbyes and I headed off to the baggage claim to retrieve my suitcase and begin my 8 hour layover.

Bag Scare #1: Once I got to the baggage claim, I waited for my bag to come. Soon, the bags began to lessen along with the rest of the people on my flight. A man and a daughter who were also missing a bag took me under their wing and we searched for our bags together. Luckily, customer service for my bag quickly found it, as it had been put on the wrong carousel! (He however was not so lucky!)

Flight 2 was 6 hours long and headed to Reykjavik. I sat next to a man named Derek and we talked the whole way. He and his wife were taking their children on a trip around Europe for a month. I was just as interested in his travels as he was with my trip. Since he had been to Sweden before, he gave me ideas for places to visit in Stockholm and told me about the people.

Sometime between the many documentaries we watched of why Iceland is so great, our laughter, and our commentary, I was looking out the window and saw the Northern Lights!!! I freaked out because I had never seen them before and have always wanted to. I was so excited and couldn’t stop staring at them. What better way is there to see the Aurora Borealis than in the warmth of your plane flying parallel to them??

Shortly after that I ordered my very first airplane meal, 3 sliders. Unfortunately, they were not as good as the ones at Chili’s, however they were surprisingly better than I expected. Around 1 AM, the sun set putting out the prettiest sunset I have ever seen. You could see every color so distinctly. It went from red, to orange, to yellow, to green ( I’ve never seen that in the sky before!!!), and finally went to blue. We could finally see the water we were over and the clouds which looked so cool. Iceland soon came into view, with its Mars-like terrain, and I knew I had just completed 3/4 of my traveling. When we landed, I sadly said goodbye to my new friend Derek and walked into the Iceland airport.

Iceland is pretty much where everything went wrong. With only an hour until my next flight, I was already nervous I wouldn’t make it. Before we could go into the airport, we had to go through another set of security because apparently Iceland looks for different things than anywhere else. After almost 30 minutes, I cleared that and made my way to the gate. Before I got there I had to go through immigration which took forever!! (and the man in front of me who took 10 minutes alone was no help either). Finally, I was free to head to my plane, which was already boarding. When I got there the line seemed to be a mile long so I knew I was safe. On this 3 hour flight I sat next to two Chinese women who didn’t speak English, so I thought it would be good for a nice nap.

I must have been tired because when I woke up, we were flying over Sweden whose landscape is too beautiful to put into words. I instantly had a huge smile on my face and couldn’t stop because all my excitement was just beaming out of me. When we landed, I couldn’t wait to just grab my bag and finally get my bag.

Unfortunately it wasn’t that easy. When I got to the baggage claim, my bag wasn’t there AGAIN for some reason. Luckily, this time I knew what to do. I went to customer service where the man told me my bag had been stopped in Iceland for some reason, thank you so much Reykjavik. Luckily, it is supposed to come early tomorrow so he took my information so they could deliver it. Being in an amazing country, I was not going to let a little bag get me down. I headed out and my amazing host family was waiting there to greet me!

They were all hungry so we decided to go for a small meal at none other than McDonalds! I can’t think of a better way to welcome an American exchange student to a new country. Our drive home was a little under and hour, but I didn’t mind it at all. We went through a little of Stockholm and we listened to Swedish music the whole time. When we finally arrived to my house, my two host sisters gave me a tour and I think my favorite part is that we have a basement! I just think that’s super cool.

We really only went home to change and then quickly left to go to my host mom’s brother’s wedding dinner. He and his fiancé of 11 years, which is apparently normal in Sweden, got married that day. The dinner was at a restaurant on the water and the weather was so nice that we were able to sit outside.

They kept saying I brought the nice weather with me!

I have to say, my first Swedish meal was amazing. With three courses I was completely stuffed at the end.

Once we were home again, we decided to go for a walk to my school so they could show me around. It wasn’t far at all and we went down to the water right behind it for a beautiful view. It’s safe to say that Florida’s water is definitely warmer. After our walk we went home and I gave them their gifts! I think they like them all. Papa got a Starbucks mug that says Florida on it, Mamma got a decoration with a saying about sunshine, Ebba got a left-handed notebook, and I gave Anna and Alex and Ani bracelets. We talked the rest of the night and then went to bed. Tomorrow we are going on a road trip to Trollhättan to visit my grandma. I will write about our mini vacation in my next post!!

My host sister Anna and my host parents.

x

It is almost impossible to believe that in only four days I will be leaving my life here in Florida, leaving the country for my first time ever, and spending 5 months in Södertälje, Sweden. I can’t wait to begin my study abroad exchange adventure with a wonderful host family, a great school, and a beautiful city.

A lot of people have been asking me why I want to do this, how I found it, and why I picked Sweden. Well, everything kinda came together in a whirlwind. Way back in January, I began looking into high school study abroad programs after hearing my best friend talk about her year in Costa Rica. When I googled “how to study abroad in high school,” many different companies came up and I began sifting through, knocking out ones I thought were too expensive, or didn’t offer any places that interested me, or that I felt weren’t the right fit for me.

I finally settled on my lovely company, Greenheart Travel, and began looking at all their options. Almost immediately I knew that my heart belonged in Sweden. I had previously been interested in the way of life of Swedes and their outlook on life and the world. The only thing still standing in my way was convincing my parents to let my insane dream become a reality. After putting together a powerpoint and waiting a few weeks as they thought about the reality of this situation, my amazing parents actually agreed to sending me half way across the globe!

With my new amazing family, I will be living in Södertälje, a medium-sized city on the South coast, only about a 40 minute train ride south of Stockholm, the capital of Sweden.

Beautiful Södertälje! (Sodertalje) My new home while I study abroad.

I will be living with my host mamma Karolina, my host pappa Richard, and my two host sisters Ebba and Anna. I have already Skyped with them a few times and Snapchat Ebba almost everyday!

My host parents and my host sister Ebba.

They are so personable and I am so lucky to have been picked by such a wonderful family. Ebba is about the age of my older sister, Stephanie, and we are very similar so I can tell we will get along very well. However, Anna I will only meet for a few days as she will be leaving shortly after I arrive to be an exchange student in the States.

My two host sisters, Ebba on left, Anna on right.

I will be taking her place in my class at school and she has already told many of her friends I am coming, so hopefully I will have some friends waiting for me there!

One thing I have already found very cool for Sweden is that my school is only 10 minutes away from my house, walking distance!!

This is my cozy little home that I will be living in while I’m in Sweden.

My school has two programs to choose from, Economics or Natural Science, and I will be in the Natural Science program. I will be taking Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Social Studies, Spanish, Swedish, and English all in Swedish. That’s a little scary since my Swedish is quite basic, but hopefully I will make friends who will help me understand.

Since I am a dancer, my host mom has already helped me find a dance studio in our town who is willing to take me in. I am excited to see what dance is like in Sweden, but I am also eager to get involved in other activities I would not do here in the States.

I’m so excited to share my experience abroad with you and be able to tell you all about life in Sweden. I will try to post as much as possible and keep you updated with fun things I am doing or things I find interesting about their lifestyle.

 

One of the two cats my host family has.