A Year in Salamanca, Spain: Stockholm, Sweden

Invited by my friend Johanna to visit Sweden whenever I had the chance, I took her up on the offer, bought a 30 euro Ryanair ticket and headed back up to Scandinavia for a weekend in my FINAL COUNTRY!

Lagom: what a cliche, I thought as I listened to the BBC podcast about modern day Sweden. It is a Swedish word meaning not too much, not too little. I discovered this word thanks to my friend Johanna, who suggested I listen this podcast before arriving. I took it with a grain of salt, understanding what the writer was trying to get across, that Swedes are fairly level headed people.

I discussed this word with Johanna one afternoon. Arguably, she said, it can be a bad thing. I responded, pointing out, "But look, Sweden has been at peace for the past 200 years!"

"Yes," she answered, "but we were chickens!"

"How?" I asked.

"Well, during WWII and WWI, while we were "neutral," but everybody knows that we were pushovers." She went on, explaining how the Germans used the railways to attack Norway, and Swedes did nothing to stop them. "We were lame," she sighed.

But no! The Swedish people I met encomapassed this term, lagom: friendly, funny, interesting yet not too loud or too over-the top, I immediately felt welcomed into the group. Well, despite the language barrier. Like in Munich, though, I enjoyed hearing the strange, song-like language. With two extra vowels in the Swedish alphabet, it is no wonder that it sounds more musical than a language like German or Dutch.

The best evening was a get together at somebody's house, where we all just hung out and chatted. Conversations of American high school versus the Swedish school system fascinated me, having had just been in Germany. Similar to Germany, here students study for three years, called "gymnasuim," an optional route if one wants to go on to university. It is comparable to the American high school. However unlike in Germany, where students are told whether or not they are eligible, it is rare for a Swedish student to not attend university. Because Swedish universities are essentially free, students take advantage of this. And why not! Tax rates are something like 50-60%!

"Geeze," I said, "I just cannot believe that I am here! I'm in SWEDEN!" I said a few times. They just laughed, and said yea, sorry about the bad weather. We got to talking and i confessed I was incredibly nervous to be leaving in about a month. I talked about the anxiety of leaving Europe and going back to Ameica, back to my life, back to reality. "Just dont be nervous; enjoy it while it lasts," they all told me. I went on to tell them my hopes and dreams after I graduate, overwhelmed at the prospect of having to decide what exactly I want to do. One girl simply said "Just do them all. There is no point in worrying because it'll end no matter what...so may as well NOT worry!"Wow, I thought. Obvious, but right on.

GAP YEAR: TAKE ONE! How badly I wish I had been given this advice when I was 18. For one to go straight onto "uni" is rare in Sweden...and in most of Europe. Students here are tired of studying, understandably, and want time to figure out exactly what they want to study. After graduation, it is common to find a job, work, save money, then go and travel. Backpack through Asia; study Spanish in Spain; travel around South America; these are what students do to put their lives into perspective. I have absolutely no regrets, I have had a GREAT 3 years in college so far.

But man, the Europeans are onto something!

This, for me, is what study abroad is really about. Asking questions, having debates, engaging in conversation and writing about it; this is what I love doing.

Sunday, Johanna and I met up with my friend Erin, who is studying in Uppsala, a small city north of Stockholm. Together, we went to the photography museum, Fotografiska. Very inspirational! I was sad to leave the sunny city of Stockholm, but alas, I hopped on a bus, went back to the airport and took off for Madrid, a 3 hour flight away.

12 hours later, I finally made it home. After spending the night in Barajas (you would be surprised the masses of people sleeping alongside the Ryanair and Easyjet gates!) and taking a 9am train to Salamanca, exhausted from traveling, I still had to go to class the next day. URgh! And of course, of COURSE, Lunes de Agua was Monday: the traditional release of the prostitutes back into the city! Oh man. Salamanca, ya keep me young.

Here are some photographs of what I saw during my weekend in Stockholm: