It’s daunting to move abroad. Settling into a new country and foreign culture, all the while building community for yourself, requires initiative and the right resources. Whether it’s discovering a new hobby or pursuing a preexisting passion, getting involved and finding your people will ground you in your new surroundings and enrich your study abroad experience.
Don’t know where to start? Read on to learn how DIS Stockholm students immersed themselves in activities within the city, meeting strangers, making friends, and finding a temporary home in Sweden.
Getting active with the Swedes
Exercising alongside Stockholmers is a great way to meet locals! In a country where movement — especially outdoors — is integral to the culture, it’s easy to meet locals through fitness. Whether you join a running club, take classes at a local sports organization, or begin a gym membership, there’s no shortage of opportunities for meeting others while getting active.
DIS provides a discount for all students who sign up for Stockholm Students’ Sports Association (SSIF), with classes spanning basketball, Pilates, boxing, and more. A consistent favorite among the students, Eirene (she/her), Purdue University, describes SSIF as a “big reason” she fell in love with Stockholm. Aside from settling into a routine that serves her wellbeing, she also meets locals regularly.
“Along with being able to stay in shape, I have also been able to interact with local Swedes that go to Stockholm University or are just citizens of the city. I’ve met a lot of great people so far and have found myself looking forward to going to classes.”
Izzy (she/her), Providence College, tried out a boxing class at SSIF, just for fun.
“This past week, my friend Kara and I decided to take a thai boxing course at the SSIF Open House where we signed up for free to see what the program was like… We did lots of punching and kicking which was so much fun. I’m definitely going back for more!”
Read about the goals Izzy set for her spring semester – including trying a new fitness class
Naia (she/her), Whitman College, writes about how joining Stockholm Run Club became a highlight of her semester abroad. These twice-weekly runs became an integral part of her routine in Stockholm, acquainting her with many locals and the city’s terrain.
“It’s been fun to chat with new people on runs (from all over the world) and to see different parts of the city through running. I always find myself smiling during runs; there’s a real sense of community as we run through the streets of Kungsholmen together.”
Read how Naia found community through exercise
Spirituality and religion
Practicing your faith while abroad can be a powerful way to continue a routine from home and connect with a local religious community. In Sweden, 67.5% of the population is Lutheran, 4.4% other Protestant groups, and 8% Muslim. Buddhist, Hindu, and Jewish communities also exist within Stockholm.
For Elise (she/her), George Washington University, attending church service at Immanuelskyrkan every Sunday morning became a treasured activity, one that connected her to people from all over the world.
“Walking through the doors of Immanuelskyrkan after my first week of orientation and classes, I felt immediately comforted… Throughout all the ups, downs, and new experiences of studying abroad, I’ve felt so grateful to have found a church community to be part of during my time here.”
Read how Elise has experienced faith abroad
Bringing home abroad
Partaking in activities you’re already involved in at home is an organic way to meet people with shared interests in your new cultural context. This could mean finding an equivalent to your favorite extracurricular in Stockholm or joining a DIS affinity group.
Emma (she/her), Northeastern University, a proud member of an improv troupe at her home university, was determined to test out her new city’s comedy scene. After overcoming a few translation issues, Emma managed to join an improv class in English and later attended a local stand-up show to fully embed herself in the sillier side of Stockholm.
“Exploring local events is scary, but the people I have met who are passionate about the things they do are more than willing to include outsiders.”
Learn how Emma got involved in the Swedish comedy scene
Julian (he/him), Middlebury College, was also intent on nurturing a passion from home. A member of his home university’s crew team, he joined a rowing club in Stockholm to train and meet other rowers in the city.
“[Joining the Hammarby IF’s Rowing Club] was a lot of fun because it felt so familiar, but it was in Sweden, with a bunch of Swedish people.”
Read about Julian’s semester of pursuing passions
Community doesn’t always have to be so social — Jocelyn (she/her), Vanderbilt University, a self-proclaimed bookworm, signed up for a library card just a week after arriving in Stockholm. Becoming a regular at the Stockholm Public Library enabled her to continue reading for pleasure and enjoy the occasional library trip with a friend.
“The Stockholm Public Library has a beautiful rotunda, a full 360 degrees of vibrant, filled shelves curving around us. They stretch upward three floors before the rounded ceiling reveals blips of the sky through its windows. The lighting is ambient yet bright, and the rooms are quiet yet filled with busy, productive energy.”
Learn how Jocelyn became a library member in Stockholm
Finding friends
Building a community from scratch while adjusting to everything else living abroad entails may feel like a big undertaking. Fortunately, you won’t be alone on this journey! Through your classes, housing, extracurriculars, and events hosted by DIS to connect likeminded students, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to find your people.
Jacques (he/him), Vassar College, reflects on a semester full of new friendships. Initially nervous about moving to a new country with a cohort of strangers, he details his appreciation for the people who have been part of his study abroad journey.
“Because the truth is that over the last three months, we all came here with nothing but ourselves. We left our normal lives — our friends and family — back in the U.S. to grow with one another here abroad. I am forever thankful for the people I’ve met over the course of the semester.”
Read Jacques’s reflections on the friendships he cultivated abroad
Catherine (she/her), Hamilton College, discovered a wonderful network of friends through her Outdoor Living & Learning Community, a housing group with a collective interest in spending time in nature.
“We spent the evening cooking together, playing cards, and just getting to know one another… the night was filled with laughter, and I really felt at home in Stockholm with my fellow students.”
Read how Catherine found community through her housing
Nora (she/her), University of Richmond, made the most out of getting to know her Visiting Host family. Meeting several times throughout the semester, spending time with a local family deepened her understanding of Swedish culture and provided her with community beyond her friends at DIS.
“I have loved having a visiting host family. We have met a couple times already and each time they show me a different part of Stockholm. At the beginning of the semester, they took us out to their summer house and Sandhamn on their boat, and then they just took us to Drottningholms Slott.”
Read Nora’s experience with the Visiting Host program
Want to learn more?
>> Read about Community Engagement in Stockholm
>> Learn about the Visiting Host program
>> Take a look at our Diversity Resources