I can’t believe I’m already leaving Stockholm. One part of me feels like I just left the airport terminal and the other part feels like I’ve called this place “home” for a long time. And of course just as I’m able to orient myself, I have to say goodbye. Traveling to Sweden has been such an incredible experience and I’m sad to be leaving, but I know the adventures ahead will be just as amazing as the ones I’ve already had.
Takeaways
My Neuroscience of Emotion class taught me a lot about a topic I had little experience with previously, and the course content ended up being an interesting intersection between sociology and neuroanatomy. I wasn’t expecting it, but I left class each day with an improved understanding of both physiological and social influences on expression and evocation of emotions across cultures and age groups. Because of my course scheduling, I have never been able to explore interests and niches within neuroscience, but this class allowed me to learn more about a wide range of topics in a short amount of time.
Beyond the classroom, I noticed changes within myself that have allowed me to make the most of my time abroad. One thing in particular that I struggled with at my home institution was meeting new people, especially because there are so many commuter students in the student population. It always felt like I was intruding when I would start up a conversation with a stranger.
At DIS, it feels natural to introduce myself to other groups and talk about lunch plans, activities, and share advice with other students, regardless of if they are in my class or not. I’ve been on so many adventures with students from all over the country, and I wouldn’t have met most of them without being united by our study abroad journey. I’m leaving Sweden knowing that getting out of my comfort zone and meeting new people is not something to be afraid of, but rather something to embrace.
Stockholm Highlights & Surprises
The food in Stockholm was — surprisingly — really good. I say “surprisingly” because European food has a stereotype of being bland compared to food back home, but I was always surprised by how much I enjoyed eating at new restaurants and trying new flavors.
Admittedly, most of the food I ordered was not Swedish cuisine, but I think it speaks to how much there is to experience in just one city. Some restaurant highlights are Lulu, where I tried my first poké bowl, Fern & Fika, a plant-based café with the best coffee I tried in Stockholm, Dirty Taco, with the best and most deliciously messy vegetarian nachos I’ve had, and Pizzeria Nivå, whose garlic-bread-smell was so intoxicating it stopped me in my tracks on my way to another restaurant and I ate there instead. As a vegetarian, I always thought that I would be at a disadvantage when eating at restaurants abroad. Now that I’m leaving Stockholm, I don’t think I sacrificed any part of my experience by not eating meat or seafood.
Public transportation was easy to use but difficult to navigate, at least at first. I (embarrassingly) only found out that there are different symbols for trains and trams a few days before I left Stockholm. For directionally-challenged individuals, such as myself, find other students who are more confident navigating T-Centralen so you don’t end up going in the wrong direction. By the middle of the session I felt comfortable taking trains and buses by myself, but some underground stations are more maze-like than others and required Maps and emotional support to find the right way to go.
Based on my short time spent in Copenhagen already, I’m excited to look at the beautiful architecture, relax in the public green spaces, and explore local restaurants to find the perfect Danish breakfast.
Final Stockholm Statistics
- Photos in my “Stockholm!” album: 753
- Gelato stand visits: 4
- Number of times Maps told me to illegally jaywalk: 8
- Average steps per day: 10,238
- Times I was mistaken for Swedish: 11
- “Will this fit in my suitcase?”: 6
- Total hours spent at museums: 22.7