- I actually chose Sweden because I'm looking for a completely new adventure, something I can only find in uncharted areas of Europe. Since I was lucky enough to spend time abroad with my family in the past years, I knew for this next chapter of my life I wanted to go somewhere completely foreign. And because I have a tendency to migrate to familiar things and places, being located north of the Baltic Sea really pushes me to explore Scandinavia. (Don't worry Italy, I will return one day!)
- My options were narrowed down because, of course, I will be studying while abroad and only a few countries I haven't visited offer psychology classes in English. Through UCEAP, I found that one of Europe's universities, Lund University, lectures in English and transfer credits directly to the University of California. After tons of research, Lund seriously seemed like such a perfect fit! The town is rooted in history (the university itself is 347 years old). It's a small college town on the outskirts of larger cities such as Malmo and Copenhagen (which is right across the water). I've already talked with quite a few students who have studied at Lund in the past and they all have nothing but great things to say about the university, town, and really Sweden as a whole.
- I'm not a big snow person. So, why study in a place where the lows can dip into the 30s and sun sets occur at 3PM, you ask? Well, when else are you going to experience something totally new but have the reassurance of being home in a few months. If you know me at all, you know I'm the kind of person that needs a little extra umph to get out of my comfort zone. Even though I hate the thought of exiting that little comfy bubble moments before the plunge, I have NEVER regretted leaving that safety net behind. It's all or nothing Sweden, bring on the snow!
- Shout out to my UCLA friends for fueling my desire to go dogsledding (AKA "mushing Balto" for those of you familiar with my recent Disney obsession hehe). Of course, this isn't the reason I chose Sweden but I am looking forward to taking advantage of all the activities Scandinavia has to offer. After reading books, blogs, and websites, I am already convinced that this part of Europe is truly an often overlooked gem of the world. Between hiking breathtaking fjords, visiting glass country, Christmas shopping at Stortorget in Stockholm, and experiencing night life in Copenhagen, who knows if I will even have time to go to school (just kidding Mom and Dad)!
Ahh! Just writing all of that got me even more pumped for the coming school year! Only 17 more days until I fly out of LAX to Copenhagen!!
Thanks for reading! Love you all,
Xo
