Master's Programme in Astronomy

‘How was Sweden?’ This is the question I dread when I arrive back in Canada. These three words fill my mind with people, places, challenges we’ve faced. I can see myself now awkwardly responding with ‘Sweden was great, amazing – I loved it,’ while my questioner waits, expecting more from someone who has just spent ten months abroad. How do I ‘put into words’ these experiences and explain them to someone who has never been on exchange in Stockholm?
I’m sitting now in my (as well as a few of my friends’) favourite cafe on Gamla Stan. We discovered it halfway through first semester and have now taken up residence here; frequenting the place at least three times a week, bringing our bags filled with schoolbooks and reading for hours at a time. This is one of the things I love about going to school in Stockholm – and about Swedish culture – this atmosphere of comfort no matter where I go in the city.