Written by Ivanna
16 Aug 2017
Dear student,
You’re arriving to Sweden today, finally the day you waited for so long has come!
I hope you’re looking forward to one of the best times of your life. One year ago I was right were you’re now and let me tell you a secret (not so secret) you’re living the dream.
Yes, the first days can be overwhelming, everything is new, different and sometimes even weird. A simple thing like doing laundry can become a challenging situation; but if something I’ve learned in my year here it’s that one shouldn’t worry too much, eventually everything will fall into place and you will feel “home”. Just take it day by day. Step by step.
Be ready to me amazed, to learn, to discover, to break all paradigms while living to the fullest.
Your eyes will see magical places that you thought were only real in the movies or after applying some especial filters; well they are real and you will get explore them.
Your heart will welcome friends from all over the world and they will become like family. Their stories will inspire you and you will learn a lot from them too. Keep them close, they will bright up your days, especially when it gets dark and nostalgia knocks on your door.
Your mind will expand, you will discover new ways of thinking of seeing the same thing from a totally different perspective. You will read many books and write many academic papers and that on-going reflection process will teach you important skills.
You will become stronger, your patience, endurance and resilience will be test and you will realise you’re capable of more than what you thought.
Your ideas will be enriched with diverse opinions that will lead to constructive discussions.
You will immerse yourself in a new culture where fika, lagom, punctuality and queuing plays a major role.
Remember, time flies so make every day count.
Welcome to Sweden!
With love,
Ivanna
