Written by Joshua
10 Dec 2024
The day I met Chris, I was super stressed. I had one person down to be interviewed, mentally at least, but giving sticky notes to random people on campus, asking them to be part of the series didn’t prove to be as effective as I originally thought 😅. I saw him on my way to a project meeting, having his lunch when I decided to pounce on him 😂. Looking back, it definitely wasn’t my proudest moment, but I’m glad I got the chance to talk to him. This is Chris’ story:
Who is Chris?
Chris is a student at KTH who studies Applied Mathematics in Engineering (yeah, I could never imagine doing that either 😓) on exchange from his home university in France. He’s an unassuming guy at first glance, but when you dig a little deeper, his true personality really comes out. I think he’s one of those people who doesn’t necessarily say much, but definitely means a lot when they speak, something I picked up while listening to his responses.
Where are you from, what is home like and what does it mean to you?
“Home for me is happiness and safety.” Chris is from France, a city near Paris. Family and friends are a big part of his life. He also loves sports and the outdoors. For him, the definition of home has changed a bit in the past few years. Chris moved from his hometown to Paris with his family, and recently went to live on his own. Chris said that he likes his city but that he might feel better living in another place. For him, this time will be spent exploring his options and learning more about what feels right to him.
What has been the hardest part of moving to Sweden?
“For me, being far from my family and my friends.” Chris says that even though he came with a friend, schedules and living situations still create a lot of separation for him. He said it was difficult not to always be around people with a similar background, especially when it came to talking. “I was struggling with English…there would be five days where I don’t speak French.” For him, just getting accustomed to speaking English every day was difficult, a predicament I have personally heard from other non-native English speakers. He was very surprised though, recalling how back home in France, even foreigners were expected to speak French. He’s glad to say that Sweden is the opposite, as people here are very open to speaking English. He almost relishes in the discomfort though, saying, “you have to open up, not only to your mates from the same country as you, but to everybody,” emphasizing how important it is for us to step outside of our comfort zone.
What is your fondest memory of home?
Football is a big part of Chris’ life. He recalled the times he spent with his friends playing football at one of the many pitches around his hometown, saying “I felt really peaceful and very happy.” He says it’s been a bit more difficult to play football in Sweden considering the weather, but that he’s already found a group of people to play with. “I am in a football team right now. There are a lot of Americans, Swedish people, but also Eritreans, Congolese and others,” talking about how diverse and welcoming he has found the international community in Sweden.
What is one thing that you wish people knew about you?
Chris wants people to know that he’s really just a chill guy at his core. He doesn’t believe in stressing the small stuff in life. People who know him sometimes say that he’s unserious 😂, but he believes in taking life as it comes. Even in coming to Sweden, Chris spoke about how he didn’t labor on the decision for months. In fact, he decided that he would come within 3 days, very different from your average person to say the least. I think there is something to learn from this way of living though, especially in our fast-paced world.
Where do you want to guide others’ attention?
Chris’ answer to this spoke to learning about people, and it was quite interesting to me. He believes that we are not as far separated from different situations and circumstances as we may think. To him, people tend to get comfortable with their surroundings and may not try to learn about the lives and experiences of those around them, thinking that challenges faced by one group of people could never be faced by them. He says though, “You don’t know what will happen in life, or the experiences you will be confronted with. It’s always good to keep learning about people.” For him, coming to Sweden was an effort to do just that, to challenge himself to learn about, and to open up to more people.
Have you ever been stereotyped? If so, what did that mean for you and how did it make you feel?
Chris recalled that there were times in his life at home where he felt stereotyped. He said that there were people who had different expectations of him as a black man. People assumed that he had certain interests or was involved in different activities, things he says just weren’t a part of him. Since coming to Sweden though, he says “I had the chance to meet a lot of international people…they don’t have a lot of stereotypes”. Chris spoke to how people in Sweden had more expectations about his nationality as a French citizen, than his race, always getting questions about the food and the culture of France. He said that ultimately, he feels comfortable, and very welcomed in this new international community.
Where do you see yourself going in the next few years?
Chris said that he hasn’t decided yet where he will want to settle, and is still trying to figure out where he will begin his journey in the world of work. “I want to see my family and friends but it’s quite an experience to discover another country.” Chris spoke about the job opportunities in Sweden and its surrounding countries, saying “I feel good here,” and that he is very open and optimistic about his prospects.
So, what did I learn from Chris’ interview? There are a few things that I’ve taken away:
- Don’t sweat the small (sometimes even big 😅) stuff – We have so much potential in life. There are so many opportunities and even more challenges. We can’t always be focused on the negative though. Chris teaches us that, in the grand scheme of things, we should take it easy. There will always be problems around the corner and there will always be reasons why we shouldn’t take on new experiences. Sometimes though, we just have to take life as it comes. That doesn’t mean that we should make uninformed decisions, it just means that we should be more open to the unknown.
- This experience is about learning – I myself have been thinking a lot lately about my experience with people here in Sweden. I think that there is so much to learn and so many perspectives to experience in this new place. Chris hit the nail right on the head, not only saying that it’s good to keep learning about people, but reminding us that we owe it to ourselves, and to each other, to never stop.
I’m so happy that I got to talk to Chris! His chill vibe on the outside gave way to so much perspective! This week, we will have our final installment in this series, maybe it will even be the best one yet! In the meantime, read Caroline’s Story or my story 🤗. I can’t wait to share it with you guys 🥰!
