Student blogs

One of the core experiences of studying abroad is spending time away from home. Whether it could be the distance, the finances, the time or all the above, there are occasions when you make the choice to stay for the holidays as well. One question you will be asked as people flock back into the school semester is: “What did you do over the Christmas and New years?” This blog is an answer to that.

Read more to hear about the quiet moments, Christmas spirit and the Swedish winter as an International student during the holidays.

I visited Skansen for the Christmas market

Theres no better time to visit Skansen than the festive season (Source: first time Skansen visitor Kai-Lin). You can see the various craftsmanship in action, such as glass blowing. You can also visit the zoo and see the animals. It was my first time seeing a lynx, reindeer and a bison! If there is a sunny day in the winter, which is hard to come by, I recommend going then. You get to be outside with flora and fauna under the clear sky. As Skansen is also physically at a higher point, you also get to take walks with a stunning view.

Of course, the real highlight is the Julmarknad. There’s live music and even chances to dance with everyone at the square. Whenever someone walked past me with the scent of good food, I stole glances to try and figure out what they were eating and scouted the market for it. You can browse the shops for gifts, accessories, Christmas ornaments, desserts and glögg. Even though it was already dark before 15:00, the warmth of families and sprinklings of Christmas lights made the space just a little brighter.

I completed a giant jigsaw puzzle

During this time, I also found ways to cozy up inside, away from the cold for more quiet moments. I made a spontaneous choice to buy a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle and took on that challenge with a friend. Puzzles always have helped me destress. They take my mind off thoughts and make me focus on finding the pieces of the pink dress I am tackling or the exact pattern of colours of the turquoise jewelry box. I also put on some cheesy Christmas romance movie in the background to really complete the cozy night.

I studied for exams and worked on my report

While I have framed this 2 week period as a “break”, the first semester still has not ended. Right after this period, the second week of January kicks off the exam and final deadline season. Therefore, I had to set out time throughout the “break” to actually work on writing my report. There were days I simply worked at home but there were also days I decided to go to a café in town for a change of scenery. Honestly, it was challenging to try to balance the work with the Christmas season. You’d have to see what works better for you. Do you prefer to block out certain hours per day or do you prefer to block out entire days dedicated to studying?

I took a day trip out to Gävle to visit a famed attraction

In an effort to also get out of the Stockholm area, I took my first day trip out to a city nearby called Gävle. It is a small city that was beautiful with a river running through. However, the main attraction was the yearly Christmas tradition: Gävlebocken or the Gävle Goat. Unfortunately for me, the storm Johannes had just blazed through the day before my trip which led to the sad toppling of the grand straw goat. This goat has a long struggled with survival throughout the entire Christmas season and this year was no different.

Despite the lack of the standing goat, I also got to see the biggest gingerbread house in Sweden at the museum and had a lovely fika at a warm café.

I hosted my very own Christmas party

If I can’t go home to a festive gathering then I decided to host one myself. There are always other friends who are in similar situations as you and the best way to combat homesickness is to bring together friends. We made our own unusual Christmas themed foods like a potato salad shaped into a Christmas tree and a “pizza” wreath made from frozen paratha rather than pizza dough. Christmas music was always humming in the background and the bubbling chatter floated in the air. I felt a lot less lonely and I hoped that I gave my friends a similar feeling.

I finally got to experience a snowy winter break

One of the most common things you will converse about in Sweden is the weather. This year, you would have most likely talked about how it is warmer than usual and that it is darker than usual. Battling the dark Swedish winter has been quite tough but this Christmas season, it felt like there was a glimmer of hope in the gloom. The skies were clear, the sun was shining and later when it clouded over, it was snow instead of rain. With the turn of the winter solstice, the city was literally getting brighter everyday.

Over a year ago, the snow prompted me to reflect on the unfamiliar. This year I am willing the powdery white snow to bring me forward into the new year with a new sense of hope.

I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and New year season and if you are joining this upcoming application cycle, I hope that this blog offers a little of the ups and downs of studying abroad.

Gott Nytt År