As some of you may know, I have never been out of the country. That is, until this week.

This fall quarter, I will be studying abroad in Paris, France, but before I started my program, I made a little pitstop in Sweden to see Louise’s cousin, Sandra, and eat a ton of Swedish candy.

My first day in Sweden was kind of strange to me. Jet lag was something I finally experienced for the first time, and I honestly didn’t know what day it was for awhile. Thinking about Monday/Tuesday still confuses my brain a little bit, too, because the combination of sleep deprivation and the rising and setting sun at times completely foreign to my circadian rhythm kind of just threw me for a giant loop.

However, after sleeping for roughly 14 hours, I woke up and was ready to be here, in this time zone/country/small village, so Sandra took me to buy some Swedish candy, and then we visited her farfar (grandfather) at the lake. We had “fika” which is like tea time, but with coffee and cookies. It was delicious, and easily one of my favorite things to happen here. Farfar was incredibly sweet and welcoming, and honestly I don’t feel like going there once was enough.

I cannot wait for the day that I get to come back here and spend even more time getting to know the people and places I’ve heard so much about from Louise. Hopefully I’ll come in the summer time and enjoy it when it’s just a tad warmer outside.

Anyway, the next day, Thursday, I was on my own. Sandra went to work for the day, so I went on an adventure through this tiny town called Nyköping.

I walked around town for almost 3 hours, and saw an old castle, a busy shopping street, and a great deal of lovely greenery in the park through the middle of town. The river has these twists and turns that make for a similarly oriented walk alongside the water, and the old bridges and artwork that ornament the park around the river are spectacular.

It’s clear that this place isn’t heavily focused on appealing to the tourist community, which I also really appreciate. Of course, the places I went to are the more tourist-y spots of town, but if you’re going to a place with any sort of cool history, it kind of makes sense that there would have to be some explanations and signs for those who want to come gawk at it.

So far, Sweden has been fairly relaxed, and I like that a lot. It would have been hard for me to come here and be constantly on the go considering the various factors working against my immune system, and since I can already feel myself getting sick, my vitamin game is about to get amped.

Today is my last day here, and while I don’t know what is in store, I know that coming here first was an excellent decision. Not only do I get to arrive in Paris with my jet lag already taken care of, but I got to see parts of Louise’s family that I honestly never expected to.

The more I think about it, coming to Sweden was more than just a tourist stop. It wasn’t just about me being in another country in Europe, or even coming to Europe for my first time. Sweden, for me, is a portal to an entire section of my best friend’s life that I haven’t gotten to experience or even understand until now.

Hannah and I have experienced similar things in our childhoods, heavily due to the fact that we both grew up in the US, but Louise didn’t, and for a weirdo from Idaho who barely knows the geography of her own nation, I had a hard time picturing what life over here was like for her.

Trips to foreign countries and cultures provide people with opportunities to learn. Whether it’s about history, language, or even other people, it doesn’t matter what you do or where you go, as long as you return from your trip with some sort of enhanced understanding of the world.

And I’ll tell you what, I’ve learned a whole lot. (But I still think white sneakers are outrageously impractical despite their fashion value here)