1.14.24-1.21.24
Welcome to my first post YAYYYYY!! Bear with me here please because the first week is so hectic my thoughts are all muddled together. I'm really trying my best.
First, to name some of the people I have met so far: Grace and Ryland (both in the international business program with me at USC), Florine (a wonderful Belgian girl), Hannes and Victoria (two of my buddies that I got paired with), and Chloe (a French student in my buddy group). Just trying to set the stage a bit here but don't worry though more details AND people will be introduced later.
Before I get into the events of the first week, let us begin with FEELINGS. No this isn't a therapy session but it's good to be aware of how you're feeling when you first arrive to a new place, especially when it's a country far far away. To be completely real with you, I was shaking in meh boots. Both from excitement but also terror. I was so worried that I wasn't going to make friends and that I might curl up in my room all the time and never get out. But I am so so SO thankful that I had Grace by my side, because she really helped me get out there and meet a bunch of new people.
I learned a lot VERY quickly within my first couple days here in Gothenburg. First, everyone actually dresses appropriately for the weather. Second, in some places you have to pay to use the restroom (mind boggling but I guess it sorta makes sense because I rarely saw people drinking water). Lastly (for now), everything kinda smells like smoke and fish. Which like isn't a terrible smell and you get used to it quickly but it's the fact that it's just like everywhere. Also makes sense since Gothenburg is a port city and is known for their seafood, and like every other European city a lot of people smoke cigarettes. BUT I discovered that Sweden is actually the original creator of Snus (the more well known brand being ZYN in America) and many people have started to opt for that option over actual cigarettes.
It's nice here because pretty much everyone is able to speak English and very well too. I'm making my best attempts to learn Swedish though to try and be more independent in that manner. However, the use of English has probably made the adjustment much easier. I will say there is so much more diversity here than I had originally imagined, which I'm slightly ashamed to admit I did indeed believe everyone to be tall and blonde, but it makes it much easier to fit in since that's not the case at all (at least here in Gothenburg). Gothenburg was also so snowy and icy this first week, it's almost impossible not to slip and almost fall on your face, it's okay though because even the locals struggle with it too. There will surely be more to add to this list in the future but I can't possibly name every little thing I've noticed in such a short period of time. Although, I would like to note that while I go by the nickname 'Mor' that also apparently means mother in Swedish, so keep that in mind because I'll make plenty of lil jokes. Now onto the juicy happenings of my first week:
Our first day that Grace, Ryland, and I were all together, we had to go activate our student accounts. But while we were waiting to do so,
we went to this popular cafe in the Haga area (which is right next to the business school). It's called Cafe Husaren and we had no clue it was like one of the most popular places to grab some coffee and sweets. We stopped there and Grace got this GIANT cinnamon roll that is a signature treat here. It's called Kanelbulle and it kind of looks like a big circular pretzel, and despite my cinnamon allergy I decided I must have a taste of it ('twas very good and I wish I could've eaten more). Afterwards we went back and activated our accounts and then went for a little hike up to this fortress to get a stunning view of the city. Then went back to the hostel and ate and Grace and I did a little shopping for some gloves and a scarf and got some much needed rest.
Monday was the first day of class for me (which I luckily had on zoom), and we got our keys and I moved in to my apartment at Olofshojd (better known as Olofs)! I actually had a bad experience compared to the others because my room was very dirty and the person who had lived there before me left a lot of things (aka their old dirty sock under the bed BLEH), but the housing center was so kind and came and cleaned it for me a couple days later after I told them the condition of the place. Then Grace, Ryland, Florine, and I all went to IKEA!! Obviously we had to considering Sweden is the motherland for IKEA. But that was the first time I met Florine and she is so funny and sweet I just knew we were gonna be fast friends. Prior to actually getting what we needed we indulged in the delicacy that is IKEA Swedish meatballs, in Sweden itself hehehe. We probably spent a solid two hours shopping around but we got about everything we needed for our lovely new apartments.
Tuesday was chill during the day, but that evening the International group called IntU hosted a fika for us at the business school, Handels. Fika is basically just a little break during the day for people to get coffee and sweets, and they have a few specific ones that are typically always eaten (will go into more detail in another post). There was one that was like green and dipped and chocolate that I personally thought tasted like acetone (I tried it again at a later time and it wasn't as bad but oh gods). Then afterwards a group of other international students asked if we all wanted to go to a bar and chat and get to know each other some more, to which we obviously said yes. That was really the beginning of our group. At the end of the night we decided to have a random snowball fight on the street at 1am for an HOUR. Then we came to realize there were no more trams running so we had to figure out a way home. But not to worry I did get home around 3am and I realized I was falling in love with Gothenburg already.
Wednesday we fed into the typical night that most people have which is go to this club called Yaki-Da (SO MUCH FUN OMG). We went with a bunch of people from the night before (btw most of the internationals I've met so far at this point were German) and some new people too! But they played a lot of American 'frat' music in my opinion, however everyone had a great time. This is 100% what will be happening every single Wednesday night.
Thursday we went to this Australian bar called Down Under on the well-known bar street Andra Langatan, with the same group again more or less, but I got to know some of the others and some new people tagged along as well! I mostly spent time playing the card game 'president' with two French students, Enzo and Clementine, Devon the lovely Canadian girl I actually ran into at key pickup, and Justin another German student.
Friday was the pub crawl hosted by IntU! Grace tagged along with my group because apparently her group went off schedule and went to a different bar. Grace and I talked with my buddies Victoria and Hannes as well as Chloe and we stayed out the longest out of everyone else in our group. Ended up going to Burger King at the end of the night before heading home (was definitely needed and for some reason everyone LOVES mayo here which is great because I do as well).
Saturday I slept in. Much needed after the very long busy week I had just had. Then Devon invited me to come with her and some others to this international student party, and that's where I met Amy, who's another Canadian who happens to live right above me. I also met Frida, Freja, and a couple Norwegian students as well. Planned a random trip to Croatia for the upcoming Thursday (um yeah this kinda just happened out of the blue but oh well so slay). We went to the party and found out it was actually a scam (rip but it was actually in this super cool venue) and then Freja suggested this other club, Pustervik, that none of us had been to so we went and spent the rest of the night there. Where I actually ended up running into Midas, a Dutch student who happens to live down the hall from Grace, who I met earlier that Tuesday. We spent most of the time downstairs where there was like Swedish techno music and then eventually went to the upstairs which had American rock music. We then went home at around 3am (I'm pretty sure I had not gone to bed before 2am every day so far at this point).
Sunday I spent partially with Patrick and Ryland (again who are both in the IB program with me at USC). We went to a women's hockey game and then got sushi afterwards. Then I met up with Amy and Devon to discuss the Croatia trip at a cafe, and afterward Amy and I went shopping at Willy's (one of the big grocery store chains here) and then went back home to Olofs.
As you can tell (which hopefully you made it through all of that) the first week was so insanely busy. Met so many new people, experienced so many new things, and unfortunately the next post probably won't be much shorter haha but eventually, once I fall into a routine (maybe) it'll chill out a bit. Hehe get it? Chill out? Since it's freezing here in Sweden? No? Well I laughed, so until next time.
Slay the day xx
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