Hello! I am Ava, a third-year environmental science major interning abroad in Stockholm, Sweden, a program I had not heard UO many students talk about during my application process. I hope to spread the word and help more students understand Stockholm, and come here as well! I chose Stockholm because of how prevalent sustainability is in the city and in Sweden as a whole. Being immersed in a culture with values that align so closely with my own and working in a professional environment with shared goals seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
I also had never traveled to Scandinavia, but it had always intrigued me. The journey to Stockholm was a bit long, with a layover in Amsterdam, making the total travel time over 12 hours. I think I was excited enough on both flights that the time flew by, and before I knew it, I was waiting with my peers for a shuttle to our accommodations in Arlanda airport. The first night, I went out to dinner with some others in the program, who have all been very welcoming and sweet. I ended up leaving early with another student as travel fatigue slowly set in.
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When we got on the bus back to the accommodations, we realized we had accidentally gotten on the wrong line due to confusion with the SL app (the main transportation app used in Stockholm, where tickets are purchased), and we quickly got off. Both of our phones were on low battery, but we stayed focused and called an Uber, which arrived just in time. Remaining calm and staying level-headed really helped us in this situation. My advice: you’ll likely end up in one situation like this when you first arrive, just remember to take a breath (and also use Google Maps, its directions are a lot easier to follow)!
My first full day in Stockholm was on a Saturday, which started with an orientation, followed by a group lunch, and then a scavenger hunt around the city. This hunt took us all around Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s Old Town, before we went through Normalm, and then Djurgarden, where we caught a ferry back to GamlaStan. The scavenger hunt was a fun way to see the sights, from Stortorget, Stockholm’s oldest square, to Gronalund, an amusement park on the water, and also a nice way to adjust to the city’s sprawling public transit, making me more confident after the mix-up the night before.
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The hunt ended at a candy store where we all got to pick a candy cane (I chose lingonberry, delicious!) before we were told we could do whatever we wanted now. It felt so weird being cut loose in the city, and it hit me that this is what the rest of the program would be like, at least in my downtime; there would not be many structured activities. I was a little nervous, but mostly excited, as I walked through the city getting to know more of my peers. Sunday was a free day, which I spent grocery shopping with my roommate, finding my office, taking my route to work, trying Semla, a traditional Swedish pastry typically served until Easter, and visiting Ikea.
I spent my first day of work visiting the various brand stores around Stockholm for my company, to get a feel for what customers valued and how sustainability was integrated into the brands. I was tasked with introducing myself to store managers, which I was a little nervous about at first, an anxiety which quickly dissipated due to the warm and welcoming nature of the staff. This task took me through various department stores around the city, and I spent most of the day on my feet. I saw how sustainability was valued in Stockholm’s culture, with many second-hand stores throughout the city, general transparency in sourcing of products,and even little things like 7-11's packaging old but still servable pastries together with a discount to reduce food waste.
Overall, I have loved my first few days in Stockholm; it's a lovely city with a great atmosphere and I can’t wait for more adventures.
Ava Georgious, Diverse Ducks Ambassador