That’s me, almost exactly 20 years ago. On a ferry from Germany to Denmark – eating a Brötchen, completely unaware of how a kanelbulle tastes.
The 23rd of August 2005: my first day in Sweden. The first day of a new chapter of my life – an adventure that was originally intended to last only one semester, but somehow… it kept going.
Arriving at Växjö Campus, I instantly fell in love with this vibrant place (mainly due to those cheerful students celebrating in their funny looking overalls). What an amazing place, I thought. It created a feeling that this was something truly special.
After exploring Campus and Växjö, I gradually got to know more of Sweden. And after falling in love with the country and its people, I knew Sweden was where I wanted to stay.
Of course, there are still so many “Swedish things” that are a mystery to me, and I still experience occasional culture shocks. The language: doesn’t fit like a “hand i handske”. The pronunciation still challenges my tongue (and self-confidence). At least my r-sound feels a little more at home since I moved to Skåne a few years ago.
I could go on and on …
What I wanted to say here is this: I’m deeply thankful to Sweden and the Swedes for having given me all the experiences, challenges, opportunities – and most of all, my family.
Tack Sverige!
