Final thoughts on my summer with DIS

Wait, I’m leaving already? Can I have five more minutes?

Two classes and six weeks later, my experience with DIS is coming to an end. It’s been a lot of travel, a lot of museums, and a lot of laughs, and I’m leaving Scandinavia so glad that I was able to immerse myself in Swedish and Danish culture, even for a short while. I feel so grateful that I was able to learn more about myself and grow in the process.

The first change I noticed within myself after I arrived abroad was how confident I became when doing things independently. I’ve been fortunate enough to make such amazing friends through DIS that I was rarely forced to do things alone, but I became much more comfortable going out and exploring, both on small errands and big adventures. 

I also appreciate more things in my life that I took for granted before. When exploring the different cities I traveled to, I would think about how crazy it was that locals would walk right past things that had me staring in amazement. My camera roll is filled with photos of interesting streets and delicious plates of food, and a lot of people wouldn’t look twice at the things I felt compelled to take pictures of. My positive psychology class also taught about mindfulness and meditation, so I felt more present in the moment and would take a minute to reflect on what I was experiencing while the world moved around me. I know that when I land back in Chicago, I’ll keep this habit of being grateful for experiences that normally I would take as a given.

I remember staring at the spice aisle of a grocery store in Stockholm for over ten minutes trying to find salt, just to discover that the Swedish word for salt is “salt” and I should have been looking three feet to the left of where I was staring. In Copenhagen, I tried to jump in the canal like other Danes do and let the water get up to my ankles before I realized it was the coldest thing I’ve ever experienced and left for home immediately. And in Edinburgh during my Study Tour, I hiked all the way up Arthur’s Seat just for the view to be a big cloud. A lot of my personal growth from studying abroad came from gaining a sense of humor about things not going the way I planned them to, but persevering anyway and having a good story to tell by the end of it.

Having this experience with DIS is something I’ll never forget. I think it’s easy to fixate on only the positive experiences, but the joy I had throughout my six weeks abroad makes it difficult to write about anything else. 

For anyone considering studying abroad, seriously entertain the idea. The reason why I started my application to study with DIS was out of curiosity – to see if my dream to see more of the world than my small corner of it could be a step closer. A few months later I boarded my first international flight, suitcase packed and passport ready. And now, six weeks after that, I’m leaving again. 

So look at streetwear from Copenhagen fashion week, try a Swedish recipe, read some travel blogs (this one is a great start). Really imagine yourself living abroad, buying groceries in a language you can’t understand, and walking home after class with the group of friends you met a week ago who you can’t imagine life without now. 

The easy thing to say I’m leaving DIS with is course credit for my home university. I’m leaving with three more stamps in my passport. I’m leaving with my four fridge magnets and postcard I bought as souvenirs. And while all of these are things I’m excited to bring back with me, the intangible things I’m leaving Scandinavia with are so much more important.

Final Copenhagen Statistics

• Photos in my “Copenhagen!” album: 736
• Iced teas consumed from Tante T: 5
• Number of near death experiences involving a cyclist: 13
• Times I was mistaken for Danish: 8
• Average steps per day: 14,224
• Flies killed: 18 (11/18 with a Birkenstock)
• Searches for “DKK USD conversion”: 61