“Why Are You In Sweden?”

My pals Theo, Jaclyn, Eleanor, Alyssa, and me. Toppen Åreskutan, September 2019. Photo creds Jackie

People always ask me something along the lines “Why exchange?”. My first thought is to tell them something sweet & superficial. Perhaps even something that makes Rotary sound good. Truth is, I never know what it is I’m supposed to say.

The idea of a year abroad is enticing. I suppose the natural charisma of foreign culture is enough for most people. World travel is pretty tough to turn down. Learning new languages. Finding amazing friends. The delicious food. Freedom. List goes on.

Sounds pretty great huh?

However, within every exchange therein lies mysterious turmoil. Unforeseen challenges constantly exist everyday. The student, after all, is a total outsider to the country they now must reside in.

I wish I could tell you precisely why exchange works for some people. But I can’t. No exchange student is the same. Everyone has their own set of reasons as to why they abandon familiarity and embark into the great unknown.

January 2019. Green shirts are Outbounds, red shirts are inbounds, gray shirts are rebounds.

For me, all I can say is it felt right. Deep in my bones to my very core I felt it. I wanted this exchange so bad! I had no idea what it would actually entail.

The Helix Rollercoaster at Liseberg Amusement Park in Gothenburg, Sweden. 10/10 first time I rode it I got so scared I cried

Exchange is a rollercoaster. There are abruptly unexpected turns, and things can change from a great high to a deep low real quick. Some people just can’t do them, and others come out of them with great stories.

Imagine trying to explain what a rollercoaster feels like to someone who’s never rode one. You can‘t! It’s unlike anything else you’ve ever done before. The thrill of the drop, the punch-in-the-gut fear; the exhilaration. Exchange is like that. Solely experienced by the individual, yet impossible to explain.

In conclusion from Mamma Mia,

“Life is Short and The World is Wide, I Wanna Make Some Memories“

p.s.

if you find yourself drawn to an exchange of your own, feel free to ask me about it! always have my support :)

xoxo

kara newman