So, hello and welcome back, everyone. It’s the start of a new college year and things are beginning to return to normal. From the title, you have probably figured out that I am on Erasmus. I won’t lie, it’s very different to what I’ve been doing for the past year and a half. I’m currently sat in a café in Stockholm, Sweden with no mask and people bustling around me. Vastly different to my life six months ago where the closest I came to a café was passing a Starbucks as I picked up my weekly grocery shop.
If you’re planning to go on Erasmus or are on Erasmus currently, I hope this diary can give you some tips or relatable content. I promise I’ll try not to just make it about showing off.
My journey here began nearly three weeks ago as I boarded my plane to Stockholm at the one and only Dublin Airport. From there, things have been busy. Moving to a new country and a new university for several months requires a lot of sorting of technicalities. Getting a university card, a travel pass, curtains (yes, I got changed in the bathroom for a whole week because I was paranoid), working out how the metro works (we genuinely need one of these at home. It’s so good). However, once these technicalities are sorted, the fun parts also begin. Making friends, sight-seeing and travelling the country.
Stockholm has a lot to offer, I’ve been busy seeing the Old Town, museums and, of course, some pubs. There’s a museum called the Vasa Museum here, it’s about a boat from the 17th century that they were able to salvage from the seabed in almost perfect condition. It’s very cool but, wow, they do not stop talking about it here.
There are so many great things here already but, unfortunately, Erasmus does have some downsides.
One of which is how expensive it is here in comparison to Ireland. Everything is so pricey, from the food to the alcohol to home appliances. If you’re going on Erasmus, I would genuinely recommend saving a good bit of money first.
The second, and the biggest, is the homesickness. It kicks in quicker than you think. My first week went fine, I was busy and enjoying the thrill of a new city. During the second week, my lovely boyfriend came to visit me, and we had a great time. This week, I’m stuck in the middle of classes and deadlines are coming up already which makes me miss my friends and boyfriend more than ever, even if it hasn’t been that long since I’ve seen them. Seeing the freshers’ activities start this week has made me especially miss Galway.
However, I know this too will pass, although of course I will still miss everybody. I’m heading on my first trip this weekend, to Estonia. We’re taking the ferry, which worked out to be ridiculously cheap somehow. Although the sea sickness might mean you won’t be seeing me in an pictures.
That’s my journey so far. I’m planning on structuring these diaries with a theme every week, however I thought I’d give you an introduction this time. I’m looking forward to writing these and if you made it this far, thank you for reading. Have a good week and I’ll see you next time.
