the Grona Lund Amusement Park
Hi everyone and welcome back. I hope everyone had a good Halloween. It was actually pretty good over here in Stockholm. I went to my first nightclub since Covid-19 and it felt weird but it also felt like it had only been a week since I’d last been dancing to Hips Don’t Lie. I don’t know if any of you got that feeling too. I have to say, this nightclub was probably one of the nicer ones I’ve ever been to. It was modelled after an opera house, so there were tall ceilings, walls made of glass, and little cherubs gracing the edges of the ceiling. It was ridiculously expensive though (€14 for a vodka and lemonade, and it wasn’t even a double). From some Instagram posts I saw throughout the weekend, it appears Galway students were very creative this year. I kept it very safe and went as Fred from Scooby-Doo and then as a witch on Saturday.
This is not really the point of this diary, but I hope everyone is safe after there are accounts of spiking spreading at the moment. I don’t think it has travelled here yet but as a woman, unfortunately, you’re always on guard anyway. I won’t give you advice on what you should do, I’m not in any way qualified, but I recommend researching the NHS website for information on spiking and particularly on spiking through needles as that seems to be the new mode of assault. Of course, it’s ridiculous that people should have to worry about this at all.
This is quite relevant for the part of Erasmus I want to speak about next. All of us are aware of the drinking and partying culture that often is synonymous with Erasmus. Of course, you should absolutely go out and enjoy yourself in any city you’re travelling to. Stockholm, like many cities, has a very vibrant nightlife. The pubs are great here and there are many cheap options for drinks. Plus, it can be a great way to meet people.
However, if this is not your cup of tea, there are so many other options. Don’t ever feel pressured to drink or go to environments you’re not comfortable in or enjoy. Stockholm, luckily, has so many amenities that there is so much to do that is non-drink related. From amazing coffee to the colourful amusement park, Grona Lund, you won’t ever be bored.
If you do decide to take part in drinking and partying, I have some quick tips for you. Many of this you probably know already but it’s always good to have a refresher. Number one: always know how you’re going to get home. Many of us are used to Galway nightlife with plenty of taxis outside of Supermacs or we live a 20-minute walk from the pub. However, when you’re abroad it can be hard to know where to get a taxi and it’s likely you don’t live that close by to the pub or club. Here in Stockholm, the public transport is impeccable with buses running 24/7. Therefore, I always have a friend or two to travel home with this way plus it’s much cheaper. However, I do not recommend travelling home by public transport alone. In fact, if you can avoid it, I would not recommend travelling home alone at all. But if you must, make sure you have booked a taxi or uber.
My second piece of advice is to drink responsibly. Of course, you should always drink responsibly (not that I’m an angel in this department) but when you’re abroad you want to be extra careful. It could be the situation that you don’t know many people in your exchange city, you don’t know the city that well and you also don’t know the hospital system. Due to this, you want your wits about you like all of this makes you more vulnerable than you’d usually be.
My third rule is just to have fun. You’ll meet so many different people and different nationalities and a few drinks can be plenty of craic.
That’s it from me today. I don’t have that much news other than two of my friends are visiting me for the weekend which I’m very excited about. I’m not really suffering from homesickness anymore, but I do miss my boyfriend terribly. I just wish I could teleport him here.
Well, I hope all of you have a good week and are as excited as me that November is here and Christmas is just around the corner.
