Exploration is a thing of beauty. Not only do you discover a whole new world, a variety of cultures, beliefs and norms, but you discover a new you. A few weeks ago, I returned from a foreign country - the first foreign country I've visited in my nearly 20 years of life. I've never flown in a plane, never had to read another language on a menu, never had to learn a new navigation system, never been so far from home in my life. Now, I knew it would be different-- how could it not? A place on the other side of the globe certainly isn't going to be like Boody, Illinois, or Kenosha, Wisconsin. I've traveled the midwest, roaring down eighth mile after eighth mile. But never would I have imagined the amount of fun traveling across Planet Earth would be.
Goteborg, Sweden, is where I went. I immersed myself in the city wholeheartedly, embracing the time zone with only a little bit of jet lag, jumping feet first into the Swedes' way of life. In Goteborg, Sweden, I learned about international business, about innovation and creativity. I learned about law and technology and architecture. But I know I learned more than just the ins and outs of business in Sweden. In fact, I learned more about myself.
As a Swedish business man we met with said, “It’s about the experience”. I think this rings true for all things, not just writing, business, or interior design. Experiences are the foundation of human life. They drive all reason, influence all decisions. Most people make life-changing decisions for the experience. It’s why I went to Sweden for basically no credit. Experience is everything.
People often say there is no place like home, and I agree. But there is also no place like the first foreign place you’ve ever encountered. Gothenburg will always hold a special place in my heart from the mistakes made at restaurants to the astounding sights from the top of a cliff on the island. No reflection on this trip will adequately express the things I felt throughout this experience, no words can describe the emotions that I had.
On the last day, with two other girls, we returned to the castle behind the Swedish meatball restaurant. We sat atop the bridge and stared out over the city, looking at the lights and pointing out the places we had been. Then we noted the things we would miss: the easy transportation, the fun language, the feeling of utopia. In Sweden, nothing seemed real. And that’s the big takeaway from this trip. Some places may not be home but they have something that home can’t give: freedom.
