Good Bye Sweden ❤️

Hej, 

I guess everyone should have noticed to this point that there is something going on in the world, which affects every single one of us! Even when you are not infected, it's in your responsibility to help stop this pandemic, by staying at home!

I'm not going to complain here, how much this virus affect my exchange year because it won't bring us forward to complain about which possibilities we have lost, which concerts we won't be able to go to or which travel we can't perceive. I think it's way more important to focus on positive things and move forward. Shit happens. 

I would like to share with you my daily routines, how they have been and into what they have changed too:

Monday

Normal: I usually went up around 9, because my first class started at 10:50 with English. It followed Math, PE and we end with a class Psychology at 4:10 pm. I guess Psychology was/is really my favorite subject, because it's just really interesting, even though I have to say that our teacher is sometimes a little bit weird. Mondays were my free days, so I went home, took the dog out and played with my host siblings.

Now:

Maybe I should mention that I live right now at a friend's house because the health situation in my host family wasn't really good,  there have been a chance that they are infected. So, my Monday started actually exactly the same because... Surprise! I have online classes! I have to be present at the exact same time in an online chatroom. And when you are absent, they register it. And it works, everyone has been there so far, we get exercise we have to hand in and I actually already wrote a math exam digital. 

So I was actually sitting in front of my computer till around 4 and then we went with the dog out, watched some series, had a great dinner and watched a movie. I don't think that you have to complicate things now, just take a breath and realize what you have and enjoy it.

Tuesdays

Normal:

Tuesdays I was supposed to have math (harder), naturkunskap (like biology), math and Studiepass, it's a time you can use to study or go to any teacher to get some extra help. Sometimes our class teachers used it to talk with us in person about problems we have and what the teacher can do to help us. After school I usually sat right into a train or bus to drive to my training, even though I almost always came too late. Why? The busses always need like 1,5 hours till the city I needed to go to.  I really think I started to hate those busses/trains not even after a week. However, once in Lund and at my Training hall, I usually spent 3 to 4 hours there and around ten I had to drive home again 1,5 hours! This is actually the only thing that really annoyed me. 

Now:

The morning started exactly the same, just that I don't have to stand up like 6, just like 7:50 and still in my pajamas in front of the computer. The day passed by and by the end of the day, I didn't know that this would be my last calm night in Sweden.

Wednesday:

Normal:

Usually we started with PE in the morning at 8, after a quick shower which you really need after those PE lessons, the day continued with Math and after a long lunch we had Swedish. One short thing to the lunch, every school in Sweden have to provide their students free lunch, maybe it sounds like not a big thing but this food was for free and good! After school, I sat in a train again and drove into the city again to participate in a dance class. Yes. I have never really danced before in my life, but I thought now could be a good time to try it, so my friend and I signed into a hip-hop class and it was always really fun!

Now:

Actually the day started totally normal, I woke up, went running and had a good breakfast, was already excited because this day was waffle day (so you eat waffles for dinner),  online classes went pretty okay, BUT then EVERYTHING escalated...

But maybe I should start a bit earlier: a week earlier my coordinator called and let me know that I have to go back home. I was totally overwhelmed, because in Sweden was everything so chill at this time and corona seemed so far away, why do I have to go home then? Because of some sickness problems in my host family I went to a friend. I talked with kind of everyone, my coordinator, my organization and we actually called the German embassy as well. First, it looked pretty good, but on this Wednesday everything changed. In the evening I knew that I have to go home, just like this.. Without saying goodbye to most of my friends. What gives me hope is that I can hopefully return to a time in the summer. Something I had to deal with is the thought that my exchange year is over and I can never come back or at least not in the same situation I was there. Of course people will think now, wow you have been so long away, aren't you happy to come home? The thing is after a certain time you have built up a life there and have made plans, you hopefully like your life there and then to give everything up and return, it's harder than it sounds like. Now I'm happy to be home, even when I mostly have to sit inside, but at least I got some time to review and progress everything. To be with my family is a big help too.

However, now all the chaos started, I had to find back my things which I spread all over Sweden kind of, pack, find a way to Germany,  enjoy the last time and drive back home and everything in just three days. Luckily I had wonderful people around me who helped me with everything. The first thing we actually did one this day after all this chaos was sitting down an having some great waffles and a good movie (green book, totally great movie!)

Thursday:

Normal:

I would have started with some Swedish and at 9:50 and continued with English, Break, Class time, Social Science and finish at 16:10 with History. Probably is social Science my other favorite subject and I totally think that I will study something with it. Another thing for Swedish schools: the lesson times are always different and you never started at the same time. I remember that we always had 45 or 90min lessons and those started  normally at 7:45. This is actually a thing I missed in Sweden, this routine of starting at the same time or you know when the lesson is over and I think I remember right, but we had a signal like a bell ringing for us to come in again, so everyone knew that the lesson will start in 5min. After school, I mostly had to run to the bus, to catch it to Lund, because they just went every half an hour. In Lund around 4-5 hours with everything and then back. After a while I tried to use these busses to do my homework and it actually worked really okay, just that when I came home, I was mostly so done that I just fell on my bed.

Now:

This day, I have fixed everything with my Swedish school and we decide that I will continue with the Swedish school from Germany, because I know that the system works really well and I actually wanted to have some grades from my year. On the other hand, I got to know how the situation looks at Germany, kids sitting at home not knowing what to do, because the school can't really provide school material. That showed me again how behind we are when it comes to digitization.
The whole day we just drove around and try to collect my stuff and of course I bought some Swedish food and candy, which I can bring home. The rest of the time, I just try to enjoy everything as much as possible. And, I just tried to not make a big thing of it, because I know that I will come back, maybe to study or just so.

Friday:

Normal:

My social science class started at 8:15, followed by history, Naturkunskap and English, because of a really short lunch break we finished earlier. Sometimes I met with friends after school or just went home to spend some time with my host family. A big thing in most every Swedish family is the Swedish TV programs, I really don't know why, but there are a couple of them, which everyone is watching. 

Now:

Friday was my real last day in Sweden and it was a lovely day. The whole morning I have been packing and sorting out my stuff. I decided to donate most of my things, because in my time in Sweden, my style changed and I don't see the point anymore about keeping things, I actually don't wear anymore. In the afternoon we took a long last walk with the dog and had a fika outside. In the evening I could decide what we would have for dinner and after the dinner we build up a chocolate Fonteyn!! Finally, I just enjoyed the last couple of hours in Sweden. 

Saturday: 

Normal: 

I usually had some breakfast together with my host family and then I liked to meet with people or just spent some time with my host siblings. At the last time I started to help out in a cafe, so I could finance my festival visits by my own and not asking my parents for more money, but I did it as well to gain experience.  In the evening we mostly watched together another Swedish TV program or played something together. 

Now: 

After an early start in the morning and a good Swedish frukost, we drove to the ferry in Trelleborg. Actually, I can't really remember a lot from this day, because I guess I was too chocked that I will be in Germany soon. After 9 hours on this ferry, I arrived in Travemünde, where my parents picked me up. It was so good to see my parents again and they actually surprised me with the best thing they could get: a huge marabou chocolate, what my brother and I wanted since we have been to Liseberg in Gothenburg. So I don't think that I will miss Swedish chocolate. 

Sunday: 

Normal: 

Sundays I usually drove to my best friend and spent the day there or meet with some other friends. It was always one of my highlights during the week. 

Now: 

It was my first day in Germany and the first thing I did was painting my room, because I actually didn't have a room before and my parents plan was to renovate this room in the spring break, well..

However, on this day I just try to put my life back together. 

That's it! My exchange year is over and even when I hoped that it wouldn't end so early I'm thankful for the time I had, the people I meet, the experiences I gained and much more. I know that this is not a goodbye forever; it just means "we see each other later". I was already thinking of studying in Sweden, but I guess I still have some time to make this decision. First, I would like to return in the summer when it's possible to go to festivals, try out Paragliding, surfing, do some more Parkour, skating, dancing and volleyball. Maybe finally get my stuff back from some people! And of course meet the people who became my second family. 

I love you Sweden, see you soon! 

Hälsigter Anni 

P.S I will continue writing on this blog about my experiences and thoughts. Now it's time to save and share everything. (And I have some time now, because of a certain virus)