Alve: A Country Away, But Not Alone - The Friends I Never Knew I Needed

Growing up as an only child, my friends were more than just friends — they were like brothers and family, the people I shared every moment with. Leaving Bangladesh for Sweden, the hardest part wasn’t the distance or the weather — it was leaving behind the people who felt like home. The first few days in Sweden felt empty. I didn’t know anyone, everything was new, and I wondered if I would ever make friends like I did back home.

But stepping into Örebro University changed everything. From day one, I met people who didn’t feel like strangers. Different ages, backgrounds, and cultures didn’t matter. They helped me settle in, and slowly I began to feel okay again. We started hanging out after classes, having small dinner parties at my place, sharing stories, and gossiping about little things that made the days lighter. Those simple moments became memories I didn’t know I was missing.

I still miss my childhood friends, but the people I met here created a new chapter in my life. Friends like Dilanka, Adam, Caroline, Fredrik, Simon, and many more became an important part of my journey. They turned a foreign place into something familiar, filled the silence of my early days with laughter, and made a special place in my heart.

This experience taught me that friendship doesn’t depend on location — it depends on who you find. Sometimes, friends you meet far from home become just as meaningful as the ones you grew up with. I may be a country away from where my story began, but thanks to these people, I am truly never alone.

After weeks of settling in and building connections with my new friends, I realized that friendship here wasn’t just about having people around — it was about the small, meaningful moments that made life brighter. One of those moments was with my friend Caroline. She is Swedish and completed her bachelor’s degree at Örebro University. I still remember the first day we met during our master’s orientation class. We were put on the same team for a game, and from that day, I noticed how lively, independent, and full of joy she was. Since I didn’t have a bicycle or a car in Örebro, I traveled only by bus, but I’ve always enjoyed solo rides because I used to ride a motorbike back home. One day, I nervously asked Caroline if I could borrow her bicycle for a spin. I thought it might be too early to ask, but she smiled and said, “Yes, you can borrow it.” I was thrilled, and that ride around Örebro after a long week of seminars and exams helped me relax, clear my mind, and feel completely refreshed — and I was happy because of her.