Alve: One Year in Sweden: From Feeling Like a Stranger to Finding Home

What a journey it has been.

My first year in Sweden has been an incredible experience. I have met wonderful people, travelled to new places, experienced Swedish culture, made memories with friends, worked alongside my studies, and had a wonderful summer.

Sometimes, it has felt so good that I almost forgot I was far away from home.

But I still miss home. I miss my family, especially my mom. I miss the places where I used to hang out with my friends and all those familiar things I grew up with.

But I have also learned something important: missing home does not mean you cannot find another place that feels like home.

When I first started sharing my journey in Sweden, one of my earliest stories was about finding home away from home. At the time, I was still trying to understand what that meant.

Now, one year later, I think I finally do.

My little 25-square-metre apartment may not be huge, but it feels like my home now. Sometimes I look outside my window and realize that I recognize everything around me. I know the trees, the grass, the streets, and even my neighbours. Things that once felt unfamiliar have slowly become part of my everyday life.

Then summer ended, and it was time to return to university.

I was genuinely excited to see my friends again and start my final year of my master's programme. After three months away from campus, it felt good to see everyone returning and student life becoming busy again. I can't say I missed the early morning classes that much, but I definitely missed university life.

This semester was also special because I got to meet the new international students.

I still remember my own first days at Örebro University. Everything was new, and I was the one asking questions and trying to figure things out.

This time, I was on the other side.

As an International Student Ambassador, I had the opportunity to take new students on a campus tour, show them around, and share some of the tips I had learned during my first year.

Later, we had fika and a Kubb tournament organized by the International Office. Meeting students from different countries gave me a strong feeling of déjà vu. A year ago, I was standing in almost the same place as a new student. Now, I was helping others experience their first days.

The funniest part was that Malin [from the International office] and I ended up with different teams. She was with the second-year students, many of whom were my friends, while I was with the new students.

Sadly, I lost the Kubb game.

But honestly, winning wasn't the important part. Seeing new and returning students come together was. A year ago, I was the newcomer. Today, I am helping newcomers find their way .And maybe that is what finding home away from home really means. I still miss where I came from, but now I also have something here that feels like home. One year completed. Another chapter begins. More people to meet, more memories to make, and hopefully many more stories to tell. Until then, hej då!