DIS Blog
Lessons from Scandinavia
“Embrace change, explore new perspectives, and expand horizons.”
I often say that I hate change.
This summer, however, I realized that this is not entirely true — I just hate goodbyes.
My last week in Copenhagen flew by quicker than I could expect, and Friday night (my final night) felt like it arrived only two days after I did. With so many goodbyes looming, I decided to shift my mindset to a “see you later,” something I find it much easier to come to terms with.
My summer with DIS may be ending, but my time in Scandinavia, my friendships, and my memories are not.
About the blogger
Hi! My name is Natalie and I am a Secondary Education and English major at Vanderbilt University! I studied Child Development and Education in Scandinavia with DIS in Copenhagen.
I spent my summer with DIS in both Stockholm and Copenhagen and fell in love with the cities. I am so excited to be back and I am even more excited to be able to share my journey with you all as a Student Blogger. I love talking about both my summer and spring session experiences with DIS on my blog: https://disdigitaldiaries.wordpress.com/
My time in Stockholm and Copenhagen encouraged me to challenge myself — my ways of thinking, my views of the world, and my views of myself. I can firmly say that after less than two months, I feel more confident in myself and my independence. Leaving the States an introverted girl with some dependency issues, I was terrified to be completely on my own in two new countries. I knew no one in and nothing about Scandinavia before boarding my eleven hour flight to Stockholm in mid-June, but coming home, not only have I met lifelong friends and learned about my host countries, I’ve also learned about myself.
I always said I hated change, but what I really hated was the fear of losing what’s important to me.
Coming home, of course I am sad to be leaving the friends and program I grew so fond of in the past six weeks, but I am learning that I am not losing them at all, they have become a part of me.
My friends taught me to embrace new experiences, make the most of my time in new places, and be confident in who I already am.
My programs have taught me to make my own decisions, challenge myself and my perception of the world, and explore outside of my comfort zone.
Leaving Scandinavia does not mean leaving these things behind, it means carrying them with me as I face my next new experience. So, as I leave Copenhagen and head back home to the States, here are my top three lessons I learned abroad.
“My time in Stockholm and Copenhagen encouraged me to challenge myself — my ways of thinking, my views of the world, and my views of myself. I can firmly say that after less than two months, I feel more confident in myself and my independence.”
1. Embrace change
The most important thing I learned while abroad was to embrace each change. If I allowed myself to stay scared of changes, I wouldn’t have had the courage to spend my summer in two completely new countries in the first place. I wouldn’t have allowed myself to step outside of my comfort zone and make new friends, form new ideas, and have new experiences.
2. Explore new perspectives
Secondly, while spending time in Scandinavia, I was challenged to think critically about different perspectives and my own personal biases.
Through my classes, I was introduced to different ways of thinking, whether a new way to experience a foreign country or a different outlook on a country’s educational system. I learned that there is no right way to make policies that are best for everyone, everything is a balance. The way every country, society, and culture operates has its own priorities. We must understand each other’s perspectives to work towards the most successful balance of ideas and priorities.
3. Expand horizons
Going abroad, I was scared to experience so many new things on my own. I told myself that while, yes, I was studying abroad to do that — study — I was mostly taking on this new experience to work on my confidence and independence. And that’s exactly what I did.
Coming home, I feel more secure in myself, my ability to make my own choices, and trying new adventures on my own. I am incredibly grateful for this experience as it helped me not only challenge my views of the world, it helped me challenge my views of MY world.
