DIS Blog
The best summer yet
As her time in Scandinavia comes to an end, Ruth reflects on her last three weeks in Stockholm. With a final rose, thorn and bud, she discusses her favorite parts of the city, the difficult goodbyes to new friends and how it was a period of self-exploration.
Currently, I am on a plane back to the States after being abroad for two months.
At 36,000 feet in the air, I am thinking about how much I am leaving with: more knowledge about art and architecture, friendships, and so many souvenirs, like various art exhibition catalogues to restaurant business cards (apologies to my mom, whom I called at 2 am EST, as I anxiously repacked my overweight bag). I have so much to share, and as I have done with the past two blog posts, I will share my reflections and lessons in the form of a rose, bud, and thorn from Session 3.
Rose
Before I arrived in Copenhagen for Session 1, I didn’t really know what to expect. I was preparing myself to experience something new, a summer that would be different and exciting. After all, this was my first time studying abroad, and I had heard countless stories of how life-changing it was. I wanted to have a similar experience. But I was caught in a limbo, where I
was thrilled yet unsure of what would unfold in these three sessions. I was yearning for exciting adventures, opportunities to learn about myself in new environments, and create special bonds with others that I wouldn’t have met otherwise had I not applied to DIS.
As I look back on Session 3, I realize how these past three weeks taught me the importance of being in the present more. During my time in Stockholm, I made it a personal mission of mine to try and go to every museum listed on the Stockholm Museum City guide (Out of 91 listed, 5 were closed, I went to 31 – not too bad). And I wanted to explore as much as I could of the archipelago and get out of the city, surrounded by lush forests and calm waters. While I did go to many museums and went on a couple of hikes, when I wasn’t in class, I found myself just walking around and taking it all in – I didn’t always force myself to stay out.
About the blogger
Hey! I’m Ruth, and I am double majoring in architecture and art history with a visual arts concentration at Barnard College. I am studying with DIS for all three summer sessions, with Session 1 in Copenhagen and Sessions 2 and 3 in Stockholm!
For Session 1, I am enrolled in Strategies for Urban Livability; Session 2, Curating Today: Artists, Exhibitions, and Audiences; and for Session 3, Photography in Europe: Technology, Culture and Art. Follow along as my blogs feature lessons and reflections from what I have learned in my courses, but also stories and memories I make during my time in Scandinavia — summer will be full of exploring different museums, parks, and side streets that each city has to offer.
During Session 3, I fell back into the habit of writing daily, whether it was taking notes for my Photography in Europe course or writing down realizations and reflections throughout my day.
Sometimes, I felt guilty for slowing down, but I was really just taking it all in; I felt at peace as I sat at Ivar Los park, and I didn’t have the urge to be somewhere else. I became in so many
ways this summer – I learned about Nordic contemporary art and saw multiple fantastic exhibitions, I shared home-cooked meals with new friends, I observed urban life and how people use space, seeing how people connect with each other and the environment. I learned so much this summer and can confidently say it was the best one yet.
Thorn
Although I have had to say goodbye many times to new friends, it still is never easy. I found friends who I never imagined I would meet, and after only being together for three weeks, it was
so hard to part ways. I found mentorship in my professors that I will hold dearly, and I am so grateful to have learned from them. As I realized that August 1st was fast approaching and I would be leaving Stockholm, I realized that the time I spent with my friends and professors was exactly that – spent. I will miss the discussions I had with my peers and teachers, field trips to different galleries, and projects where I got to apply what I had learned, expressing myself creatively. Writing this, I feel sad to be leaving, but that leads me to my bud.
Bud
I know I will stay in touch with those I met abroad, and I will think about the memories we made together in this short but special time.
With DIS, I was able to bridge the path between my dreams and reality, going on this journey of self-exploration.
As I spent Sessions 2 and 3 in Stockholm, I created a routine where I was learning and doing new things, things that I love and inspire me: going to art exhibits and finding something unique in each work, exploring new neighborhoods, and creating connections with people who made me feel so comfortable and happy. I found my own rhythm within this amazing city, and I am excited to know that I will return one day. It truly is such a wonderful city, and I hope I can even call it home one day.
I sound like a broken record for saying how grateful I am for studying abroad, but I can’t emphasize it enough. As I learned in my Photography in Europe course, there are multiple ways of seeing, and summer in Scandinavia has helped me view myself and the world in ways I couldn’t have anticipated. These past two months have been thrilling and freeing, full of inspiration. With all that I learned abroad, I am excited to turn my passions in architecture and art into action back in New York, and I know I will return to Stockholm, ready to see and experience more.