I’ve always been a fan of school field trips, and I can confidently say Sweden has been the best one yet. We started the trip by loading onto a Mercedes bus in Copenhagen with our driver, Clark. After a quick 45 minute drive over the bridge, we were in Malmö, Sweden.
Day 1: Our first stop was a guest lecture given by Erin Cory. She talked about her research of refugees which then turned into the creation of a podcast. Erin also happened to be an Indiana University alumni, so I had plenty to talk about with her. Next up was lunch followed by another guest lecture from journalists Jane Andersson and Qais Fares. The two have been best friends ever since Qais immigrated from Syria to Sweden. I was in awe of Qais’s story of leaving his home and family in order to live in a safer and more free country.
Later that night, my class met back up for a brewery tour and beer tasting. Being a Texan, I have grown to appreciate good beer. However, many of my classmates were not the biggest fans of IPA. Nevertheless, the brewery was a great bonding experience and a memorable ending to the first day.
Day 2: The next morning we loaded onto the bus bright and early. Clark drove us to Lund, Sweden where we started the day with a tour of the historic college town. Some highlights were the Lund Cathedral with an ancient astronomical clock inside, and an underground church with a skeleton buried beneath. The tour was followed by one last guest speaker, Nils Gustafsson. Nils talked about his research on democracy, social media, and political polarization.
Before long, we found ourselves at Boulebar, where we ate a three course meal and learned how to boule. I’d describe the game as a mix between bowling and cornhole, and let’s just say I picked it up pretty quickly. Before long, my team was in the championship round where we unfortunately lost in a devastating finale. Despite the loss, I still had a great experience and would highly recommend a trip to Boulebar on any future trips to Sweden.
Day 3: The last day started off with a ferry ride back to Denmark. Once reaching land, our first stop was the Kronborg Castle which just might have been the highlight of my trip. I’m not sure how familiar everyone is with Shakespeare’s Hamlet, but this castle just happened to be the setting of this play. I can definitely say I understand Shakespeare’s obsession with Kronborg after this visit. I mean who wouldn’t love panoramic views of the water, elegant interior, and a massive underground chamber?
After the castle, Clark drove us all to the Louisiana Museum where we ate lunch and took a guided tour. I would consider myself a fan of modern art, so I had a great time walking around the exhibits and learning about the meaning behind all the pieces.
I guess the art museum really wore me out because I took a very long nap on the bus ride home later that day. Before I knew it, I was waking up in Copenhagen again. I got off the bus to see Clark had unloaded our luggage and everyone was catching a metro home. Although I might have been exhausted by the end, this trip was definitely one for the books.
Allison Abroad 