I Sverige: Traveling and Orientation

Well what do you know!  I've made it to Sweden!!  I've had my first two days here at SVF, and so far things have gone quite well.  The area around the school is so pretty, and the people here are very nice and friendly.  To bring things up to date, and to give you a picture of what it's like to travel to Sweden, here's the gist of it.

Traveling:

For SVF, we arranged to meet at O'Hare and go together as a group.  For those of you who have never been to O'Hare, or haven't been there for some time, it may be hard to navigate or try to find what gate your flight is going to be at.  But if you just follow the signs posted around the airport, and don't hesitate to ask for directions or more information, you should get to where you need to go alright.  There should also be television screens with flight information on them, arranged alphabetically by destination they are flying to.  The terminal and gate information should be listed alongside it, so look for those as you go as well.  It's also good to plan on being there several hours earlier than your planned departure time, just in case something should happen to slow you down, in case it takes longer than expected to get through security, and/or if there's a change in your flight plans.

Once we all met up at O'Hare and boarded the plane, the flight then took about 8-9 hours.  Of course with the change of time zones and such, this will throw your body clock a bit out of whack for a while, causing you to get jet lag. One tip I learned about fighting jet lag is you need to take into consideration where your final destination is, and stay awake and/or sleep according to the time it will be there.  So for me, when I was on my way to Sweden, I had planned on napping on the plane until the sun would come back out for the next day.  Then I would stay awake until it was nighttime in Sweden.  This isn't an easy thing to do, and I still felt the effects of jet lag for the next day or so, but it'll help you get on track better if you try hard to coordinate your sleep patterns with the flow of the day at your destination.  It's also not a bad idea to get up if you can during the flight and stretch your legs out a bit.  Meals are also served during long flights like that, so you may not need to pack many snacks.  But it is airline food, so some people may find that their stomach sits better with other kinds of snacks.  Some people may also find that it's hard for them to eat while they travel, or some may be prone to flight or motion sickness.  If this is the case, just take things steady, and don't be afraid to pipe up and tell someone traveling with you if you aren't feeling well.  Just be prepared, and do what's best for your health.  It's better to get to your destination alright than to feel ill and wiped out.

Waiting for the train at the station in Copenhagen, Denmark

After we reached the airport in Copenhagen, we then took the train on up to Sweden, and then to Jönköping.  The train systems in Scandinavia are quite good and comfortable.  They also run quite fast and are perhaps the most efficient way to get around Europe, so getting a train pass would also be a good idea if you plan to travel around more while there.  From the train station we were then picked up and brought on over to SVF.  Time to really start the adventure!

Orientation:

After getting to SVF, we then began orientation the next day.  Unlike a lot of other college orientations, SVF's orientation day wasn't quite so full of so many things to do.  Everything listed on our schedule was mandatory, but the activities were fewer and went at a slightly slower pace than the one I had while at North Park.  Even so, it was on a bit of a brain overload as I was suddenly meeting a lot of new people and processing the new information given to me (not to mention having jet lag at the same time).  But it was ok, especially since they tend to not have anything mandatory planned in the after dinner hours, so you have the evenings to relax and regroup if you need to.

The dorm rooms at SVF are of a pretty good size, and they have big windows that make them very bright and airy during the day.  There aren't any screens on the windows, so you may have to watch out for bugs sometimes, and you would want to close them at night then for safety.  (Not that Jönköping is particularly dangerous, but it is still a city.)  Each room also has its own toilet area with a sink, and the showers are located in the basement.  Also, if you want to bring any hairdryers, hair straighteners, hair curlers, or anything of that nature, you will want to double check to make sure it'll work with the outlets here in Europe.  Even with a converter unit, you may still burn out a lot of those types of electrical devices.  (I almost burned out my own hairdryer the first night I was here.)  There're no carpets on the floors, which may be different for many Americans, but then you don't have to worry about staining anything should you accidentally spill something.  Just make sure to keep your room tidy, clean, and organized.

One half of the dorm room...

...And the other half.

It may also feel intimidating to be surrounded by so many Swedish-speaking people when you don't know much Swedish yourself, but most everyone here speaks good English, so if you really need to ask questions or get information it shouldn't be a problem.  It's also a great opportunity to challenge yourself and strengthen your skills in Swedish.  They all appreciate it when you try, so don't be afraid to give it a chance.  :)

The main building on the SVF campus.

The main office, a few classrooms, and the

chapel are on the first floor, and the cafeteria is

on the second floor.

The hill going up from the dorms to the main buildings.

This place has a lot of steep hills.  You'll certainly get

a workout walking around here.

Part of the orientation process is also getting to know Jönköping itself.  They'll tell you where you can find groceries, currency exchange, the train stations, and other parts that would be good to know about. I also found out - after having gone on an impromptu exploration excursion the other day - that Jönköpoing is also different than many American cities in that it wasn't set up like a grid.  The streets and avenues and paths all wind around among the trees and buildings, so you may find yourself feeling a bit lost when you first try to navigate them.  But having the lanes done up that way really gives the place character and charm, and makes walking around a bit of an adventure in itself.

A view of Jönköping from the SVF campus

Heading towards downtown Jönköping!

On the grounds in front of the governor's mansion

An area downtown near Lake Vättern

Another important thing for anyone to know when being in a new place is how to get help in case of an emergency, or if you feel ill.  As it turns out, I got rather sick a couple days after arriving at SVF, so I got to experience that firsthand.  If you're not feeling well, don't be shy about saying so, and get some help if you need it.  I've found that my classmates and those in my dorm here are more than willing to help if needed.  (Thanks so much you guys!)  :)  At SVF, it's mandatory to report any illness to the reception desk.  From there they will get you help, and also inform your teachers and instructors about your condition and your absence from class.  They'll also provide you with emergency contact numbers, get you in touch with a doctor should you need one, and let you know of any other procedures or contacts you need to go through in case of illness or an emergency.  The Swedes can be very hospitable people, so don't be shy about telling them if you need something.  :)

Once you find yourself well equipped, then it's time to start classes and get on your way!