Sweden’s history was fun to learn. Honestly, in my time there I realized most of the information of Sweden’s past was written in Swedish. It was in my time admiring the beauty of the mountains that I began to wonder about the origin of how the Sweden we know now began.

     In one of the guest lectures of my class, I learned that the inventor of dynamite, Alfred Nobel, created the Nobel peace prize. Sometime in Sweden’s development, the area was uninhabitable. The beautiful road-friendly caves and mountain views were formed by dynamite. The magnificent mountains have marble-like structures that show the history of the Swedish land. To help with natural events there are wired fences to help with loose rocks falling. The mountainsides towards the countryside of Sweden (near Ulricheim) were filled with giant trees. The trees would tower high even from afar highlighting the natural beauty of Sweden. 

     Not too long after learning about dynamite, I was informed that due to the misuse of his invention, Alfred Nobel founded the Nobel peace prize. The accolades for the creation of promising ideas to enhance the development of humanity began to help motivate innovative minds to think beyond the regular necessities. The beautiful yet not-so-human-friendly environment of Sweden is still developing and flourishing into one of the world’s nicest places to visit. The mountains of northern Sweden are still being mined today for the natural resources within the beautiful stone. However, the mining process to my knowledge is kept away from Sweden’s growing sustainable economy. 

     The uninhabitable environment left the concept of Lagom to be formed. Lagom is a Swedish concept that embodies what I would describe as the beginning steps to inner peace. The Swedish definition of Lagom often told to me was “not too much, not too little”. The long winters in Sweden lead to a generational concept of learning to stretch food so everyone could enjoy it. That concept alone describes the current environment of Sweden now. The consistent status of life for everyone offers people of all ages, backgrounds, ethnicities, and economic statuses enjoyment of the necessities of life. Later on in my travels, I learned that maternity leave is not only long for both genders but the government supports new families to grow and thrive in Sweden. 

     The financial and mental equality of all was one of my favorite things about Sweden. Quality foods are available to all in any environment. Oftentimes before class, I would leave my living accommodations early to get freshly baked croissants for breakfast. The diverse cuisine available was consistent and had high quality in the city, countryside, and outskirts of surrounding cities in Sweden.