The best word that describes Sweden is Lagom. Lagom is a Swedish concept of just enough. After spending a month living in Sweden you learn to live in a state of meeting needs rather than planning months. In my first week there, I panicked about food and the 15-minute walk to the grocery store so I tried to use the American concept of bulk buying. Most of my produce went bad the following week. It was after a week of being there I realized the locations of the local grocery stores were conveniently placed so that individuals could pick up ingredients for that night’s dinner at home. The concept of lagom is something that ties into the country’s rich history. 

     The population of Sweden is diverse and different. In my time there, I learned that obtaining citizenship is a long process that has its own checks and balances. However, the stories behind Sweden’s population vary in a connected stream of events. I met a young lady from Poland who moved to Sweden for love. I also had the opportunity to meet a second generation refugee whose parents moved to Sweden to escape war. While it was a bumpy road for them to establish life in Sweden, their son is now an adult who works full-time and is happily married. I was able to communicate with an older woman from Russia, who didn’t even speak English, about her time in Sweden and what she has learned and enjoyed about the country. 

     Upon first arriving, I was scared that a new county would be hard to get around or communicate with the locals. However, I very quickly learned that Swedish people are both reserved and curious. Their cultural normalities make them appear to be reserved. But almost instantly after asking a few questions, it became easy to receive help and learn about my new environment. A lot of my non-traditional learning about the country came from bus rides. I met an older Swedish woman in her 80s that was unable to speak English. She was sweet and wanted to compliment my hair and kept pointing to her head. I believe I complimented her walking cane after realizing she was staring at me.