The flight was just a few days away, and Miriam Manna ‘24 BSB was nervous. It was a cold winter morning, and although she had all of her belongings packed, she did not feel prepared for the several months she would be living alone in Sweden, studying at the Stockholm School of Economics through the Carlson Global Institute’s Exchange program. It would be her first time leaving the United States, and once she was there she would be completely alone.
“I was nervous about making friends. It was scary, not knowing anyone. I was diving outside of my comfort zone,” said Manna.
Immediately after landing in Sweden a few days later, she recognized some key differences from the United States. Everybody used public transportation in Stockholm, so most roads were devoid of cars. Manna joined them, commuting 20 minutes by train from her apartment. A lot of local students commuted from home, so most students living in the apartments with Manna were international. She was surprised to find that most people she met were fluent in English.
