Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Life in Sweden...by the numbers

I'm not exactly a math genius, but here are a few statistics to paint a picture of my time abroad. I only have a few more weeks here, so I am in a nostalgic and reflective mood. Forgive me if a few calculations are a bit off...


89–the amount of days I am allowed to stay in Sweden without getting a visa, so my trip was planned around that strict regulation–February 1 to April 30 is exactly 89 days.
5,500–miles it is from Los Angeles to Stockholm. When I put it that way, I guess I really am far from home!
4–the number of GROW participants in Stockholm from February to April. Since we were all in the same boat and experiencing a new country, we bonded and became friends very quickly. From touristy visits to museums, beers at bars, boat rides around the archipelago, and lots and lots of laughs, we shared three months that none of us will ever forget.
25–approximately the number of visits I had to H&M while in Stockholm. What do you expect when there are four of them within walking distance of my office? I didn't dare calculate the money I spent though...
45–I haven't kept an exact count, but I am guessing this is roughly the number of work-related meetings I've had at Bonnier AB. That calculates to an average of three meetings per week. Swedes love having meetings, and it is even better when lunch is served because light beer is usually a drink option.
6–I will have visited six countries in three months by the time I get home–England, Sweden, Germany, Finland, Spain, and Italy. Whew!
100–number of times I wished for warmer weather and promised to never complain about "cold" days in California ever again.
-15C/4F–the coldest temperature I experienced while in Sweden; heck, it's the coldest I've ever experienced, period! It just so happened to be the night that I got trapped in an elevator in the metro station.
45–minutes it took to get released from the elevator that five friends and I were trapped in. I still have a hard time laughing about it.
2–apps for my iPhone I could never have survived without: google translate and oanda currency converter.
120 SEK–most expensive price I paid for a drink in Stockholm, which is equivalent to about 20 dollars.
3–in my wallet I have 3 different types of currency: US Dollars, Swedish Kronors, and Euros. See why I needed the currency converter?
0–the regrets I've had about coming to Sweden. I have to admit I was a bit nervous and unsure about coming to Sweden because I had no idea what to expect. From the cold weather to a new job, I was out of my element for sure. But I can honestly say that I have learned a lot in the past three months and experienced the world in an amazing way. I feel so blessed to have had this wonderful opportunity and I will always treasure and remember my time abroad!

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