Semester Abroad (6 months) with YFU in Stockholm, Sweden

Hello! My name is Aina Swartz and I am currently a senior at Mercer Island High School in Seattle, WA. The six months I spent studying abroad in Sweden with YFU last year absolutely changed my life. I had the time of my life and grew so, so much as a person. I stayed with a host family (a mom, a dad, and two younger kids) in a suburb of Stockholm called Huddinge, which was only about 20 minutes by train into downtown Stockholm. My school was absolutely amazing- my class was full of immigrants who were so welcoming. Not only did I get to try Swedish food, but I also tried amazing Turkish food for the first time in my life as one of my good friends was from Turkey! My host family was very nice, and spending Christmas with them was very fun, even if I did miss my family :) I made so many life-long friends while in Sweden. Even though I only spent 6 short months with them, I know I will never forget them. This trip was really life-changing- not only did it confirm my desire to study international relations at university, but it also exposed me to real social problems in that part of the world such as the refugee crisis.YFU was so great about helping me with any dilemmas that came up during my trip, and I even volunteered with their Swedish Office as a speaker at the weekly information events for prospective Swedish exchange students. Overall, my time in Sweden was absolutely amazing, and I would recommend it to absolutely anyone.