As I reach the halfway point of my study abroad experience, I think I can finally say that I've settled into my life here. But still, there are some major differences between living in Corvallis and in Lund.
In Corvallis, I am constantly surrounded by my friends and honestly get very socially exhausted throughout the week. In Lund, it's the complete opposite for me. I CRAVE social interaction because 1) I don't have many classes and 2) I don't have many friends (lol). In the beginning, it was really difficult for me not to have someone to go to whenever I needed to share a tiny detail of my day - I mean I could obviously text someone from back home but wouldn't get a response until much later because of the time difference. It was hard not to feel alone, and sometimes I would spiral and think "what am I doing here, in the middle of NOWHERE?." Thankfully, I got really used to having time just to myself and started to appreciate it a lot more. And it also helped that I developed some solid friendships with other exchange students. I try to get "fika" with Bri, Cate, or Meaghan at least once a week just so we can catch up.
It has definitely taken me longer than expected to adjust as a student at Lund University. My business lectures are more theoretical in nature than they are back home and I'm honestly not sure if I prefer this method of teaching. I also don't have many assignments in my classes and this is mostly just because self-study is heavily encouraged - but it's so hard for me to sit down and study when I don't have a deadline or any means to apply what I'm learning. I've always been so used to busy-work and honestly I prefer it because it keeps me focused - when I have deadlines, I'm just so much more inclined to get my work done.
Outside of school, I've been trying to cook more (healthy) meals for myself. I've always wanted to be the type to meal prep but never really had the time back home. In Lund, I have (so much) time outside of class and so I've been trying to cook at least one new dish every week.