Being an attractive person was not very easy at first because I was much different from other Caucasian students.
I did not know that I would make nice friends until I met Charlotte from France, who was my neighbor. She was very kind to me and knew well that there were some differences between Asian and Western people in many ways. She opened herself to me as I did to her. She and I made every effort to understand each other and finally we became very special to each other. She became my best friend.
As she was very outgoing, she helped me to become an extrovert, befriend many other Western students, and feel confident about myself.
Thus, I had a great time in Karlstad with my French, Swedish, Spanish, German, American, Canadian, Finish and Korean friends.
Sweden is nature itself. When I woke up, the first things I did were opening the window and seeing the picturesque scenery. I tried everything to enjoy Sweden, that even though I did not live in Sweden, I actually fell in love with the country.
As I had lived in a big city Seoul, for a long time, I was sick of air pollution, high buildings and many people. That is why I loved Swedish woods, snow, trees, and hundreds of stars in the sky.
To enjoy a full measure of Sweden, I went to the city above the Arctic Circle and saw the northern light known as an “aurora.” I ate special Christmas buns which are traditional food in Sweden. I ice-skated on the frozen lake. I learned Swedish and received A. I was invited to Anna’s home, my Swedish friend, and I jumped into the river and swam like local people. Yes, I can tell you I loved, love, and will love Sweden.
Of course I had good friends and I loved Sweden, but those are not the only things that helped me to finish this exchange program successfully. There were so many people who helped to acclimate ourselves to Karlstad. I appreciate every person who supported me including Ewha Womans University.
* Kim Yu-jin (Food Science & Technology, 4) studied at Karlstad University in Sweden.
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