Waves of Ennui: Reflecting on Month Two in Sweden

Most days I wake up and I don’t feel like I’m in Sweden. It’s actually quite remarkable how “familiar” things can seem here: the cold, windy days remind me of Fall in Spokane; the bright red ivy leaves on the academic buildings are just like those on the trees in front of College Hall that I used to walk past everyday; and I have many of the same things from Gonzaga in my apartment year. In other words, most days I feel comfortable.

Me being comfortable

But some days something feels out of place. Maybe it’s the dozens of trains, busses and bicycles I see coming and going from the transit center next to my dorm. Or maybe it’s the fact that the bank (and just about every other store around here) opens at 10 and closes at 4 everyday. Or maybe it’s simply looking down and recognizing that the crosswalks here are white cobble-stones built directly into the road!!!!!!

Yeah, I know, crazy!

Life moves at a slower pace over here. The atmosphere of the town can best be described as “laid back”, “comfortable”, even “tame” (Mind you, I haven’t been frequenting the college party scene, so I’m sure there’s plenty of “excitement” out there!). Coursework is also more “laid back”. Professors have us call them by their first names. We only have three two-hour classes per week, and my only assignment so far is a 7-10 page term paper due at the end of October. Contrast that with the 21 credits (~18 classes per week) I was taking most semesters at Gonzaga, not to mention the weekly smattering of tests, essays, and presentations… Suffice it to say I have a lot more time than I know what to do with.

Sometimes that extra time is great. But other times it sucks. Several times this week I’ve had a strong wave of ennui wash over me. Sometimes I lay in bed until 1, 2, 3 pm just because I have no meetings, classes, or other engagements to attend. Many days I don’t HAVE TO do anything. And that’s difficult to grapple with.

I’m starting to come up with ways of combatting this feeling though. Last Saturday I went to Copenhagen for a day trip at the urging of my girlfriend (Thanks Kerri!). Friday my Japanese hall mate and I went bowling. And a few weeks back I went with one of my classmates from Taiwan to visit several museums here in Lund. But perhaps most importantly as of tonight I’ve set a goal of one blog post per week for the foreseeable future. That way I’ll be giving myself an assignment and a deadline to stick to, and someone to hold me accountable… you! Ready or not, from here on out you’ll be hearing from me much more frequently. Let me know if you have any questions or topics you want me to cover in future blog posts. Suggestions would be very much appreciated! 

I’ll wrap up this post with a couple of the photos I took in Copenhagen during my visit last weekend… Enjoy!

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If you would like to contact me directly, please do so via email: adanowski@zagmail.gonzaga.edu