Looking back on all of my trips this semester, the highlight was definitely my two week spring break trip to Oslo, Stockholm, and Copenhagen. This journey was with two friends I met in my program, we each had a back pack and one shared carry-on which was packed to the brim. This trip gave me a new perceptive on city design and sustainability, while also having a wonderful time trying new foods and experiences!
Our travels started in Oslo, Norway. We arrived later in the day and explored the city before cooking dinner in our Airbnb, our host left us some declines Norwegian hot chocolate for dessert. The next day we visited The Scream painting in The National Museum of Oslo, Akershus Fortress, and tried many yummy pastries. The highlight of this city was the party sauna we stumbled across. It was chilly and lightly snowing so a sauna sounded like the perfect activity. When we entered we learned the sauna had a live DJ inside and aromatherapy included! It was such a fun experience and a fond memory from Scandinavia.
Next we traveled to Stockholm, Sweden via 8 hour Flixbus. I loved Stockholm the most due to the Stockholm archipelago. We took the ferry to the islands so we could visit the Vasa museum and the Skansen open air museum. For dinner we found a Viking themed restaurant and had a wonderful experience. We walked through the old town (Galma Stan) and found a small hike up to a beautiful view of the city for sunset. I made sure to try some classic Swedish meatballs and I loved the dish!
Our last stop was Copenhagen, Denmark. We visited the Louisiana Museum, which is filled with modern art, and we walked for miles exploring the city. A highlight was Freetown Christiania, an anarchist commune that features art and music. The area used to be military barracks, but once abandoned, a group of people claimed the land as their own and started the community. Now they legally own the land and host many concerts and art exhibitions. One of the days in Copenhagen I branched off on a solo day trip to Lund, Sweden. This was a special trip because it is where my Dad studied abroad when he was in college. I spent the day walking around the Lund University campus and surrounding town. I found a small restaurant that served the best soup and then a peaceful park with lakes and wildlife.
My spring break visiting Scandinavia was not only enjoyable, but also educational. I was able to observe the how sustainability and human centered urban design helps to improve a city’s efficiency and quality of life. I saw this specifically in the accessible transportation and city’s waste programs. In Copenhagen, each trash bag you through out costs a fee so it creates an incentive to lessen individual waste. Comparing Paris to cities like Oslo, Stockholm, and Copenhagen was eye opening. The amount of trust and care ingrained into the daily lives for Scandinavian people certainly counters the petty theft that is associated with cities like Paris or Rome. This trip helped my world view develop and gave me new understanding as to how Scandinavia is rated so highly in citizen’s happiness and sustainable practices.