Welcome all students who just started their studies as well as those who are not new to Linköping University! I’m so excited to do blogging this year again! As last year, I will post two blogs per month in my blog series. One of them will be focused on university-related while the other blog will be about Sweden in general, my experience here after some years, some tips – anything and everything. You are welcome to join me on my 5th year of exploration in Sweden whether you are a current or a prospective student. Hopefully, you will find this useful. For future students hopefully, it will aid in your decision to come here and maybe in a year write here your own story. So, let’s get started!
Today, I will tell you what my summer adventures were. Let me tell you… it was a busy summer! From working in the fascinating field of tissue engineering to exploring beautiful corners of Northern Europe and more. My summer was nothing short of amazing.
Summer Job at Katastrofmedicinskt Centrum
Well… maybe to some of you, it doesn’t start appealing but it truly is. I finished my school on the 2nd of June. Then, my summer kicked off with my work at the Katastrofmedicinskt Centrum in the field of tissue engineering. It was a challenging but rewarding experience. I got to work alongside some brilliant people and contribute to cutting-edge research in experimental traumatology. My work was a part of their large project which is the development of a novel skin grafting method for large wound treatment, for example, burns or war wounds. However, my focus was to establish and optimise a method that would confirm the proliferation and extracellular matrix formation of cells on biomaterials. For those who are not in the BioMed field; I was essentially checking if their method allows skin regeneration once it is transplanted on the wound. The lab work was intense, but it was incredibly fulfilling to know that these efforts are geared towards improving lives in critical situations (even though it may be commercially available only in several years). And here is an example of some cool pictures I had taken 🙂 The bright green spots are human cells on the “large” sphere (diameter ~ 150 micrometres).
Exploring the South of Sweden
After my rewarding work experience, it was time to relax and explore some more of Sweden. I embarked on a 10-day journey that took me through some nice destinations. Since it was a road trip, the travelling included many, many places in the area marked in the photo but I will just suggest some of them to you that I found particularly worth visiting.
Kalmar, Kalmar Castle and Öland
One of the stops was the charming town of Kalmar, located on the southeast coast. The highlight of my visit was Kalmar Castle, a well-preserved Renaissance fortress (see photo). It felt like stepping back in time as we wandered through the impressive halls and learned about Sweden’s history. If you ever go there, try joining the tours – they are full of information but also contain very entertaining parts!
Visiting Öland, Sweden’s second-largest island, was a pleasant journey. Interestingly, what we found the most exciting was a nearly 6-kilometre-long bridge that connects Kalmar and Öland, known as the Öland Bridge (Ölandsbron). As we drove across this impressive engineering structure, we got to see some stunning views of the surrounding seascape. The island itself has serene landscapes dotted with many windmills. We haven’t visited much of Öland, just the iconic Borgholm Castle (see on the side). Unexpectedly, it was closed because it was a day before a concert but ultimately we were happy with the mesmerizing views.
Oxelösund
Another stop on my itinerary was Oxelösund, a picturesque coastal town. We spent a day strolling along the scenic shoreline and enjoying the eastern Swedish archipelago. If you fancy, a peaceful gateway for a weekend, this is definitely your option.
Örebro
Visiting Örebro was actually an accident because we missed a turn on a highway 😀 Nevertheless, we didn’t regret it afterwards. The stunning Örebro Castle is a medieval fortress located on an island in the Svartån River. Perhaps it is a city where you can go for a day trip.
No trip around Sweden would be complete without a visit to the capital city, Stockholm. Also, some other cities like Jönköping, and Göteborg were on the list but I may write about this in another post if you’re interested!
Weekend in Vanersborg – Cottage by the Lake
One of the highlights of this entire trip was spending a weekend in a cosy cottage by the lake in Vanersborg. The surroundings, the atmosphere, and the weather were amazing. We spent the last days of this trip relaxing by the lake, enjoying the natural beauty, and of course, partying.
Krakow in the eyes of a foreigner
A spontaneous decision led my friend on a weekend getaway to Poland while I was visiting my family. We explored the historic city of Krakow, known for its charming Old Town and the stunning Wawel Castle. We also went to the Salt Mine which she loved.
Finishing the Summer with an Amazing Trip to Norway
In addition to my Swedish adventures, I embarked on an extraordinary journey to Norway. But I’ll save the details of this breathtaking trip for another post, as it deserves a story of its own. Norway’s majestic fjords and stunning landscapes left me in awe and provided the perfect grand finale for an unforgettable summer. I actually fell in love so much that I will be going there again in December.
Overall, my summer was a whirlwind of experiences with lots of travelling and unforgettable memories. Hopefully, some ideas will pop into your head based on this blog. And most importantly, I always travel on a student budget. Already in October, you will see some tips on how to travel cheaply in Sweden. And I can’t wait to share more about my incredible trip to Norway in one of the posts. Until then, stay tuned for more stories and tips!
/Alexandra, Experimental and Medical Biosciences
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