What to bring
Sweden is cold. I am cold natured, and so while it is not unbearable I didn't find it awful. Imagine a normal December day in Fayetteville. 20-40 degrees at night warming up to 60 during the day 70 if lucky. So bring appropriate clothes, and I'd make sure to bring one medium coat (you're not going to Siberia). I would forgo the sheets and towel, as those can be purchased in Sweden then thrown away when leaving. (A cheaper alternative to the overweight baggage fee) The rest is fairly simple, but make sure to bring any and all research that you need for the MAT since I'm assuming that no roommate will want to dig through you crap to look at a survey result you forgot to bring . I would recommend a converter for your plugs before you get to Sweden as well because checking email will be one of the best and only ways to keep in contact with everyone.
Arriving in Stockholm/Jönköping.
So you've decided to take the plunge and go to Sweden despite the limited funds in your bank account. Congradulations! You've made an amazing decision one that will leave you poor, starving (I lost 10 pounds in Sweden, and not all of it was fat), but above all depressed. Depressed knowing it will only last 6 short weeks. The flight over probably left you nervous how you are going to function in this weird snowy country across the world. First thing to do is relax, a difficult thing, but the thing about Sweden is that almost every speaks English and while they are shy, they are extremely friendly and willing to help. The best way to get to Jönköping (pronounced Jern-sher-ping) is a bus that runs from Arlanda airport in Stockholm. It costs around 50 dollars. It takes about 5 hours and if you can stay awake, I recommend to look out the window, at least while in Stockholm. It's a gorgeous city filled with water and canals. Once arriving in Jönköping you will notice that it is much smaller than Stockholm. Well duh, William you idiot that is a small town compared to the capital of Sweden. Shut up I know. What I mean by that is that you need to get used to walking, because almost everything is walkable in Jönköping. So comfy shoes are a must.
Getting your bearings
When stepping off the bus, hopefully someone will meet you and take you to your apartment during your stay in Sweden. Above all, if you are staying in an international dorm make friends with everyone. These people will be your lifelines and are critical to your enjoyment of Sweden. Plus you can become friends with people from all over the world. I recommend that you go grocery shopping the first night and relax and meet people. Trust me you will be too tired to do anything else. I will talk about grocery shopping as well as getting other essentials on the next part. But for now, sit back and enjoy the incredible scenery that Sweden offers. And I'm not talking about the tall, thing ridiculously beautiful people that live there.....well maybe I am.....hush up.
