Sigrit from Estonia: 2/12 months in Växjö

As I sit on the train, gazing out the window, I’m thinking about my trip so far—from Tallinn to Copenhagen, and now heading to Växjö. Everything has gone smoothly… that is, until I glance around and realize my big suitcase is sitting beside me in a four-seat section, rather than neatly tucked beneath the seat. Embarrassing! And no one even mentioned it to me!

It’s now been just over two months since I arrived in Växjö. I think back to my first weeks here, when I would hear children’s voices passing by my open window, and the words felt strange, their meanings slipping past my ears. I still struggle, but now that sense of unfamiliarity has turned into curiosity and a motivation to learn.

Shopping is still an adventure—I walk into the store with a currency converter and translation app open, ready to navigate. But little by little, the language and items on the shelves are becoming familiar, with words and products sorting themselves from ”foreign” to ”recognizable.”

The weather and small-town vibe here reminded me of Tartu, in Estonia, where I spent the last six years before coming to Sweden. The signs may look different, but the feeling is the same: everything is close by, within walking distance. There is, however, a subtle sense of change, just enough to keep me from settling too deeply into my comfort zone. And, of course, my mindset is different now.

I have some goals to work toward and a year here to reach them. One of the main reasons I came to volunteer abroad was to reset my mind and body, to break free from routines I felt stuck in back home. As I take steps toward that goal, I can see changes happening, habits forming. A quote I came across recently resonates with me on this journey:

“What you are not changing, you are choosing.”