Audrey Bay: In Love with Stockholm

I applied to the GROW program on a whim. I never thought in a million years that I would be chosen. So when the e-mail came through that I was going to Stockholm, obviously I was shocked. May seemed so far away, but in no time I was on my way here. At first, I was extremely homesick, as I expected to be. It was my first time abroad and I really knew no one. Initially, the days went by slowly and it took me awhile to get my feet wet. As time passed, I started to make more friends and gradually the weather improved. Before I knew it, I had fallen in love with the city of Stockholm.

This experience has been truly amazing and I never imagined how hard it would be to leave. I will admit that I did not know much about Sweden before coming here and surely never had envisioned traveling here in my lifetime. I now know that I will absolutely be coming back here someday. For my first time abroad, I've also managed to squeeze in trips to Helsinki, Amsterdam, London and Scotland. The GROW program has given me the opportunity to expand my horizons and learn about other cultures, which I would have most likely otherwise been ignorant to. Being from the United States, I have always had such a love for my country. Now that I've had the chance to see the world from a different point of view, I can appreciate how other cultures and political systems function. No one country is perfect and I think we could learn a lot from one another.

My Bonnier family here in Stockholm has been nothing short of amazing. I have learned so much about Bonnier as a whole and its huge impact on Sweden. I don't think most of us in Florida realize just how large this company truly is. I have not met anyone in Sweden who does not know the Bonnier name, which is usually not the case back home. Since I've left, Bonnier Corporation has acquired five new magazine titles and I think that is very exciting. I can only imagine the possibilities to come.

I'm on a flight back to Florida in the morning and it is truly bittersweet. I miss my home, my friends and my job, but I've really grown to love this place and leaving here will definitely leave me heartbroken. I want to thank the GROW program for giving me this opportunity. Everyone tells me how lucky I am to be able to do this. It definitely is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I feel extremely fortunate to have had the chance to take part in it.

Hej då Stockholm, I will miss you.