Week Two: From Jet Lag to the T-Bana: Adventures in Stockholm

Hello again! Another week down, and things are really starting to get exciting with my internship at International IDEA. I’m still working virtually for the time being, but I’ve been assigned even more research on how artificial intelligence could affect elections around the world. It’s been fascinating to see how countries with more widespread AI adoption might face challenges like deepfakes, AI-generated misinformation, and automated bots and how differently those issues play out depending on the country’s electoral systems and regulations. It’s given me a whole new appreciation for the safegaurds that are in place of protecting democracy in this new emerging digital age.

This week was also a huge milestone for me personally: I finally landed in Sweden! It’s my first time ever traveling outside of the United States, so everything feels new and a little surreal. Just getting through the airport felt like a mini adventure. With navigating customs, figuring out luggage claim, and then facing my biggest fear: the T-bana, Stockholm’s metro system.

I’d like to say my first metro trip was smooth, but I will be completely truthful: I spent a solid thirty minutes dragging my suitcase around the station, completely lost and trying to match signs to the directions on my phone. Every time I thought I’d found the right line, I’d realize I was facing the wrong platform or going the wrong direction entirely (at one point I ended up in an Ikea, dont ask how, I am still unsure). I was honestly convinced I’d end up riding in circles all day, but eventually, after a mix of sleep deprived stubbornness and asking a kind local for help who thankfully spoke english, I made it onto the right train and got to my place.

Once I got settled, I expected to be out exploring right away, but my body had other plans. Between the jet lag and what I suspect was a travel cold, I ended up sleeping for 18 hours straight at one point. It was like I blinked and half a day disappeared. And then there’s the sun, which doesn’t set until almost 10:30 p.m. here. Even then, it never gets truly dark, more of a hazy dusk that makes it feel like time is standing still and it is still 3pm, thoroughly tricking my brain. My blackout curtains have quickly become my most prized possession.

I’m starting to adjust now and I can’t wait to officially begin working in person at the International IDEA office on Monday. It’s been great connecting virtually with the other three interns, I found out one of them will stay fully remote for the whole internship, and another is actually from my own school! If you’d like to follow along with his experience too, you can check out Hank Blackburn’s page.

So far, so good! It’s been a challenging but incredible start, and I’m excited to see what the next week brings once I’m finally in the office. I’ll be sure to share more soon!