Week Six: Organization, Exploration, and Overheating: Week in Review

by Cianna Phelan

Hi again!

This week was a relaxed one. Well, relaxed in spirit, not in temperature. Stockholm has been holding steady around 80°F, and with no air conditioning in most buildings, it’s felt… significantly warmer than I’d like. Let’s just say I’ve developed a new appreciation for shade, ice water, and personal fans. Speaking of which, I finally got one! Finding it turned into a mini adventure around the city, and while sweating my way through different shops wasn’t exactly the plan, it did give me a great excuse to explore more of Stockholm.

Cianna standing on a bridge looking confused because she does not know where she is.

The city continues to surprise me with how compact and walkable it is. Everything I need is pretty much within reach, but sometimes I get a little too curious, wander for a bit, and then realize I’ve somehow crossed into another town altogether. Stockholm’s small size combined with its charm makes it incredibly easy to lose track of time (and geography). The photo attached above is me standing on a random bridge wondering where exactly I ended up, but not panicking to much because the city is a giant square, so no matter where you go, you can always figure it out eventually.

On the internship front, I’ve been working on building out a resource toolkit, basically organizing a library of articles, reports, and research materials that are used for election-related work. My job right now is tagging and categorizing everything so it’s easier to access later on. It’s been interesting to see just how much material goes into supporting electoral systems around the world. I’ve come across articles covering everything from youth engagement in elections to cybersecurity in emerging democracies. Getting to help organize all of it has actually been really satisfying, there’s something fun about sorting through that much valuable information and seeing how it all connects.

That’s it for now, this week may have been a bit slower, but it’s been full of small wins (and even bigger fans). I’ll be back soon with more updates and hopefully cooler temperatures!