Week 9: Rain, Reflections, and the Road Home

Hey Hey (Swedish Hi)!

It’s officially Week 9, my last full week in Sweden before I head back to the U.S. and dive into my final semester of law school. I honestly can’t believe how fast the time has gone. This summer has been such an incredible experience. I’ve gotten to explore so many new places, meet so many amazing people, and learn more than I ever expected. Still, I’m also excited to return home, see family, and get ready for one last round of law school chaos!

Work was a little busier this week as I’ve been wrapping up my remaining projects and coordinating with other colleagues across International IDEA’s global offices. It’s been really cool to see how the organization functions across time zones and countries, and tying everything together at the end has been a great way to reflect on everything I’ve worked on.

I also started putting together my handover document, the guide I’ll leave behind for future interns so they can pick up where I left off. It’s been kind of surreal writing it out, knowing I was on the receiving end of one of these just a couple of months ago. Hopefully it makes someone’s first week a little smoother!

The office felt a bit quieter this week without Alice, one of the other interns, who finished up and headed home last week. She was actually here before I arrived, and we got along so well. It’s strange not having her around now, but I know she’s off finishing school and doing amazing things.

Weather-wise, Stockholm decided to give us a break from the heat. It cooled down to the 65–70°F range and even rained a bit, which gave me an excuse to pull out my jackets again, something I wasn’t sure I’d get to do before leaving!

I’ll be back next week with one final update before I head home. Thank you for reading along with this journey!