University of Wisconsin–Madison

Denmark: Kylie Hollenstein (A New Experience)

A fuzzy reindeer with antlers walks through snow to a patch of tall tree trunks, where there are other reindeer.
Reindeer herded by the Sámi people in Southern Lapland!

Through Aarhus University’s chapter of ESN (Erasmus Student Network), I was able to journey the Swedish Lapland, a place like no other. ESN, an organization dedicated to giving international students in various European nations the best experience possible, gives students various budget friendly trips throughout Europe. After pouncing on one of these opportunities to explore more of Europe, I found myself on an almost 30 hour journey to the Southern Lapland. Almost all of our time was spent on the bus. 50 odd students tried their best to sleep through the night as we rolled through the Swedish backwoods and frantically brushed our teeth in gas station bathrooms. Once there, the whole journey was worth it.

Our stay was in a small town consisting of a church, a grocery store, two restaurants, and a ski hill. Although remote, the location allowed us to become more in touch with the surrounding nature. Group members had opportunities to do participate in various activities such as snowshoeing, touring a Sámi reindeer farm, and dog sledding. At night, we huddled around a campfire that barely kept us warm and compared stories of our home countries. Through this experience, not only was I able to see more of the world’s beauty, learn about the indigenous Sámi people, and gain new memories, I met friends from all over the world that I’ll hopefully keep for life!

 

Kylie smiles in front of a lake during the end of the sunset.

Kylie Hollenstein

Hometown: Cottage Grove, Wisconsin

Major: History

Program: Aarhus University Exchange