SWEDEN: GOTHENBURG & STOCKHOLM

Where's Caitlin? She is in Sweden! So, obviously, I had to visit her! However, it was a rocky start. For those of you who don't know, I have two phones with me abroad: my normal phone that I use back in the States and an older phone that I used for service while I was in Europe (I call it the red phone). Recently, the red phone completely lost service out of nowhere. This meant that I couldn't use maps, text or call anybody, or figure out any transportation. Yes, I'm aware of how Gen Z this makes me sound. But as a young girl traveling by myself, I wanted to make sure I was able to travel comfortably. We got everything figured out for the most part, but this created a very hectic first hour in Sweden. Thankfully, I quickly realized how friendly and nice the people of Sweden are during the process. I was in the middle seat on the flight from Budapest to Gothenburg, and the man sitting next to me gave me an unopened Coca-Cola. Not only that, but my Uber driver let me use his hotspot so I could text Caitlin that I was on the way to her apartment. Finally, things were going right!

The drive to her apartment reminded me a lot of Northern Wisconsin: many lakes and extremely tall trees. 

Once I got to Caitlin's apartment, I relaxed and unpacked all of my things so I could do laundry! Caitlin was the absolute best and reserved a time slot to get laundry done, and it even came with a dryer! Another thing we did almost immediately was open our Taylor Swift VIP packages! Yes, you read that right! Caitlin and I saw Taylor Swift in Stockholm! But I'll get into that later. 

Inside the package were our VIP lanyards, posters, postcards, a tote bag, and my personal favorite, a pin! Afterwards, Caitlin finished cooking dinner. For dinner, we had baked potatoes, chicken, and salad. It was exactly what I needed!

Before we went out, Caitlin made us a few Aperol Spritz's, and we drank them on her balcony! I felt so spoiled! She has a great view of the city!

Soon after, we went out on the town. We went to the bar/club called Yaki-Da, and Caitlin goes every Wednesday, so I had to experience it for myself.

On the way there, there was a gorgeous sunset, and I had to take a few necessary photos. Since Sweden is more north, the sun sets a lot later and rises a lot earlier. These pictures were taken at 9:30 p.m. The only reason I'm looking forward to my flight back to the US is to clear out all of the photos on my phone. It has gotten a bit excessive.

I loved the vibes of Yaki-Da. It had different levels; the bottom left was more like an upscale bar, and the top floor was more like a club. Overall, I had fun, but the absolute best part of the night was the music! Hands down, the best music at any bar or club I've been to. They played all the classic US songs and, of course, ABBA.

The next morning, we enjoyed our breakfast on the balcony once again. Caitlin and I both agreed that it was going to be a more relaxed day, which was perfectly fine with me!

The first place we went was a bakery called Ahlstroms. 

Caitlin and I each got an iced latte and three pastries to share. They were super yummy, but they definitely hurt my stomach soon after. 

We spent the rest of the morning sight-seeing and walking around the streets of Gothenburg.

We then decided to take a 20-minute tram ride to the sea. The trams in Sweden have the "honor system,"  meaning they don't check every ticket going in and out of the tram, but it's best to still have one just in case. I learned my lesson from Budapest and bought a tram ticket. It was a good thing I did, because they ended up checking!

If we hadn't had plans later in the day, I would've spent my entire day here. The weather was so nice; it was extremely hot, but there was a cool breeze that made it just bearable.

We hung out there for a bit before we took the tram back to her apartment to get laundry done. While the laundry was getting done, Caitlin and I worked on our bracelets for the concert while we watched another one of my favorite movies, Anyone But You. 

Later on, we got ready and walked to dinner. We went to the restaurant, Taverna Averna. Earlier in the day, I wanted to get Swedish meatballs, but I didn't have any luck. But, as if it were fate, their special of the night was Swedish meatballs. How perfect! I could not recommend this restaurant more; the food and service were incredible!

We went to a bar for a quick drink after dinner and walked home soon after to finish packing up for Stockholm the next morning. 

A few more photos may or may not have been taken on the walk back to the apartment.

The next morning, we had an early train to Stockholm. I may not look too excited, but trust me, I could not wait to get to the concert.

The entire train ride consisted of me getting my life together. I had a few things I needed to get done for my summer job, and I worked on the blog post as per usual. Caitlin and I synced up our phones so we could listen to the same playlist simultaneously. No surprise, we listened to Taylor Swift.

Because of the concert, Stockholm was packed. It was fun to listen to all of the different languages walking by. However, this caused it to be pretty hectic getting around the city. We got into Stockholm around 11:15 a.m. and walked around until 2 p.m. The concert started at 6:15 p.m., and we wanted to make sure we had enough time to get ready and be at the venue early.

We mostly spent our time walking around "Old Town." Caitlin and I got gelato, and I was able to get my postcard!

Since Caitlin has been to Stockholm a few times, she knows a really pretty lookout point. 

We ate our lunch up there before going back to the hostel to get ready for the concert!

For the concert, I didn't want to buy a crazy dress that I would only wear one night, but Caitlin saved the day once again and let me borrow the perfect dress! I loved getting dressed up and seeing what other people were wearing.

Once we got to the venue, we stocked up on water and soda for some energy and walked around to trade bracelets with people! We met a lot of people who started making bracelets a year ago... Caitlin and I had our work cut out for us. 

As for the concert itself, magical is an understatement. If you know me well, you know that I am a very emotional person and cry about just about anything, especially happy things. But, after watching parts of the concert on TikTok or Instagram and then seeing it in person, I burst into a puddle of tears. In that moment, I just felt so grateful and lucky to be there, not just being at the concert but also being in Europe. Not everyone gets to travel as much as I have these past 5 months, let alone see Taylor Swift in Sweden. It was one of the best feelings in the world.

But back to the concert: it was incredible. It wasn't just a concert; it was a full production. The transition between each era is so well thought out—the way the bracelets light up, the choreography, the storytelling. It was the best concert I have ever been to, hands down. I cannot thank Caitlin enough for letting me go with her.

Not to brag, but our concert was the first time she has ever performed in Sweden, so that was pretty cool. Leaving the concert was a madhouse, but Caitlin and I were able to make it back to the main city in an hour, which I think was a win. The night was not complete until we got Burger King and went to bed. I only got 4 hours of sleep before I woke up to train to Copenhagen!

Best Part of the Trip: To me, this is a no-brainer, but the concert.

Worst Part of the Trip: The first hour I was in Sweden was not enjoyable, but I wouldn't say it was the worst part of the trip. I had a bad stomach ache in Gothenburg. If that's the worst part of my trip, then I think I had a good time in Sweden.

Overall Thoughts: I love Sweden! Everyone was so friendly, and I liked how it felt to walk around. It reminded me a lot a lot of Northern Wisconsin, which was comforting. I would love to come back to Sweden and explore farther north. Even though we didn't do a lot in Stockholm, the concert made up for it. A huge thank you again to Caitlin for putting up with me over the past few days.