After three months at RSMH in Lund, french Abigail and Yolène are now ready for new adventures. We at Sandson AB thank them and the receiving organisation for being such a perfect match for each other!
Abigail and Yolène: We have done a podcast that talks a bit about our organisation and the experience we had in Sweden.
Why did you decide to apply for an internship in Sweden?
YH: I am thinking of moving to Sweden. I needed to try to work in the social field and see if it suited me.
AL: I just obtained my degree in social work and while studying I read a lot about the Scandinavian way of taking care of people, especially psychiatry. While working in France, I had a lot of questions about mental health and how to help them in their lives. Working at RSMH was the perfect match.
Was the experience as you expected?
YH: Yes! We learned a lot! More than we thought. We were warmly welcomed by the staff and members.
AL: It exceeded my expectations which were already high.
Anything that surprised you?
YH & AL: RSMH was a place with no judgment! Everybody could feel like themselves, feel free to say what they want, do what they want (of course nothing dangerous). It has changed our prejudices about how people live with this invisible handicap.
AL: Sweden has a great nature! We hiked a lot there! The weather is not as terrible that I thought.
What is your best memory?
Lots (all) of the members are artists, especially musicians and one of my favourite things was watching them playing music in the basement. A lot of fun and improvisation on their part. They are so talented, and the music was the link between them.
But a memory of our trip in Sweden was walking on an icy lake in Stockholm, of course in a sunny weather.
Has the experience changed you?
In a way yes it did! And it enabled me to get to know myself better.
Any tips for people who are thinking about applying for an internship abroad?
Do it!!!!! Don’t be afraid of taking this big step! It will be such a great experience, you will wonder why you didn’t go abroad earlier. And when you are abroad, don’t stay at home, go and discover the places around!
We did a little list of the things we think you have to do in Sweden:
- See a hockey and/or football game (Go Malmö!!!!)
- Visit Ven island in a sunny weather (12 km to go around the island, you can also rent bikes)
- The city of Copenhagen
- If you like nature, go to the Natural reserves: Kullaberg, Söderåsen
- Go to an international café, best place to speak another language and to discover other cultures.
- And of course, take a Fika (our best place are Wayne’s in Lund and Kafferosteriet in Malmö)