When I grew up in Sweden, “Europe” felt far away. We would talk about “going to Europe” on holiday, and “in Europe” life was different. After school, I spent one year abroad as au-pair in a German family and it was a great experience. This was in the 80’s. Sweden is now a member of the EU since 1995, more countries have joined since. In Geography, Europe was there all the time – now it has become the natural bigger context that we are all a part of. What a difference!

I also remember all the penpals I had as a teenager, from all over the world. There was this organisation you could join and for a few Euros you would get addresses to other young people, and the exchange could start. We wrote in our basic school English about our families, our countries, sent each other photos and music cassettes… It was always very special to receive those “air mail” letters from far away. Today there is internet and we all know what that means. What a difference!

I have a background in language studies, Spanish and German, and in Media & Communication. I have later also had the chance to learn French and Dutch (yes, learning a language is always a chance – don’t ever miss to take it!). I also have a diploma in jewellery making from Institut des Arts et Metiers in Brussels.

I joined the LabforCulture team in 2006, and it is fantastic to see how the community keeps growing by the day. Stay with us!