Hey blog readers! It’s Zenas Del Rosario—your friendly, neighborhood, American trainee. I’ve been in Sweden for about a month now and am proud to say that I’ve settled in just fine.

Flying in to Gothenburg from the US last month, I took no time before diving right into Swedish culture by taking in the sites. Shopping centers, museums, theme parks, OH MY! I was blown away by how beautiful the city looked. After an impromptu tour of Gothenburg by bus, I took a train through the countryside to my current home in Trollhättan. Thank goodness everyone here knows how to speak English! If not, I would have had a much harder time navigating my way around. I’m sad to say that I fell behind with my Swedish language lessons, but am happy that everyone here has been so accommodating. Other than the fact that the scenery is so much greener, Sweden feels just like California.

I took advantage of the weekend to unpack and explore Trollhatan to get my bearings, then started work at GKN Sweden that Monday, September 10th. Compared to GKN El Cajon, GKN Sweden is so much bigger. Walking around here is like roaming through a small city! An ID photoshoot, facility tour, and trainee meet-and-greet later, I was introduced to Workshop X and my coworkers in the Manufacturing Engineering Department. For those curious about what I’ll be working on, I’ll be using my expertise to support the GE New Product Introduction team as we troubleshoot problems, identify root causes, and work hard to fabricate shafts and rotors that MAKE THINGS FLY! The next 5 months here look to be exciting and full of learning opportunities. I’m ready to take on the challenges and perform at my very best!

Before signing out and flying on, I’d like to give props to the GKN staff and Graduate Trainee Network. The tips, tricks, and advice shared have been extremely helpful for assimilating into Swedish work culture and day-to-day life. For example, as the saying goes, “it never rains in Southern California.” If former El Cajon trainee, Nick Ninivaggi, hadn’t told me about the absolute need to buy a raincoat, I’d have been completely soaked through by now. Good golly, does it rain a lot around here! Bye until next time, readers.