Marlies Stark
“An academic career requires gaining research experiences at a foreign university. Where should I apply?” that was what my husband said to me at the beginning of last year. “Lund, that's my No. 1”, I said, “I will go anywhere with you if the compass points north.”
Embracing New Adventures in the North
We lived in Tübingen, in southern Germany and discovered our love of the north through traveling. When my husband was accepted for a post-doc position at Lund University, we both knew that this was the start of an exciting adventure!
“I'll find a job.” I told all my friends when we moved to Lund in September 2024. “Something will come up.”
Sport connects people
In order to get to know people in Sweden and make friends, I went looking for gyms and ended up in Malmö. Artistic gymnastics has been my passion since I could think. I coached girls in various gymnastics clubs for many years. Everything on a voluntary basis. It was always my hobby. When I first met the head coach, I said that I would love to help with trainings and also do gymnastics myself. I was welcomed with open arms to watch various training sessions. Right from the start, I was impressed by the Swedish training methods and the very positive atmosphere. So the visits became more and more frequent, and I also attended the Xmas-show at the end of last year. We communicate in Swedish, English, verbal and nonverbal and usually understand each other. I learned vocabulary like “handstående” in Swedish straight away.
New path
“We would love to work with you more!” That was an invitation to think about turning my hobby into a career. A part time trainer position was open and I was the preferred candidate. A job offer! What an honor! Talking to my friends at the phone, they said: “This is perfect! New country – new path!”
Kick-Start Program
At the same time, I took part in the Kick-Start program run by International Citizen Hub Lund. All the personal stories of people who have found their way in Sweden and the participants from all over the world were incredibly inspiring! I met so many brave people! I was also a bit surprised and sad at the same time that so many international, well-educated people are looking for a job here and are getting a lot of rejections. The Kick-Start Program encouraged us to be open, to rethink and perhaps to try something we would never have done in our home countries. For me, something great came out. My personal experience: completely new paths can open up in new countries – be open-minded.
/Marlies Stark
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