In a little idyll called Strängnäs just an hour from Stockholm, Sweden, senior Melissa Hoffman used to wait for spring in the scent of gravel.

In winter, when temperatures would regularly drop a few degrees below zero, people used to throw the pieces of blackish rock on the ground to avoid slipping, Melissa said. Then, as the winter ice began to melt, she would step out into icy sunshine and revel in the gravel’s earthy flavor, while watching the first seagulls of the season circle in the air.

“It doesn’t sound very pleasant, but that’s what I miss,” Melissa said. “But I really like the heat here; [I] can’t complain.”

       Unlike most transfer students, Melissa arrived at the school as a senior; her father had received notice of a possible job transfer in the summer of 2014, and the family decided to accept the opportunity to move to California.

       “I just felt like I wanted to get out and into the world, and try to experience new things and different perspectives,” Melissa said.

Rather than anticipating any specific experiences, Melissa said she was mostly interested in simply expanding her horizons.

       In that sense, she had her small expectation fulfilled: Saratoga was full of “learning experiences” – from the high price of a bagel ($6 at Saratoga Bagels) to the unexpectedly cold weather, which the shorts and tank tops she’d brought proved inadequate for.

       “During December, I needed three different shirts just not to freeze,” she said.

Also, unlike her previous school, Saratoga High was on a “whole other level” in terms of competitiveness. While her Swedish classmates typically took a gap year before going to university, often going to Australia or traveling to neighboring European countries, her peers here spent the first semester consumed by college applications.

       “It’s both a good and bad thing, because it [provides] motivation to work harder, but [it] can also be unhealthy and [you can] lose track of what actually matters,” Melissa said. “By moving here, I [somewhat] realized [who I was] and what I think is important.”

       She faced an additional hurdle of difficulty in the language and cultural barrier. Although she had become fluent in English in Sweden, she said her insecurity in the language initially made her uncomfortable with approaching others.

       “I wouldn’t know how to say something and not sound weird,” she said. “I think [this] is more of a Swedish concern than an American one, because [here] everyone is doing their thing and not caring that others think.”

       As a whole, though, Melissa shared a relatively happy story of transition; her initial fears evaporated when she met new friends who “made me feel like home” and she settled into her new life. In fact, Melissa said she’d even gotten a California driver’s license, which has been “kind of life changing.” Still, she misses her old friends and remembers the traditions that she would have been part of had she stayed.

       In Sweden, her school was situated opposite of the Lake SJK, where students would party, swim and kayak to mark the beginning and end of the year. Instead of a senior prom, the students would go to a castle-like mansion by that same lake, dress up, drink champagne and dance to celebrate their graduation.

       In contrast, Saratoga offers sometimes-ribald entertainment in the form of Homecoming, Spring Fling and rallies. More upstanding events include Winter Formal and prom. But Melissa said she likes the change.

       “I love the school spirit that comes out from everywhere,” Melissa said. “Here, everyone feels connected just by being at [the same] school.”

After graduation, Melissa said that she wants to take a gap year to travel, explore and meet new people while she figures out what she wants to do next and where she wants to go to college in the U.S.