01/04/2026
And… to the north we go ❄️✨
Getting to this point has been a five-year journey for me.
I thought I wanted to be a surgeon. Then… maybe a psychiatrist. But as life often does, it threw me a curveball, and like a lightbulb moment I realized I don’t actually want to become a specialist doctor or do residency. I want to pursue my master’s degree instead and build a career outside the clinical realm, integrating all of my passions and visions.
At first, an MBA seemed right. I have a nonprofit, so maybe if I learn business, I can build a social enterprise and make a real impact.
But then… I realized I don’t enjoy thinking or talking about money and business that way.
So I thought.. maybe an MPH in the US. Harvard University and Yale University have incredible programs. But then again… do I really want to live in the US for two years? Not really.
Then I found global mental health programs in the UK which felt perfect. But the only way I can afford it is through scholarship. So I starter preparing.
Essays, recommendation letters, documents, IELTS… I was ready. LPDP seemed like the right path.
And just a month before application submission… asked, “What about Sweden?” And sure enough, it never felt more right.
I get to pursue my studies, live a calmer life closer to nature, build a family, and have the freedom to explore the world without being tied to a system that was slowly burning me out.
So… Sweden it is.
Now came the next dilemma: which program do I choose?
Do I go to the place people might expect of me (Karolinska Institutet)?
As much as I admire it, I realized that living in Stockholm, in a highly competitive and prestige-driven environment, is no longer what I want… or what I need.
I’m just at a place where that’s just not me anymore. And in the honor of choosing differently, I’m also unlearning the belief that my worth is tied to achievements and status.
So I choose the north.
A much smaller, quieter place.
These days, my ambition is no longer about external validation, but about ✨internal alignment✨.
So this time around, I’m choosing myself first.